February 12, 2020
Key Take Aways from USCIS Stakeholder Engagement on H-1B Pre-Registration
Over the past week, USCIS has held a series of Stakeholder Engagement sessions to inform the public about this year’s H-1B Pre-Registration process. The following are some key take away points from these sessions:
· The online registration window will open at noon EST on March 1, 2020 and ends at noon EST on March 20, 2020.
· Registrations submitted on March 1, 2020 will receive the same consideration in the lottery as those submitted on March 20, 2020.
· The electronic lottery will be conducted after the registration period closes and selection notices will be sent no later than March 31, 2020.
· Registrants who are selected during the lottery will be able to file an H-1B petition no sooner than April 1, 2020 and will be granted a 90-day filing window. The filing window will open on April 1, 2020 for all beneficiaries selected in the lottery.
· Registrants may indicate at the time of registration if the beneficiary will be eligible to file under the “Master’s Cap” during the filing window. In other words, U.S. Master’s degree candidates who will receive their master’s degree after the registration period closes on March 20th, but before filing the H-1B petition, may indicate that their registration qualifies for the “Master’s Cap.”
· Registrations not selected during the initial lottery will be on a “waiting list” and may later be selected during the fiscal year if additional slots become available.
· Employers will need to create a new myUSCIS profile in order to submit registrations and/or to approve a G-28 “Notice of Entry” prepared by their legal representative. Attorneys representing employers will prepare the registration form and G-28, and the employer will log-in through their myUSCIS account to review and accept the registration and G-28.
For employers who have retained our firm to prepare and submit their H-1B registrations, we will provide detailed instructions on how to create a myUSCIS account as well as how to navigate the site. If your company is still considering sponsoring employees in the H-1B Pre-Registration Lottery, there is still time left. Contact our office today.