Prospective petitioners seeking to file H-1B cap-subject petitions, including for beneficiaries eligible for the advanced degree exemption, must first electronically register and pay the associated H-1B registration fee for each prospective beneficiary. See Form G-1055, Fee Schedule.

The electronic registration process streamlines processing by reducing paperwork and data exchange and provides overall cost savings to employers seeking to file H-1B cap-subject petitions.

Under this process, prospective petitioners (also known as registrants), and their authorized representatives, who are seeking to employ H-1B workers subject to the cap, complete a registration process that requires basic information about the prospective petitioner and each requested worker. The initial registration period is for a minimum of 14 calendar days each fiscal year. The H-1B selection process is then run on properly submitted electronic registrations. Only those with selected registrations are eligible to file H-1B cap-subject petitions.

On Jan. 30, 2024, USCIS announced a final rule to strengthen integrity and reduce the potential for fraud in the H-1B registration process, including by ensuring each beneficiary would have the same chance of being selected, regardless of the number of registrations submitted on their behalf. The final rule contains provisions that will create a beneficiary-centric selection process for registrations by employers, codify start date flexibility for certain petitions subject to the congressionally mandated H-1B cap, and add more integrity measures related to the registration process. Under the beneficiary-centric process, registrations will be selected by unique beneficiary rather than by registration. Starting with the fiscal year (FY) 2025 initial registration period, USCIS will require registrants to provide valid passport information or valid travel document information for each beneficiary. The passport or travel document provided must be the one the beneficiary, if or when abroad, intends to use to enter the United States if issued an H-1B visa. Each beneficiary must only be registered under one passport or travel document. Only those with selected registrations are eligible to file H-1B cap-subject petitions. For additional information on the passport or valid travel document requirement, please see the Frequently Asked Questions section below. 

Selections take place after the initial registration period closes, so there is no requirement to register on the day the initial registration period opens. 

FY 2024 H-1B Cap Registration Process Update

As we  announced on March 27, 2023, we received enough electronic registrations during the initial registration period to reach the fiscal year 2024 H-1B numerical allocations (H-1B cap), including the advanced degree exemption also known as the master’s cap.

We subsequently announced that we would need to select additional registrations to reach the FY 2024 numerical allocations. As of July 31, 2023, we have randomly selected, from the remaining FY 2024 registrations properly submitted, a sufficient number of registrations projected as needed to reach the cap, and have notified all prospective petitioners with selected registrations from this round of selection that they are eligible to file an H-1B cap-subject petition for the beneficiary named in the applicable selected registration. We selected 77,600 registrations in the second selection for the FY 2024 H-1B cap. In December, USCIS announced the receipt of a sufficient number of petitions needed to reach the congressionally mandated caps for FY 2024.

During the registration period for the FY 2024 H-1B cap, we saw a significant increase in the number of registrations submitted compared to prior years. Generally, we saw an increase in the number of registrations submitted, the number of registrations submitted on behalf of beneficiaries with multiple registrations, and the number of registrations submitted on behalf of unique beneficiaries with only one registration. We saw upward trends in the FY 2022 and FY 2023 H-1B registration periods as well.

This chart shows registration and selection numbers for fiscal years 2021-2024 (as of July 31, 2023).

Cap Fiscal Year	Total Registrations	Eligible Registrations*	Eligible Registrations for Beneficiaries with No Other Eligible Registrations	Eligible Registrations for Beneficiaries with Multiple Eligible Registrations	Selections**
2021	274,237	269,424	241,299	28,125	124,415
2022	308,613	301,447	211,304	90,143	131,924
2023	483,927	474,421	309,241	165,180	127,600
2024	780,884	758,994	350,103	408,891	188,400

*The count of eligible registrations excludes duplicate registrations, those deleted by the prospective employer prior to the close of the registration period, and those with failed payments.

**The number of initial selections for FY 2024 – 110, 791 — was smaller in than in prior years primarily due to (a) establishing a higher anticipated petition filing rate by selected registrants based on prior years; and (b) higher projected Department of State approvals of H-1B1 visas, which count against the H-1B cap.

Measures to Combat Fraud in the Registration Process

The large number of eligible registrations for beneficiaries with multiple eligible registrations – much larger than in previous years – has raised serious concerns that some may have tried to gain an unfair advantage by working together to submit multiple registrations on behalf of the same beneficiary. This may have unfairly increased their chances of selection. We remain committed to deterring and preventing abuse of the registration process, and to ensuring only those who follow the law are eligible to file an H-1B cap petition.

We remind the public that at the time each registration is submitted, each prospective petitioner is required to sign an attestation, under penalty of perjury, that:

• All the information contained in the registration submission is complete, true, and correct;
• The registrations reflect a legitimate job offer; and
• The registrant, or the organization for whom the registration is submitted, has not worked with, or agreed to work with, another registrant, petitioner, agent, or other individual or entity to submit a registration to unfairly increase chances of selection for the beneficiary or beneficiaries in this submission.

If we find that this attestation was not true and correct, we will find the registration to not be properly submitted and the prospective petitioner would not be eligible to file a petition based on that registration. We may deny a petition, or revoke a petition approval, based on a registration that contained a false attestation and was therefore not properly submitted.

Furthermore, we may also refer the individual or entity who submitted a false attestation to appropriate federal law enforcement agencies for investigation and further action, as appropriate.

Based on evidence from the FY 2023 and FY 2024 H-1B cap seasons, we already have undertaken extensive fraud investigations, denied and revoked petitions accordingly, and continues to make law enforcement referrals for criminal prosecution.

We believe that the decreased filing rate for FY 2024 H-1B cap petitions is indicative that these investigations are having an impact. 

The H-1B program is an essential part of our nation’s immigration system and our economy, and we are committed to implementing the law and helping meet the ever-changing needs of the U.S. labor market. On Jan. 30, 2024, we announced a final rule to strengthen integrity and reduce the potential for fraud in the H-1B registration process, including by ensuring each beneficiary would have the same chance of being selected, regardless of the number of registrations submitted on their behalf. The H-1B Registration final rule makes final some provisions proposed in the Oct. 23, 2023, Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM). DHS intends to publish a separate final rule to address the remaining provisions contained in the NPRM.