H-1B electronic registration opens Sunday   

The H-1B electronic registration period opens Sunday at noon EST and closes on March 20 at noon EDT. The new H-1B electronic registration process requires that all H-1B petitioners submit an electronic registration for each prospective H-1B candidate and pay a $10 government filing fee per registration.

Key points:

• Sunday is the first day that companies or attorneys can begin drafting and submitting H-1B registrations through the myUSCIS.gov website.
• Companies are reminded that their authorized signatory must create an “H-1B registrant” account on the myUSCIS.gov website before H-1B registrations may be submitted, even if a law firm will be submitting registrations on the company’s behalf. The registrant account type became available on Feb. 24.
• The H-1B electronic registration period closes at noon EDT on March 20, and registrations may be submitted until the deadline. No priority is given to early submissions.
• Following the registration period, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services will conduct a lottery on properly submitted registrations and post notifications of selected registrations in the relevant registrant accounts. Those selected will be invited to file full H-1B petitions during a 90-day filing period beginning April 1.
• USCIS has posted instructional videos and screenshots of the system on its website.

BAL Analysis: Companies should create their myUSCIS accounts if they have not already done so, and their authorized signatories who have created the accounts should be prepared to review and electronically sign H-1B registrations and the Form G-28 if a law firm is submitting registrations on behalf of the company. Although the registration period will remain open until March 20, submitting earlier during the registration period is encouraged to allow time to address any glitches or issues in this brand-new process. BAL clients may access all the latest updates, FAQs, news, analysis and podcasts on BAL’s H-1B Electronic Registration Resource Center.

This alert has been provided by the BAL U.S. Practice group. For additional information, please contact berryapplemanleiden@bal.com.

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