U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced the H-1B registration period for the fiscal year 2026 cap will open on March 7, 2025 and close on March 24, 2025.
During this time, U.S. employers looking to sponsor workers for an H-1B visa must register each candidate online through a USCIS account and pay the $215 registration fee per beneficiary.
What Employers Need to Know
- USCIS online account required: Employers must create an organizational account if they don’t already have one. If you had an H-1B registrant account for FY 2021–FY 2024 but didn’t use it for FY 2025, it will convert to an organizational account when you log in.
- First-time users: If you’ve never registered before, you can create an account at any time.
- When to submit registrations: While representatives can add clients anytime, beneficiary details and payments can only be submitted starting March 7, 2025, at noon Eastern.
- Selection process: USCIS will randomly select beneficiaries (not individual registrations) and notify selected petitioners by March 31, 2025.
Changes for FY 2026
USCIS has introduced several improvements for the upcoming H-1B registration season:
- Paralegals can assist multiple attorneys: Paralegals can now work with more than one legal representative through a single account.
- Easier legal team collaboration: Legal representatives can add paralegals to company accounts more easily.
- Pre-filled form data: Certain fields on Form I-129 will autofill based on selected registrations.
- Spreadsheet upload feature: Employers can prepare beneficiary data in a spreadsheet and upload it to the system for faster registration.
Payment Updates
The U.S. Department of Treasury has temporarily increased the daily credit card transaction limit from $24,999.99 to $99,999.99 for the FY 2026 H-1B season to accommodate bulk registrations. Payments exceeding this amount must be made via Automated Clearing House (ACH), and some banks may require prior authorization for ACH transactions.
Next Steps
To prepare for H-1B registration:
- Ensure you have a USCIS online account (or create an organizational account if needed).
- Familiarize yourself with the new registration enhancements for easier processing.
- Stay tuned for additional updates from USCIS before the registration period opens.
For more info, Boundless has put together a detailed guide on the H-1B cap.