On January 30, 2024, USCIS announced important changes related to the H-1B electronic registration process.
The H-1B registration for FY2025 will open at noon Eastern on March 6, 2024 and will close at noon Eastern on March 22, 2024. There are important changes this year to increase the odds of selection and promote fairness in the process.
Beneficiary-Centric Process
In previous years, H-1B registrations were selected by registration number instead by beneficiary. That significantly benefited individuals who had multiple companies file registrations for them. Now, USCIS has implemented a new rule that is beneficiary centric. USCIS will select by beneficiary rather than registration, which increases the likelihood that beneficiaries will have the same chance of being selected. The new rule also clarifies that an H-1B petition can be filed with a start date after October 1 of the relevant fiscal year and provides additional integrity measures.
What is the registration fee for FY2025?
The registration fee will continue to be $10. However, based on a separate final rule regarding fees, the H-1B registration fee for next year is expected to increase to $215 per registration.
Can multiple employers still file an H-1B registration for a single beneficiary, and if so, which employers can file an H-1B petition?
Multiple employers can still file an H-1B registration for a single beneficiary. If the beneficiary is selected, all employers will be notified of the selection, and each employer will have the opportunity to file an H-1B petition for that beneficiary.
What information do employers need to provide for an H-1B registration?
Like in previous years, employers will need to provide information about the company, including the legal company name, FEIN, company address, and information about the signatory for the company. H-1B registrants will also need to include information about the beneficiary, including the full name, date of birth, country of nationality, and passport information.
The new rule mandates that beneficiaries must only be registered under one passport or travel document. The rule specifies that this passport or travel document information must correspond to the passport or travel document the beneficiary intends to use to enter the U.S., if abroad. The passport information on the registration should match the passport information on the H-1B petition.
What if the beneficiary has multiple passports from different countries?
We strongly recommend deciding which passport to use at the registration stage, and that passport should be used for the H-1B registration, H-1B petition, and subsequent visa application, as applicable. Some countries may have more favorable conditions for H-1B visa processing, so the beneficiary should speak to an attorney to decide which passport is the most favorable.
What if the beneficiary’s passport expires soon?
To the extent possible, we recommend that beneficiaries have a passport that will be valid during the registration process and continue through the time of filing an H-1B petition and a visa application. However, the rule provides some flexibility, stating that “USCIS may find that a change in identifying information in some circumstances would be permissible.” These examples include “a legal name change due to marriage, change in gender identity, or a change in passport number or expiration date due to renewal or replacement of a stolen passport, in between the time of registration and filing the petition.”
We look forward to these updates to the H-1B process, as it will promote fairness and increase the odds of selection per beneficiary. If you have any questions regarding the H-1B registration process for FY2025, please contact us here: