Published on 12/9/2019
USCIS has confirmed that it will implement the electronic registration process for the next H-1B cap filing season in April 2020.
Under the new electronic registration process, employers will be required to pre-register for the H-1B lottery, and then file the H-1B petition only after the petition is confirmed to be selected in the lottery. USCIS has not yet released specific instructions on how employers can register H-1B cap-subject petitions under the new electronic registration process at this time.
Employers seeking to file H-1B cap-subject petitions for the 2021 fiscal year, including those eligible for the advanced degree exemption, must first electronically register and pay the associated $10 H-1B registration fee for each registration. The initial registration period will be open to employers from March 1, 2020 through March 20, 2020. USCIS will then run the H-1B selection process or “lottery” based on those registrations. Only those H-1B petitions with a selected registration will be eligible to file an H-1B cap-subject petition. If selected, employers will have at least 90 days to prepare and file their H-1B cap-subject petitions.
The immigration attorneys at Ryan, Swanson, & Cleveland are closely monitoring this and any other procedural changes for the upcoming H-1B cap season. We recommend that employers considering sponsoring employees or candidates for H-1B status contact our Immigration Group well in advance of the March 2020 filing deadline.
More information regarding the changes can be found in our previous article here.
Marsha Mavunkel can be reached at [email protected].
Cody Nunn can be reached at [email protected].
Amy Royalty can be reached at [email protected].
Janet Cheetham can be reached at [email protected].
Joel Paget can be reached at [email protected].
Jen Chen can be reached at [email protected].
This message has been released by the Immigration Group at Ryan, Swanson & Cleveland, PLLC to advise of recent developments in the law. Because each situation is different, this information is intended for general information purposes only and is not intended to provide legal advice on any specific facts and circumstances. Ryan, Swanson & Cleveland, PLLC is a full-service law firm located in Seattle, Washington.
