H-1B Cap 2026: Registration Opens March 7 – Fees, Process & Deadlines

The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has announced that the initial registration period for the fiscal year (FY) 2026 H-1B visa cap will open at noon Eastern on March 7, 2025, and will run until noon Eastern on March 24, 2025.

Employers and legal representatives must register each beneficiary electronically through a USCIS online account and pay the required fee to participate in the selection process.

Key Details for H-1B Registration

• Employers and representatives must use a USCIS online account to register each beneficiary.
• The registration fee is $215 per beneficiary.
• The selection process will focus on unique beneficiaries, considering each one individually rather than multiple registrations per beneficiary.
• Registration is not first-come, first-served, so applicants do not need to rush on the opening day.

How to Register for the H-1B Cap

The H-1B visa registration process is entirely electronic. Prospective employers, or their authorized representatives, must use a USCIS online account to register each beneficiary. A non-refundable $215 fee is required for each registration submitted.

Need to create or access your USCIS online account?

• New Employers: Create an organizational account at any time.
• Existing employers (FY 2021-2024) will have their accounts converted to organizational accounts upon their next login.
• Representatives: Add clients to your accounts at any time. However, users cannot enter beneficiary information or submit registrations until March 7th.

Also Read: USCIS Tightens H-1B Visa Rules, Causing 38% Drop in Registrations

Selection Process and Notifications

The beneficiary-centric selection process will continue for FY 2026. If the number of registrations reaches the cap by March 24, USCIS will randomly select unique beneficiaries and notify registrants through their online accounts.

If the cap is not met, USCIS will select all properly submitted registrations. USCIS intends to send selection notifications by March 31, 2025, to accounts with at least one selected beneficiary.

Temporary Increase in Credit Card Transaction Limits

To accommodate high transaction volumes, the U.S. Department of Treasury has temporarily increased the daily credit card transaction limit from $24,999.99 to $99,999.99 for the FY 2026 H-1B season.

Applicants must process transactions exceeding this amount via Automated Clearing House (ACH) and may need prior authorization from their bank.

Organizational Account Enhancements

USCIS has introduced several updates to improve the H-1B filing experience:

• Paralegal Access: Paralegals can now work with multiple legal representatives within the USCIS system.
• Simplified Client Management: Legal representatives can easily add paralegals to company accounts.
• Pre-Populated Form I-129 Fields: Certain fields will now auto-fill from selected H-1B registrations.
• Bulk Data Uploads: Employers can upload a spreadsheet with H-1B beneficiary details to streamline the registration process.

These enhancements aim to improve efficiency and reduce manual data entry errors.

Filing an H-1B Petition

Employers must confirm their beneficiary’s registration is selected before submitting H-1B cap-subject petitions and proceeding with Form I-129. The USCIS website’s H-1B Electronic Registration Process page provides additional registration details.

Conclusion

With key changes in registration fees, selection methods, and account management, the FY 2026 H-1B cap season introduces significant improvements. Employers and representatives should prepare early to ensure a smooth registration process. Stay updated with USCIS announcements for additional guidance before the registration window opens on March 7, 2025.

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