On February 5, 2025, USCIS announced the dates for the upcoming H-1B cap registration window and selection process. Selection will be via random lottery, as in prior years.
In its announcement USCIS stated that the registration period will open at 9:00am PT / 12:00pm ET on March 7, 2025 and will close at 9:00am PT / 12:00pm ET on March 24, 2025. The random lottery will be conducted following the close of the registration period, and account holders will be notified of selected registrations by March 31, 2025.
The registration fee has been increased from $10 to $215 for the FY2026 H-1B cap. This year’s cap will use the beneficiary-centric selection process launched in FY 2025 in which registrations are selected by unique beneficiary, rather than by registration.
© Jewell Stewart Pratt Beckerson & Carr PC 2025