FY 2025 H-1B Visa Filing Procedures to Begin in February with Updated USCIS Regulations
The initiation of preparations for the electronic registration process and online filing of Form I-129 for H-1B petitions for Fiscal Year 2025 (FY25) is underway. Stakeholders involved in the H-1B registration and petition filing should take note of the recently modified rules by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).
USCIS has unveiled plans for customer experience enhancements during the H-1B cap season, including the launch of organizational accounts tailored for non-cap filings and the FY 2025 H-1B cap season. The introduction of organizational accounts will facilitate collaboration among multiple individuals within an organization and their legal representatives for the preparation of H-1B registrations, Form I-129, Petition for a Nonimmigrant Worker, and the associated Form I-907, Request for Premium Processing Service.
With the online filing of I-129 H-1B petitions, the entire H-1B lifecycle becomes fully electronic, spanning from registration to the final decision and transmission to the Department of State.
USCIS anticipates the rollout of organizational accounts in February 2024, with online filing of Forms I-129 and I-907 following shortly thereafter. Apart from streamlining the Form I-129 H-1B petition process, these changes aim to minimize duplicate H-1B registrations and address common errors.
As part of efficiency measures, USCIS will shift the paper filing location for Forms I-129 and I-907 from service centers to the USCIS lockbox. Additionally, USCIS will conduct two national engagements on organizational accounts on January 23 and 24, along with several smaller sessions leading up to the H-1B registration period, to guide organizations and legal representatives through the process.
In related news, USCIS has confirmed that it has received sufficient petitions to meet the cap for the additional 20,716 H-2B visas allocated for returning workers in the first half of fiscal year 2024. The deadline for petitions requesting supplemental H-2B visas under the FY 2024 first-half returning worker allocation was January 9, 2024, as per the H-2B supplemental cap temporary final rule (FY 2024 TFR) published on November 17, 2023. USCIS commenced accepting H-2B petitions immediately, with start dates on or before March 31, 2024, for the 20,716 returning worker allocation for the first half of FY2024.
Source: MSN
