H-1B Cap Registration: $10 Fee Announced

USCIS announced yesterday that it will require a $10 non-refundable fee for each H-1B registration submitted by petitioning employers, once it implements the electronic registration system.

Upon implementation of the electronic registration system, petitioners seeking to file H-1B cap-subject petitions will first have to electronically register with USCIS during a designated registration period.  After the registration period, USCIS will conduct a random selection process and petitioners will then file cap-subject H-1B petitions only if it received evidence of registration selection.

USCIS aims to implement the registration process for the upcoming filing period (which begins April 2020) pending completed testing of the system.  A formal decision has yet to be made regarding the implementation timeframe and initial registration period, even though USCIS will have to provide ample notice to the public in advance of implementing the registration requirement.