H-1B Visa Registration Period for FY 2026

The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has announced that the initial registration period for the H-1B visa cap for the fiscal year 2026 will open on March 7, 2025, at 12:00 p.m. (Eastern Time) and will close on March 24, 2025, at 12:00 p.m. During this period, employers and representatives must electronically register their beneficiaries through a USCIS online account and pay a $215 registration fee per submission.

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Registration and Selection Process

Petitioners subject to the H-1B visa cap must:

• Create or access an organizational account with USCIS.
• Electronically register each beneficiary.
• Pay the $215 registration fee per beneficiary.

USCIS will continue using the beneficiary-centered selection process implemented in FY 2025. Under this system, registrations will be selected by unique beneficiary rather than by individual submission, ensuring a more equitable distribution.

Temporary Increase in Credit Card Transaction Limits

The U.S. Department of the Treasury has temporarily increased the daily credit card transaction limit from $24,999.99 to $99,999.99 per day, due to the high registration volume in previous seasons. For transactions exceeding $99,999.99, Automated Clearing House (ACH) payments are recommended.

System Enhancements for FY 2026 Registration

USCIS has introduced several improvements to streamline the registration and filing process, including:

• Legal assistants can now collaborate with multiple legal representatives within a single account.
• Easier addition of legal assistants to business client accounts.
• Preloading of data in Form I-129 from selected H-1B registrations.
• Bulk data upload via spreadsheet to streamline the registration process.

Selection Results Notification

USCIS plans to notify petitioners and representatives of registration selections by March 31, 2025. Those selected will be eligible to submit H-1B petitions, including those qualifying for the advanced degree exemption.

For additional information and resources on the electronic registration process, applicants are encouraged to visit the official USCIS website.

With these updates, the H-1B visa registration process for FY 2026 aims to be more efficient and accessible for both applicants and employers.

From: https://www.uscis.gov/newsroom/alerts/fy-2026-h-1b-cap-initial-registration-period-opens-on-march-7 

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