Today USCIS announced that it will be implementing the electronic registration process for next year’s H-1B lottery. According to USCIS, the initial registration period will be open March 1, 2020 through March 20, 2020. All those seeking to file an H-1B cap subject petition, whether in bachelor’s cap or master’s cap, will first have to pay the $10 H-1B registration fee. The registration process will require basic information from each Petitioner about their company and the requested H-1B worker. Once the random selection process, or lottery, has been run on the submitted electronic registrations, those that were selected will be able to file the H-1B petition.

Instructions on how to complete the registration process will be posted on USCIS’ website closer to the registration period. This will include step-by-step instructions as well as information regarding important dates and timelines.

In the past, Petitioners filing cap-subject H-1B petitions filed the I-129 form with all required evidence, including the Labor Condition Application (LCA), evidence of the Beneficiary’s educational background, and all other required documentation and evidence. Once all filings were received, USCIS would then complete the random selection process. USCIS Deputy Director Mark Koumans has stated, “By streamlining the H-1B cap selection process with a new electronic registration system, USCIS is creating cost savings and efficiencies for petitioners and the agency, as only those selected will now be required to submit a full petition…The agency completed a successful pilot testing phase, which included sessions with industry representatives, and implementation of the registration system will further the goal of modernizing USCIS from a paper-based to an online-filing agency.” 

Reddy Neumann Brown PC will continue to provide updates as additional information is received by USCIS about next year’s H-1B cap season.