H-1B visa applicants are anticipating the opening of the initial registration period for the fiscal year 2026 cap season. This program allows foreign workers in specialized fields to be employed temporarily in the United States, requiring a bachelor’s or higher degree.
US Citizenship and Immigration Services has announced that the registration period will begin on March 7 and run until March 24, 2025. During this time, prospective employers and their representatives must use an online account to electronically register each beneficiary for the selection process and pay a registration fee for each submission.
To participate, employers or their representatives must use the USCIS online system to register each beneficiary and pay a $215 fee per entry. Employers without an account will need to create one, while those who had an H-1B registrant account for fiscal years 2021 through 2024 but did not use it for fiscal year 2025 will have their existing account converted to an organizational account upon their next login.
First-time registrants can set up an account at any time, while representatives may add clients in advance. However, both must wait until March 7 to submit beneficiary details and complete registrations with the required fee. Selections take place after the registration period closes, eliminating the need to register on the opening day.
The fiscal year 2026 cap will follow a beneficiary-centric selection process, introduced in the previous year, where unique beneficiaries are selected rather than individual registrations. If the number of registrations reaches the required threshold by March 24, USCIS will conduct a random selection process and send notifications via online accounts.
Through this electronic registration system, employers seeking to hire H-1B workers and their authorized representatives must complete a registration process that includes basic details about both the petitioner and each intended employee. The registration period lasts for at least 14 days per fiscal year, after which the selection process takes place based on properly submitted entries. Only selected registrations will be eligible for filing H-1B petitions.
To address previous issues with transaction limits, the U.S. Department of Treasury has temporarily increased the daily credit card transaction cap from $24,999.99 to $99,999.99 for this registration season. Transactions exceeding this amount may be processed through Automated Clearing House transfers, though payors may need to notify their banks to remove any potential ACH block.
Only employers whose registrations are selected will be permitted to file an H-1B petition for their listed beneficiaries, including those eligible for the advanced degree exemption.
For fiscal year 2026, several enhancements have been introduced for organizational and representative accounts, allowing paralegals to collaborate with multiple legal representatives. This update enables them to manage H-1B registrations, Form I-129 H-1B petitions, and Form I-907 premium processing requests for different attorneys within a single account.
If the number of registrations does not meet the required limit, all properly submitted registrations for unique beneficiaries during the initial period will be selected. USCIS plans to notify prospective petitioners and representatives with at least one selected registration by March 31.
A final rule issued on January 30, 2024, aims to enhance the integrity of the process and prevent fraudulent registrations, ensuring that each beneficiary has an equal chance of selection regardless of the number of registrations submitted on their behalf.
