USCIS Announces New Electronic Registration Process for the 2021 H-1B Cap Season

On December 6, 2019, USCIS announced that it will start to implement an electronic registration portion to the FY 2021 H-1B registration process. The new process will apply to all H-1B cap subject petitions, including those that are eligible for advanced degree exemption. Employers must register and pay the $10 fee associated with the registration process in order to be considered for an H-1B cap subject petition in 2020.

With the new process, employers or their representatives will need to complete the registration and provide some basic information about the company and the potential H-1B worker. The registration period will run from March 1 through March 20, 2020. The random selection process will be completed after the electronic registration window has closed. Those whose registrations are selected will be able to file the H-1B petition for the new fiscal year (starting October 1, 2020).

The new process is designed to reduce unnecessary paperwork from being completed, which would ultimately save time and money for all parties involved if it works as intended. However, it remains to be seen how this new process will impact the number of prospective H-1B petitions and the odds of "winning" the lottery in FY2021.

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Categories: Immigration Blog