The United States has announced that the online filing for H-1B applications for FY25 will begin in February. The US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) will also launch organizational accounts that will enable online collaboration and submission of H-1B registrations.
USCIS will launch organizational accounts for non-cap filings and the fiscal year (FY) 2025 H-1B cap season. Organizational accounts will allow multiple individuals within an organization, such as a company or other business entity, and their legal representatives to collaborate on and prepare H-1B registrations, Form I-129, Petition for a Nonimmigrant Worker, and associated Form I-907, Request for Premium Processing Service, the USCIS said.
USCIS will announce the availability of the organizational accounts and H-1B registration dates at the end of January.
“USCIS is always striving to improve and streamline our processes, and this is a big step forward,” said USCIS Director Ur M. Jaddou. “Once we launch the organizational accounts and online filing of I-129 H-1B petitions, the entire H-1B lifecycle becomes fully electronic — from registration, if applicable, to our final decision and transmission to the Department of State,” she added.
“Once the portal is ready to accept online filings, H-1B petitions (Forms I-129) and associated premium processing requests (Form I-907) may be filed,” explained Poorvi Chothani, managing partner of LawQuest. The H-1B registration process is only available online, she added.
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On the other hand, petitions can be filed either :
1. Online by the petitioner through its organizational account,
2. Online by the petitioner’s legal representative; or
3. As a paper-based petition.
The USCIS will host two national engagements on organizational accounts on January 23 and January 24, as well as several smaller sessions leading up to the H-1B registration period to help guide organizations and legal representatives through the process.
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“During these sessions, individuals will have the opportunity to ask questions about the organizational accounts in preparation for the FY 2025 H-1B registration period and the launch of online filing of Form I-129 H-1B petitions,” Chothani said.
Last year, the Biden administration announced a series of changes aimed at optimizing the efficiency of the H-1B system, while maintaining the mandated annual cap of 60,000 visas. The proposed adjustments focused on streamlining eligibility criteria and providing increased flexibility to F-1 students, entrepreneurs, and those employed by nonprofit organizations. The objective is to fortify the program’s integrity measures. To tackle misuse and fraud, the proposed rule prohibits related entities from submitting multiple registrations for the same beneficiary.
