ALERT: On April 1, 2024, USCIS service centers will no longer accept Form I-129 petitions requesting H-1B or H-1B1 (HSC) classification.
We will reject H-1B or H-1B1 (HSC) petitions received at a USCIS service center on or after April 1, 2024. There will be no grace period provided.
Beginning on April 1, 2024, all paper-filed Form I-129 petitions requesting H-1B1 (HSC), or H-1B classification, including those with a concurrent Form I-907, Request for Premium Processing Service, and those with concurrently filed Form I-539 and/or Form I-765, must be filed at a USCIS lockbox facility. If you are filing Form I-129 alone or with Form I-907, you may also file online. In March, USCIS will launch online filing of Form I-129 and associated Form I-907 for non-cap H-1B petitions. On April 1, USCIS will begin accepting online filing for H-1B cap petitions and associated Forms I-907 for petitioners whose registrations have been selected. We will provide the lockbox filing addresses for paper filed forms in late March via web alert and on our Form I-129 Direct Filing Addresses page.
ALERT: On Feb. 28, 2024, we launched new USCIS organizational accounts that will allow multiple people within a company and their legal representatives to collaborate and prepare H-1B registrations, H-1B petitions, and associated requests for premium processing. A new organizational account is required to participate in the H-1B Electronic Registration Process starting in March 2024.
Prospective petitioners seeking to file H-1B cap-subject petitions, including for beneficiaries eligible for the advanced degree exemption, must first electronically register and pay the associated $10 H-1B registration fee for each prospective beneficiary.
The electronic registration process streamlines processing by reducing paperwork and data exchange and provides overall cost savings to employers seeking to file H-1B cap-subject petitions.
Under this process, prospective petitioners (also known as registrants), and their authorized representatives, who are seeking to employ H-1B workers subject to the cap, complete a registration process that requires basic information about the prospective petitioner and each requested worker. The initial registration period is for a minimum of 14 calendar days each fiscal year. The H-1B selection process is then run on properly submitted electronic registrations. Only those with selected registrations are eligible to file H-1B cap-subject petitions.
On Jan. 30, 2024, USCIS announced a final rule to strengthen integrity and reduce the potential for fraud in the H-1B registration process, including by ensuring each beneficiary would have the same chance of being selected, regardless of the number of registrations submitted on their behalf. The final rule contains provisions that will create a beneficiary-centric selection process for registrations by employers, codify start date flexibility for certain petitions subject to the congressionally mandated H-1B cap, and add more integrity measures related to the registration process. Under the beneficiary-centric process, registrations will be selected by unique beneficiary rather than by registration. Starting with the fiscal year (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. Only those with selected registrations are eligible to file H-1B cap-subject petitions. For additional information on the passport or valid travel document requirement, please see the Frequently Asked Questions section below.
Selections take place after the initial registration period closes, so there is no requirement to register on the day the initial registration period opens.
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