U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) updated employers and immigration practitioners regarding important dates for the upcoming H-1B lottery registration. This year, the online registration period for the H-1B lottery will begin on March 7 at 12:00 pm (EST) and run through March 24 at 12:00 pm (EST). Employers and their attorneys must wait until March 7 to enter beneficiary information and submit the registration fee. Below is a chart of important dates for your reference:
Prospective H-1B cap-subject petitioners or their representatives are required to use a USCIS online account to register each beneficiary electronically for the selection process. Starting this year, the associated filing fee for each H-1B registration submitted is increasing to $215. If you are an H-1B petitioning employer who does not have a USCIS online account, you will need to create an organizational account. Our office is ready to assist you with this process.
Required employer information needed to register:
- Name
- Primary address
- Federal Employer ID Number (FEIN)
- An authorized signatory’s contact information
Required Foreign National information needed to register:
- Name
- Gender
- Date of birth
- Country of birth and citizenship
- Passport number
- Whether the individual has at least a master’s degree from a U.S. institution of higher education
Additionally, USCIS will require registrants to provide valid passport information or valid travel document information. 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.
