Dear friends,
As many of you know, the FY2025 H-1 Visa season is almost here, and we want to share with you what is new this year and the key points to keep in mind when applying for an H-1B Visa [1].
- On January 30th, 2024, USCIS announced the final rule [2] to strengthen the integrity of the lottery process and reduce the potential for fraud in the H-1B registration process. With this rule, USCIS creates a beneficiary-centric selection process in which registrations will be selected by unique beneficiary rather than by registration, giving every beneficiary the same chance of being selected regardless of the number of registrations filed for them by their employer.
- The registration period for FY 2025 H-1 cap starts on March 6th, 2024 through March 22nd, 2024. As previous years, during this period, employers or their representatives must register online each beneficiary and pay the registration fee of $10.00.
- In this new registration period for FY2025, USCIS will require valid passport information or valid travel document information for beneficiaries and it mandates that it be the same one that the beneficiary uses to enter the US if they travel outside the U.S. or are abroad and are issued an H-1B visa.
- If your registration is selected in the lottery process, starting April 1st, the employer or their representatives can file their H-1b Visa Petitions.
- This year, USCIS will be launching new organizational accounts that will allow multiple people within an organization and their legal representatives to work together on H-1B visa registrations and petitions online. USCIS will accept online filing [3]of the I-129 Form and it will provide a $50 discount on the filing fee for online filings.
- Nonprofits and small employers (with 25 or fewer full-time equivalent employees) filing Form I-129 will pay a 50% discounted fee (or the same fee as under the previous fee rule, if 50% of the standard new fee would be less than the previous fee); and
- The number of H-1B visas available for FY25 has not changed from last year: USCIS is only allowed to issue 85,000 H-1B visas to U.S. businesses each year under the “H-1B Cap” established by congress. Government sponsored non-profit research agencies, government organizations and universities may obtain H-1B visas for workers not subject to this “cap.”
- These 85,000 H-1B visas are separated into 2 groups: 20,000 visas for individuals who obtained a Masters or Doctorate level degree from a U.S. college or university; and 65,000 visas for all other qualified H-1B candidates, meaning individuals with a Bachelor degree or its equivalent regardless of whether or not the bachelor degree was earned in the U.S. or abroad
Read Answers to Frequently Asked Questions on H-1B Visas [4]
If you have an employer willing to sponsor you and think you are eligible for an H1b Visa for professional workers, call our office to schedule an appointment with one our H-1B immigration lawyers [1] at 617-523-6320 or schedule your appointment online [5]. For H-1B visa cases, we recommend that you schedule the appointment together with your employer if possible.