USCIS Completes Initial FY2025 H-1B Cap Electronic Registration Selection Process

On April 1,2024, the USCIS announced that it has completed the initial random selection process (“lottery”) for the FY2025 H-1B cap registrations submitted in March. The USCIS has already notified petitioners and legal representatives of selected registrations. While the USCIS received more electronic registrations than available new H-1B visas for FY2025, registrations not selected in the initial lottery will be held in reserve. The reserve registrations may be drawn upon later in a second lottery, sometime prior to October 1st, if the numbers selected initially are determined insufficient to fill the cap limits. The USCIS has not officially announced the number of registrations submitted in this year’s lottery. We will notify employers and their H-1B registrants of any updates on lottery selection results.

Reminder of USCIS Fee Increases for the I-129 H-1B Petition and Premium Processing Requests

Effective April 1, 2024, the USCIS increased its filing fees. The government filing fee for the Form I-129 H-1B Petition for Nonimmigrant Worker has changed from $460 to $780. For qualified small employers (defined as 25 or less full-time employees) and non-profit organizations, the H-1B I-129 filing fee will remain at $460. 

In addition to the regulatory fees for the Form I-129 H-1B Petitions, an additional Asylum Program Fee of $600 will now be applied to these petitions.  Nonprofit organizations with a 501(c)(3) designation are exempted from paying the additional Asylum Program Fee, and small employers will pay a reduced fee of $300. 

Effective February 26, 2024, the USCIS increased the filing fee for premium processing requests to $2,805. Furthermore, the adjudication period for premium processing requests filed on or after April 1, 2024 will now be counted in 15 business days, rather than 15 calendar days. This change may increase onboarding timelines for employees requiring employer sponsorship by up to four days.