2020 H-1B Electronic Registration Process

On February 6, 2020, USCIS provided the first specific details regarding implementation of the electronic pre-registration process for the 2020 H-1B cap.

Under this new process, “registrants” (petitioning employers), and their authorized representatives, will complete a registration process that requires only basic information about the prospective petitioner and each requested worker.

USCIS will open an initial registration period at noon ET on Sunday, March 1, 2020. The initial registration period will remain open through noon ET on Friday, March 20, 2020.

The H-1B random selection process will then be run on the submitted electronic registrations. Only those selected in the lottery will be eligible to file H-1B cap-subject petitions.

Prospective petitioners and their attorney representatives may create accounts beginning Feb. 24 and register throughout this period.  Actual data entry of H-1B applicants (beneficiaries) will not be permitted until March 1.

Registrant accounts will be hooked up with separate attorney accounts through a passcode “handshake” process.  Attorneys will be able to submit registrations and pay required fees on behalf of registrant clients.

2020 H-1B Registration Process Timeline

Feb. 24: Employers may begin creating H-1B registrant accounts (account creation will remain open throughout the entire registration period). Attorneys may create an account at any time.

March 1: H-1B registration period opens at noon ET.

March 20: H-1B registration period closes at noon ET.

March 31: Date by which USCIS intends to notify selected registrants.

April 1: The earliest date that 2020 H-1B cap-subject petitions may be filed.

June 30: The last day for 2020 H-1B cap-subject petitions to be filed.

Registration Selection Notifications

USCIS intends to notify registrants and their representatives with selected registrations via their USCIS online accounts no later than March 31, 2020.

A registrant’s USCIS online account will show one of the four following statuses for each registration:

  • Submitted
  • Selected
  • Not Selected
  • Denied: (only for duplicate submissions identified in the system)

H-1B cap-subject beneficiaries must have a “Selected” registration notification in order to file an H-1B cap-subject petition for the 2020 H-1B cap season.

Contact E&M Mayock to sign up for H-1B Pre-Registration using our simple intake portal at https://emvisa.com/non-immigrant-temporary-working-visas/h1b-visa/