H-1B Visas - Jewell Stewart Pratt Beckerson & Carr PC

USCIS Webinar Provides Details on H-1B Electronic Registration System

Feb 10, 2020

As discussed in prior posts, USCIS is taking steps to implement an electronic registration system for use in the upcoming H-1B cap lottery for government fiscal year 2021. More details were released this week in a USCIS webinar for “Registrants”—that is, the companies and organizations seeking to submit an H-1B petition.

In the webinar USCIS stated that Registrants will be able to set up accounts on February 24, one week before the registration window of March 1-20 opens. The agency confirmed that should the electronic system fail, it would require petitioners to submit full petitions as in past cap seasons; related filing deadlines will be announced later, should they become necessary.

USCIS Announces Further Details About H-1B Electronic Registration

Jan 13, 2020

As discussed in our previous blog posts, USCIS is taking steps to implement an electronic registration to be used in the upcoming H-1B cap lottery for Fiscal Year 2021. A few further implementation details have now been released in a Federal Register posting dated January 9, 2020, and in a press release dated January 10, 2020. USCIS noted the following details:

The initial registration period will open from March 1 through March 20, 2020.

H-1B cap-subject petitioners, including those seeking Master’s cap H-1Bs, will be required to first register electronically with USCIS and pay the associated $10 H-1B registration fee for each submission.

USCIS Announces H-1B Electronic Registration Period

Dec 9, 2019

As discussed in prior posts, on January 30, 2019, USCIS announced a final rule regarding changes to the annual H-1B cap lottery system, requiring an electronic registration for each cap-subject petition. While the electronic registration requirement was suspended for the lottery in April 2019, USCIS is taking steps to implement it for the lottery in April 2020, including the collection of a $10 fee for each electronic registration submitted.

Now further implementation details have been released: USCIS announced on Friday, December 6, that electronic registration will be required for the upcoming filing season in April 2020, that the agency has “completed a successful pilot testing phase,” and that the initial registration period will run from March 1, 2020 to March 20, 2020.

USCIS Proposes Fee for H-1B Cap Registrations

Sep 9, 2019

As discussed in prior posts, on January 30, 2019, USCIS announced a final rule regarding changes to the annual H-1B cap lottery system, requiring an electronic registration process for each cap-subject petition. While the electronic registration requirement was suspended for the most recent lottery in April 2019, USCIS is taking steps to implement it going forward. On September 3, 2019, USCIS announced that it was seeking to collect a $10 fee for each electronic registration submitted to USCIS.

Forms DS-160 and DS-260 now require disclosure of social media accounts

Jul 25, 2019

On May 30, 2019, the U.S. Department of State added required questions about social media accounts or identifiers to the online nonimmigrant and immigrant visa application forms, the DS-160 and DS-260. This means that anyone applying for a U.S. nonimmigrant visa (a temporary visa) or a U.S. immigrant visa (permanent residence, a green card) must disclose all social media accounts used in the last five years. Social media presumably will be reviewed by U.S. Consular personnel in the course of visa adjudications.

USCIS resumes Premium Processing Service for cap-subject H-1B petitions, takes next step in H-1B registration rules

Jun 18, 2019

USCIS resumed Premium Processing Service for all cap-subject H-1B petitions on June 10, 2019. The USCIS news alert is posted here and also mentions a temporary suspension of the use of pre-paid mailers for sending approval notices. Instead, final notices will be sent...

H-1B cap update – USCIS reports 201,011 petitions received

Apr 11, 2019

Today USCIS announced that it received 201,011 H-1B petitions in the filing period that began on April 1. On April 10 USCIS used a computer-generated random selection process (commonly known as a “lottery”) to select a sufficient number of petitions needed to meet the...

H-1B “regular” cap reached for FY 2020

Apr 7, 2019

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced on April 5 that it has received a sufficient number of H-1B petitions to reach the statutory H-1B visa “regular cap” for fiscal year (FY) 2020. USCIS will next determine whether it has received a...

USCIS resumes Premium Processing Service for all H-1B petitions, clarifies PPS for cap-subject petitions

Mar 12, 2019

Updated March 19, 2019:

On March 11, 2019, USCIS announced that it would resume Premium Processing Service for all H-1B petitions, effective on March 12, 2019. The USCIS news alert is posted here. Two days later, USCIS clarified via AILA liaison that H cap petitions were not covered by the March 11 announcement.