The US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has announced the initial registration period for the fiscal year 2026 H-1B cap. The registration will open at noon (IST 10:30 PM) on March 7, 2025, and will run until noon (IST 10:30 PM) on March 24, 2025.
During this period, prospective petitioners and their representatives must register each beneficiary electronically using a USCIS online account and pay the required registration fee to participate in the selection process.
How to register for the FY 2026 H-1B cap?
Prospective petitioners who wish to submit H-1B cap-subject petitions must follow these steps:
Create a USCIS online account
Employers or their legal representatives must create an organisational account on the USCIS website.
Those who had an H-1B registrant account in FY 2021 – FY 2024 but did not use it in FY 2025 will have their existing account converted into an organizational account upon their next login.
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Register each beneficiary separately using the USCIS online portal.
Ensure all required details are entered correctly for each applicant.
Pay the registration fee
The H-1B registration fee for FY 2026 is $215 (INR 18,650) per beneficiary.
Key details about the selection process
Selections take place after the registration period ends: Employers do not need to rush to register on the first day, as selections are made after the registration period closes.
Selection notifications by March 31, 2025: USCIS will notify petitioners and representatives by this date if their registrations are selected.
Only selected registrants can proceed: If selected, the employer can then file the complete H-1B petition within the filing window.
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Employers seeking to hire foreign professionals for FY 2026 H-1B registration should prepare by creating USCIS accounts, gathering required documents, and staying updated on the selection timeline.
For further details, applicants can visit the official USCIS website.
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