On January 30, 2024, USCIS announced a final rule to strengthen the integrity of and reduce the potential for fraud in the H-1B registration process, including by reducing the potential for gaming the registration system and ensuring each beneficiary would have the same chance of being selected, regardless of the number of registrations submitted on their behalf, and also announced the initial registration period dates for the fiscal year (FY) 2025 H-1B cap.
To strengthen the integrity of and reduce the potential for fraud in the H-1B registration process, USCIS created a beneficiary-centric selection process for registrations and registrations will be selected by unique beneficiary rather than by registration under the beneficiary centric process. With this process, there is no advantage anyone gets by having multiple offers and there is less incentive to do fraud. If an applicant is selected, all the employers who registered for the same applicant would be notified and they can file H1B on behalf of that applicant.
In addition, the initial registration period for the FY 2025 H-1B cap will open at noon Eastern on March 6, 2024, and run through noon Eastern on March 22, 2024. During this period, prospective petitioners and their representatives, if applicable, must use a USCIS online account to register each beneficiary electronically for the selection process and pay the associated registration fee for each beneficiary.
Because Congress set the annual regular cap for the H-1B category at 65,000 and the additional master cap with the advanced degree for the H-1B category at 20,000, this H-1B ” registration” program selects a limited number of visas by random lottery from registered applicants.
Those who apply for an initial H-1B petition in this fiscal year 2025 can start working on October 1, 2024, the Federal Government’s fiscal year.
If you are interested in an H-1B visa, please contact us at mail@songlawfirm.com.