USCIS Announces Registration Period for 2025 H-1B Cap
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (“USCIS”) has announced that the initial cap-subject H-1B registration period for the 2026 fiscal year (“FY”) will open at 12pm EST on March 7, 2025, and run through 12pm EST on March 24, 2025. During this period, prospective petitioners and representatives will be able to complete and submit H-1B registrations via their online USCIS organizational accounts. The H-1B registration fee for FY2026 has increased from $10.00 to $215.00 per beneficiary.
If you are a first-time petitioner or representative, you may create a USCIS online organizational account at any time. If you previously set up an H-1B Registrant account for the FY2021 – 2024 cap seasons, but did not use it for FY2025, your existing account will be converted to an organizational account after your next log in. Like previous cap seasons, H-1B registrations may be submitted for multiple beneficiaries in a single online session. H-1B registrations must include valid passport or travel document information for each beneficiary.
If enough H-1B registrations are received by March 24, 2025, USCIS will conduct a random lottery and notify registrants via e-mail and their online USCIS accounts by March 31, 2025. After the initial selection process has been completed, a properly submitted H-1B registration will remain eligible for selection (unless otherwise invalidated) until the current fiscal year ends on September 30, 2025. If additional slots become available after the initial selection period, USCIS will conduct a subsequent lottery.
Prospective petitioners and representatives must receive a valid “Registration Selection” notice from USCIS to properly file an H-1B cap-subject petition on a beneficiary’s behalf.
Additional information regarding the fiscal year FY2026 H-1B cap is available by clicking here.
Please feel free to contact the authors of this Client Alert or your Butzel attorney for more information.
Reginald Pacis
313.983.6929
pacis@butzel.com
Amany Kasham
313.983.6916
kasham@butzel.com
