USCIS Key Changes: 2026 FY H-1B Cap Registration Begins on March 7

The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has announced the initial registration period for the FY 2026 H-1B cap, set to open at noon Eastern on March 7 and close at noon Eastern on March 24, 2025. This year, several major changes will impact how employers and applicants navigate the H-1B process, including higher registration fees, stricter selection criteria, and a revamped digital filing system.

Key Changes for FY 2026 H-1B Registration

1. New $215 Registration Fee – A Significant Increase

• USCIS has raised the H-1B registration fee to $215 per beneficiary, a substantial increase from previous years.
• Employers and representatives must register beneficiaries online and pay the fee through a USCIS organizational account.

2. Mandatory Organizational Accounts for Employers

• Employers who previously held an H-1B registrant account (FY 2021–FY 2024) but did not use it in FY 2025 will have their accounts automatically converted into organizational accounts upon their next login.
• New petitioning employers must create an organizational account before they can submit H-1B registrations.

3. Beneficiary-Centric Selection Process – No More Duplicate Registrations

• USCIS is continuing the beneficiary-centric selection process, introduced in FY 2025, which prevents multiple registrations for the same applicant.
• Under this system:
  • Each unique beneficiary is entered into the lottery only once, regardless of how many employers file on their behalf.
  • If registrations exceed the cap, USCIS will conduct a random lottery and notify selected applicants by March 31.
  • If there are fewer registrations than expected, all properly submitted registrations will be selected.

4. Increased Payment Limits for H-1B Fees

• The U.S. Department of Treasury has temporarily raised the daily credit card transaction limit from $24,999.99 to $99,999.99 to handle high-volume H-1B registrations.
• Transactions over $99,999.99 must be processed through ACH payments, and payors may need to notify their banks to avoid payment blocks.

New Enhancements for H-1B Filing

USCIS has introduced several digital improvements to streamline the process for legal representatives and organizations:

• Paralegals can now assist multiple attorneys and handle H-1B registrations and petitions within a single account.
• Legal representatives can easily add paralegals to their company clients.
• Pre-filled Form I-129 fields from selected registrations to reduce manual input.
• Bulk spreadsheet uploads for beneficiary data, making it easier to manage multiple registrations.

What Employers and Applicants Should Do Now

• Employers without a USCIS account should create an organizational account before March 7.
• Legal representatives can add clients now but must wait until March 7 to submit beneficiary details and pay fees.
• Employers planning to sponsor multiple beneficiaries should review the new beneficiary-centric rules to avoid duplicate submissions.

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