We wanted to remind employers that the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced that the initial registration period for the fiscal year 2026 H-1B cap will open at noon Eastern on March 7 and run through noon Eastern on March 24, 2025. 

• Registration Period: Employers can submit H-1B visa registrations from March 7 (noon ET) to March 24 (noon ET). Late registrations will not be accepted.

• Registration Process: Employers must use a USCIS online account to register each worker and pay a $215 fee per registration, which has increased from $10 in previous years.
  • If an employer does not have a USCIS online account, they must create one. Upon the next login, existing accounts from previous years will be converted to organizational accounts.

• Selection System: USCIS will use a beneficiary-centric system to prevent fraud, ensuring each worker is entered into the lottery only once, regardless of the number of registrations submitted on their behalf.

• Lottery Notifications: Employers will be notified of lottery selections by March 31, 2025. Selected employers can file H-1B petitions starting April 1, 2025, with a filing period of at least 90 days.

• Annual Quota: USCIS will conduct two lotteries to meet the annual cap of 85,000 visas (65,000 regular cap and 20,000 advanced-degree cap). Last year, USCIS received 480,000 registrations for the 85,000 available spots.

• Credit Card Transaction Limit: The U.S. Department of Treasury has temporarily increased the daily credit card transaction limit to $99,999.99 for the Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 H-1B cap season. Transactions exceeding this limit can be made via Automated Clearing House (ACH).

For additional information:

• USCIS Press Release: FY 2026 H-1B Cap Initial Registration Period Opens on March 7
• USCIS Create an Account
• USCIS FAQs
• USCIS H-1B Electronic Registration Process

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