The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced that it will publish the final rule on November 8, 2019, Registration Fee Requirement for Petitioners Seeking To File H-1B Petitions on Behalf of Cap Subject Aliens, which will be effective December 9, 2019. Upon implementation of the electronic registration system, petitioners seeking to file H-1B cap-subject petitions, including those eligible for the advanced degree exemption, will first have to electronically register with USCIS during a designated registration period, unless the requirement is suspended.
The new electronic registration will include a non-refundable $10 fee. As explained by USCIS Acting Director Ken Cuccinelli, "The electronic registration system is part of an agency-wide initiative to modernize our immigration system while deterring fraud, improving vetting procedures and strengthening program integrity."
The immigration service anticipates implementing this new registration program for the 2021 H-1B cap process, but will first need to complete testing of the system. A formal announcement will be published in the Federal Register once the decision to use this new system has been made.
Duane Morris immigration attorneys will continue to monitor this development and provide updates on the new registration process and instructions as they are published.
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If you have any questions about this Alert, please contact any of the attorneys in the Immigration Law Practice Group or the attorney in the firm with whom you are regularly in contact.
Disclaimer: This Alert has been prepared and published for informational purposes only and is not offered, nor should be construed, as legal advice. For more information, please see the firm's full disclaimer.