USCIS is implementing a new electronic H-1B registration process for the FY 2021 H-1B cap. Employers seeking to file H-1B cap-subject petitions, including for beneficiaries eligible for the advanced degree exemption, must first create an online account and then electronically register and pay the associated $10 non-refundable H-1B registration fee for each beneficiary.
USCIS will open the initial registration period for the FY 2021 cap at noon ET on March 1, 2020. The initial registration period will remain open through noon ET on March 20, 2020. Registrants and representatives may create accounts beginning Feb. 24 and register throughout the initial registration period; selections will take place after the initial registration period closes, so there is no requirement to register on March 1.
H-1B Electronic Registration Process
On Dec. 6, 2019, we announced that we would implement the electronic registration process for the fiscal year 2021 (FY 2021) H-1B cap. Prospective petitioners seeking to file H-1B cap-subject petitions for the FY 2021 cap, including for beneficiaries eligible for the advanced degree exemption, must first electronically register and then pay the associated $10 H-1B registration fee for each beneficiary.
The electronic registration process will dramatically streamline processing by reducing paperwork and data exchange, and will provide overall cost savings to employers seeking to file H-1B cap-subject petitions.
Under this new process, prospective petitioners (also known as registrants), and their authorized representatives, who are seeking authorization to employ H-1B workers subject to the cap, will complete a registration process that requires only basic information about the prospective petitioner and each requested worker. We will open an initial registration period for the FY 2021 cap at noon ET on March 1, 2020. The initial registration period will remain open through noon ET on March 20, 2020. The H-1B random selection process, if needed, will then be run on properly submitted electronic registrations. Only those with selected registrations will be eligible to file H-1B cap-subject petitions.
Prospective petitioners and their representatives may create accounts beginning Feb. 24 and register throughout this period; selections will take place after the initial registration period closes, so there is no requirement to register on March 1.
For more information about the H-1B program, visit our H-1B Specialty Occupations webpage.
How to Register
In order to submit an H-1B registration, you must first create a USCIS online account.
Prospective petitioners (also known as registrants) will use a new “registrant” account that will be available beginning Feb. 24.
Representatives can create an account at any time before the end of the registration period, because they will use the same kind of account already available to representatives.
The initial registration period for H-1B registrations will open at noon on March 1 and run through noon on March 20.
Both representatives and registrants must wait until March 1 to create and complete H-1B registrations.
Required Fees
$10 for each beneficiary.
Registrants and representatives are required to pay the $10 non-refundable H-1B registration fee for each beneficiary before being eligible to submit a registration for that beneficiary for the FY 2021 H-1B cap.
Important Dates
H-1B Registration Process Timeline
Feb. 24: Prospective petitioners may begin creating H-1B registrant accounts (account creation will remain open throughout the entire registration period). Representatives may create an account at any time.
March 1: H-1B registration period opens at noon ET.
March 20: H-1B registration period closes at noon ET.
March 31: Date by which USCIS intends to notify selected registrants.
April 1: The earliest date that FY 2021 H-1B cap-subject petitions may be filed.
Registration Selection Notifications
USCIS intends to notify registrants and their representatives with selected registrations via their USCIS online accounts no later than March 31, 2020.
A registrant’s USCIS online account will show one of the four following statuses for each registration:
- Submitted: A registration status may continue to show “Submitted” after the initial selection process has been completed. “Submitted” registrations will remain in consideration for selection until the end of the fiscal year, at which point all registration statuses will be Selected, Not Selected or Denied.
- Selected: Selected to file an FY 2021 H-1B cap-subject petition.
- Not Selected: Not selected for this fiscal year.
- Please note that a registration will not reflect a status of Not Selected until the conclusion of the fiscal year. In the event that USCIS determines that it needs to increase the number of registrations projected to meet the H-1B regular cap or the advanced degree exemption allocation, USCIS will select from registrations held in reserve to meet the H-1B regular cap or advanced degree exemption allocation.
- Denied: The same registrant or representative submitted more than one registration on the beneficiary’s behalf for the same fiscal year. All registrations the registrant or representative submitted on behalf of the same beneficiary for the same fiscal year are invalid.
H-1B cap-subject beneficiaries, including those eligible for the advanced degree exemption, must have a “Selected” registration notification in order for a registrant or representative to properly file an H-1B cap-subject petition for FY 2021. Registrants and representatives will not be notified until the end of the fiscal year if they are not selected. The status of registrations not selected as part of any initial random selection process and not denied will remain as “Submitted.”
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