USCIS Selects Additional H-1B Registrants for FY 2021

According to the USCIS HQ Benefits Policy Committee of the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA), USCIS began on August 14^th to notify new H-1B visa registrants of their selection for FY 2021. If you registered in March of 2020, log in to your UCSIS account and check the status of your registration, as the registration process will take place through the myUSCIS portal.

This electronic registration process was created in early 2019, and it is mandatory for all H-1B applicants (including those for the FY 2021 registration period from March 1 through March 20, 2020). Along with this new requirement came several other adjustments.

Here are some of the most important changes to understand:

• All prospective H-1B petitioners (including those who qualify for the advanced degree exemption) will need to register electronically before submitting their petitions;
• The electronic registration process includes a $10 fee;
• Employers will need to create new USCIS accounts for the electronic registration process;
• Petitioners must use the new version of Form I-129F (edition date of January 27^th, 2020); and
• Duplicate registrations (more than one per prospective petitioner) are prohibited.

Additionally, the H-1B process has several new dates. Key dates include the following:

• February 24^th: Petitioners can begin creating H-1B registrant accounts.
• March 1^st: The registration period opens at noon EST.
• March 20^th: The registration period closes at noon EST.
• March 31^st: Selected registrants should receive notifications of their selection from USCIS.
• April 1^st: Selected registrants can file their petitions for the next 90 days.

When you check your online account, your registration will be labeled with one of four statuses:

1. Submitted. This is what you will see once you have successfully registered. Because USCIS may select additional registrants if the cap hasn’t been met (as they did on August 14^th), your status may show “submitted” through the end of the fiscal year.
2. Selected. This status means you can file your H-1B petition.
3. Not Selected. This status means you CANNOT file your H-1B petition for this fiscal year. However, you won’t see this status until the end of the fiscal year, as USCIS may need to select additional registrants if the yearly cap has not been met.
4. Denied. If you see this status, it means USCIS received more than one registration for a single beneficiary. The beneficiary will not be selected for this fiscal year. Additionally, any other beneficiaries registered by the same representative or registrant will be invalid.

If you have additional questions or concerns about these critical changes, explore our H-1B visa resources page, and please do not hesitate to get in touch with our team at Verma Law Firm. If you are considering applying for FY 2022 but aren’t sure how to navigate the online system, USCIS released instructional videos explaining how to create your online account and complete the electronic registration process as an H-1B registrant.

Verma Law Firm has provided exemplary immigration services for more than 20 years. With both personal and professional experience with the immigration system, we are deeply committed to supporting immigrants from all around the world. We represent individuals and corporations alike, assisting with every aspect of the visa acquisition process and other immigration matters. To get started on your case, call (408) 560-4622 or contact us online today.