BackH-1B visa: USCIS announces new non-refundable fee for registration
USCIS is slated to implement the registration process for the fiscal year 2021 H-1B cap selection processThe registration fee is part of an agency-wide effort to modernize and more efficiently process applications to live or work in the United States
PremiumUS Citizenship and Immigration Services announced a final rule that will require a $10 non-refundable fee for each H-1B registration submitted by petitioning employers, under the electronic registration system.
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.
The registration fee is part of an agency-wide effort to modernize and more efficiently process applications to live or work in the United States.
Upon implementation of the electronic registration system, petitioners seeking to file H-1B cap-subject petitions, including those eligible for the advanced degree exemption, will first have to electronically register 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 fiscal year 2021 H-1B cap selection process, pending completed testing of the system.
The agency will announce the implementation timeframe and initial registration period in the Federal Register once a formal decision has been made, and USCIS will offer ample notice to the public in advance of implementing the registration requirement.
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