USCIS has announced that the FY 2025 H-1B cap registration period will run from noon ET, March 6, 2024 to noon ET, March 22, 2024.
This year, there will be a few changes to the registration process. A few key changes are noted below:
USCIS will be introducing a new online organizational account system that will go live at noon ET on February 28. Employers will be able to create new accounts in the system and current account holders will be able to upgrade their existing accounts, beginning on February 28. We will provide more details about this in the coming weeks.
This year, the H-1B cap registration system will switch to a beneficiary-centric system. Under the beneficiary centric process, registrations will be selected by unique beneficiary rather than by registration. This new process is designed to reduce the potential for fraud and ensure each beneficiary would have the same chance of being selected, regardless of the number of registrations submitted on their behalf by an employer. Starting with the FY 2025 initial registration period, USCIS will require registrants to provide valid passport information or valid travel document information for each beneficiary. The passport or travel document provided must be the one the beneficiary, if or when abroad, intends to use to enter the United States if issued an H-1B visa. Each beneficiary must only be registered under one passport or travel document.
USCIS has also just published the final rule related to the filing fee increases. The increases will go into effect on April 1, 2024. As such, while the USCIS H-1B lottery registration fee will remain $10 for this year, for any registrations that are selected, the new filing fees will be required for the H-1B filing.