U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) recently announced that the H-1B electronic registration process will open at noon EST on March 9, 2021, and will close at noon EST on March 25, 2021. All H-1B cap cases must be entered into the electronic registration system during this time period to be eligible for this year’s lottery. USCIS also announced that there will be no changes to this year’s H-1B cap selection process as the implementation of the “H-1B Cap Selection Process Final Rule” has now been delayed until December 31, 2021.
H-1B Cap Electronic Registration Process Starts on March 9, 2021:
In 2020, USCIS implemented an electronic registration process to obtain initial information from employers in order to conduct an electronic-based H-1B cap selection process. Instead of filing the entire H-1B petition with all filing fees during the first five business days of April and then conducting the H-1B cap selection/lottery process, USCIS changed the cap selection process to use an electronic registration system. Limited information about the employer and employee is entered into the registration system. After the registration period closes and prior to April 1, USCIS will conduct the cap selection process. This year’s electronic registration process will open on March 9 at noon EST and will close on March 25 at noon EST. Once the cap selection process has been completed, USCIS will notify all selected registrants, who can then file the H-1B cap petition between April 1 and June 30, 2021. As in years past, it is possible that the premium processing service may be temporarily suspended for H-1B cap cases. If selected and H-1B petition is eventually approved thereafter, the worker may commence temporary employment as of October 1, 2021.
Please see the following for more information about this year’s (FY2022) H-1B cap selection process:
- FY 2022 H-1B Cap Initial Registration Period Opens on March 9
- H-1B Electronic Registration Process
- H-1B Cap Season
USCIS Delays Implementation of H-1B Cap Wage Selection Rule Until December 31, 2021:
On January 8, 2021, USCIS published a final rule changing the H-1B cap selection process from a random selection process to a wage-level selection based process. This new rule, as detailed in our January 20, 2021 legal update, would give preference to petitions using a Level IV wage, over those with Level III, Level II and Level 1 wages. USCIS has now announced that it is reviewing this rule and implementation has been delayed until December 31, 2021. In making this announcement, USCIS stated the following:
“To give USCIS more time to develop, test, and implement the modifications to the H-1B registration system and selection process, DHS is delaying the effective date of this final rule from March 9, 2021, to Dec. 31, 2021. The delay will also provide more time for USCIS to train staff and perform public outreach as well as give stakeholders time to adjust to the new rule.”
USCIS also confirmed that it will use the random selection process under current rules for this year’s cap selection process beginning in March and any registration period/cap selection process before December 31, 2021. Legal challenges are also expected with this wage based H-1B cap selection rule.
Additional information from USCIS can be found at the following links:
- DHS Delays Effective Date of H-1B Selection Final Rule
- Modification of Registration Requirement for Petitioners Seeking To File Cap-Subject H-1B Petitions; Delay of Effective Date
As more information is released on this year’s H-1B cap process, our team will provide further updates. Meanwhile, If you need assistance with your case and/or have any immigration-related questions, call us toll-free at 800-223-2814, email [email protected], or contact us online.
