USCIS Announces Implementation of H-1B Registration for FY2021
December 9, 2019
The USCIS has announced that it will implement the registration process for the upcoming H-1B lottery for Fiscal Year 2021 (FY2021). In the announcement, the USCIS says they have completed pilot testing and that all employers who wish to file H-1B cap-subject petitions will be required to first register electronically and pay the $10 fee for registration.
The USCIS says that the initial period for registration will run March 1 through March 20, 2020. Then, they will conduct the random lottery and those selected in the lottery will have a minimum 90 day window to file the H-1B petition (per the registration final rule published on 1/31/2019).
The USCIS will publish more information about the FY2021 registration process in the Federal Register and they have indicated that they will provide “step-by-step instructions informing registrants how to complete the registration process on its website along with key dates and timelines as the initial registration period nears. USCIS will also conduct public engagements and other outreach activities …”
Weaver Schlenger will continue to provide updates as they become available on our website.
Employers should identify the employees they wish to sponsor for H-1B status as soon as possible, to ensure sufficient preparation for the upcoming new registration process. Since both the process and the technology will be new, employers should anticipate possible last minute changes or issues (and even possible suspension of the registration) as the USCIS tries to accept over 200,000 online submissions. Earlier this year, for the FY2020 lottery the USCIS suspended the registration requirement so that it could conduct testing of the registration online tool.
If you have any questions about the H-1B lottery process, please contact Weaver Schlenger.
