Deadline approaching: H-1B visa initial registration closes March 22

H-1B visa registration: The US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has announced the impending closure of the initial registration period for H-1B visas for fiscal year 2025, a crucial deadline eagerly awaited by Indian IT professionals and foreign guest workers alike.

The H-1B visa program, a non-immigrant visa category, enables US companies to hire foreign workers for specialised occupations requiring theoretical or technical expertise. Technology firms, in particular, heavily rely on the H-1B program to recruit tens of thousands of employees annually from countries such as India and China.

The initial registration period for the highly coveted H-1B visas for fiscal year 2025 is set to conclude at 12 noon Eastern Time (9:30 pm IST) on March 22, as confirmed by the USCIS on Monday.

Prospective petitioners and legal representatives are required to utilise the USCIS online account system to electronically register each beneficiary for the selection process during this period. Additionally, they must submit the associated registration fee for each beneficiary.

Furthermore, USCIS has introduced enhanced organisational account features in online accounts, allowing users to collaborate on registrations and petitions seamlessly.

Form I-129, the petition for a nonimmigrant worker, for H-1B petitions, and Form I-907, the request for premium processing service, are now accessible via USCIS online accounts, as per a media release.

Online filing of forms for H-1B cap petitions will commence on April 1, as announced by USCIS. The agency also stated, "We will announce when online filing of non-cap H-1B petitions is available."

With the deadline fast approaching, applicants and stakeholders are urged to adhere to the registration requirements and timelines to ensure timely submission of H-1B petitions for fiscal year 2025.

(With PTI inputs.)