WASHINGTON-U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services announced on 11/8/2019 a final rule that will require a $10 non-refundable fee for each H-1B registration submitted by petitioning employers for H-1B petitions filed in the lottery starting next year. The registration fee is in connection with a new electronic registration system for H-1B lottery cases.
The H-1B program allows companies in the United States to temporarily employ foreign workers in occupations that require the application of a body of highly specialized knowledge and a bachelor's degree or higher in the specific specialty, or its equivalent.
Upon implementation of the electronic registration system for H-1B cap cases, petitioners seeking to file H-1B cap-subject petitions, including those eligible for the advanced degree quota, will first have to electronically register each case with USCIS during a designated registration period, unless the requirement is suspended.
"This effort will help implement a more efficient and effective H-1B cap selection process," said USCIS Acting Director Ken Cuccinelli. "The electronic registration system is part of an agency-wide initiative to modernize our immigration system while deterring fraud, improving vetting procedures and strengthening program integrity."
The final rule, Registration Fee Requirement for Petitioners Seeking to File H-1B Petitions on Behalf of Cap-Subject Aliens, is effective Dec. 9, 2019, and the fee will be required when registrations are submitted. USCIS is fee-funded, and this non-refundable fee will support the new electronic registration system to make the H-1B cap selection process more efficient for both petitioners and the agency.
USCIS is slated to implement the registration process for the H-1B cap selection process next year. To date there is no information on how the registration will be done, the date that the electronic registration system will be rolled out or the timeframe in which H-1B cap cases must be registered.
