the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has unveiled additional details and confirmed pivotal dates regarding the Upcoming 2025 H-1B Cap Registration, accompanied by significant updates.

On February 28, 2024, at noon Eastern Time (9:00 am Pacific Time), USCIS will introduce “organizational accounts” within its online account system. These accounts will enable multiple designated “Administrators” within an organization, along with their legal representatives, to collaborate on and prepare H-1B registrations, as well as file H-1B petitions and associated Form I-907.

Although online filing of H-1B petitions remains optional, prospective petitioners and their legal representatives submitting H-1B Cap registrations must utilize the new organizational accounts. Registration for these accounts will commence at noon Eastern on February 28, 2024. Existing registrants can opt to upgrade to organizational accounts instead of creating new ones.

The registration period for the Fiscal Year (FY) 2025 H-1B Cap will commence at noon Eastern on March 6, 2024, and conclude at noon Eastern on March 22, 2024.

Representatives can add clients to their accounts after the launch of organizational accounts on February 28 but must wait until March 6 to input beneficiary information and submit registrations. USCIS will commence accepting online filings of Form I-129 for H-1B Cap petitions and associated Forms I-907 for selected beneficiaries on April 1, shortly after the registration window closes on March 22.

Moreover, USCIS has announced its Fee Schedule final rule, which increases government filing fees across most nonimmigrant and immigrant applications. Filing fees for employment-based temporary work visas, specifically Form I-129, will no longer be uniform, with different fees for each nonimmigrant visa category. Other changes to filing processes and adjudication timelines will necessitate careful attention to dates.

Effective April 1, 2024, after the initial registration period for the FY 2025 H-1B Cap, the new filing fees will become mandatory, including Form I-129 H-1B petitions for beneficiaries selected in this year’s Cap lottery, amounting to several thousand dollars per application.

USCIS is implementing significant changes within a short timeframe. Employers and their attorneys must collaborate and acquaint themselves with the new organizational accounts promptly, anticipating potential technical issues or learning curves. A

Regarding the upcoming final rule on filing fee increases, clients and their attorneys should carefully review and discuss potential impacts moving forward. The complexity of the changes introduced by the final rule necessitates meticulous filing to ensure compliance. Separate client alerts will address developments related to the final rule.

Related Post: USCIS Unveils FY 2025 H-1B Registration Period and New Beneficiary-Centric System