The H-1B visa process for the fiscal year 2025 (FY 2025) is set to kick off on March 6, featuring a transformative beneficiary-centric system. The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has introduced this comprehensive overhaul to enhance the integrity of the registration process for non-immigrant visas, allowing U.S. employers to engage foreign workers in specialized occupations.
To curtail potential fraud and foster fairness, the USCIS will implement a beneficiary-centric selection process. This innovative approach ensures that registrations are chosen based on unique beneficiaries rather than registration numbers. The aim is to provide equal opportunities to all beneficiaries, irrespective of the number of registrations submitted on their behalf.
As part of the final rule, USCIS has taken significant steps to diminish the likelihood of gaming the registration system. The measures adopted by the federal agency are geared toward securing an equitable chance of selection for each beneficiary. USCIS Director Ur M Jaddou expressed the agency’s commitment to bolstering integrity and minimizing fraud while streamlining application processes.
The initial registration window for the FY 2025 H-1B cap will open at noon Eastern on March 6, 2024, and conclude at noon Eastern on March 22, 2024. Prospective petitioners and their representatives must utilize a USCIS online account during this period to electronically register each beneficiary for the selection process and pay the associated registration fee.
The final rule establishes a beneficiary-centric selection process and codifies flexibility in start dates for specific petitions under the congressionally mandated H-1B cap. Additionally, it incorporates integrity measures to further enhance the registration process.
USCIS underscores the significance of this initiative, stating that the improvements will foster equitable H-1B selections for both petitioners and beneficiaries. Furthermore, the entire H-1B process will transition to a fully electronic format from registration to the final decision and the transmission of approved petitions to the Department of State.
Under this novel beneficiary-centric process, each beneficiary’s selection will be based on their uniqueness, an approach designed to thwart potential fraud and level the playing field for all beneficiaries. Starting from the FY 2025 initial registration period, registrants are required to provide valid passport information or valid travel document details for each beneficiary, emphasizing the passport the beneficiary intends to use for U.S. entry if issued an H-1B visa. Each beneficiary is limited to registration under one passport or travel document, as USCIS outlines.
Source: Indiacom
