The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services’ (USCIS) new online system for H-1B cap registration will soon be open. Prospective H-1B cap employers must take steps to set up an account in the USCIS system once the account creation function becomes available starting next week. This account creation must be complete before H-1B applicants can be registered for the Fiscal Year (FY) 2021 H-1B cap season.
Creating Employer Accounts:
Beginning February 24, 2020, employers can set up accounts in USCIS’s new H-1B cap registration system. To create an H-1B registration account, go to https://my.uscis.gov/ on or after February 24 and click, “Sign Up.” You will need to:
- Provide a unique e-mail address for the account.
- Create a password.
- Select your preferred method for two-factor authentication. Acceptable two-factor authentication methods include SMS text messaging, an email address or the use of an authentication app.
- Provide answers to several security questions, which will allow you to reset your password at any time.
- Select your account type, which is, “I am an H-1B Registrant.”
Once the account creation function becomes available on February 24, 2020, we will provide further guidance as necessary to ensure that you are able to create an account.
Registering H-1B Applicants:
USCIS will open the cap registration period on Sunday, March 1, 2020 at noon ET. Our firm can begin to draft and submit cap registrations at this time; the USCIS system will not permit the drafting or filing of registrations before March 1.
Please note that our firm cannot submit an H-1B registration until the employer approves and electronically signs the H-1B registration and a Form G-28, Notice of Entry of Appearance as Attorney through the account created by the employer. For this reason, it is critical that current clients of our firm pay close attention to communications received from our firm. Failure to approve and electronically sign the G-28 and registration in time for submission by March 20 at noon ET will preclude the listed beneficiaries from being entered in this year’s cap lottery.
Once the registration opens on March 1, 2020, we will provide further guidance as necessary to register your company’s H-1B applicants for the FY 2021 cap season.