H-1B visa cap initial registration to begin on 7 March

The US citizenship and immigration services (USCIS) has opened the initial registration period for the fiscal year 2026 H-1B visa cap.
The H-1B visa allows US employers to hire foreign workers temporarily for specialised roles requiring advanced expertise
The window will open from March 7, until noon on March 24, 2025 (local time), when prospective petitioners and their representatives may register electronically via a USCIS online account and pay a $215 registration fee per beneficiary.
Employers without a USCIS online account will need to create an organizational account to submit registrations. Those with older accounts from the FY 2021–FY 2024 H-1B seasons but who did not use them in FY 2025 will see their accounts automatically converted upon their next login.
First-time registrants can create an account at any time, but they must wait until March 7 to enter beneficiary details and submit registrations.
Selections will take place after the registration period closes, meaning there is no advantage to registering on the first day.
Under the beneficiary-centric process introduced last year, USCIS will select unique beneficiaries rather than registrations. If there are enough registrations by March 24, selections will be made randomly, and results will be available in users’ online accounts.
If the number of registrations falls short, all eligible beneficiaries will be selected. Notifications are expected by March 31.
Temporary increase in credit card limit
To accommodate the high volume of H-1B registrations, the US department of treasury has temporarily raised the daily credit card transaction limit from $24,999.99 to $99,999.99. Payments exceeding this amount must be processed via automated clearing house (ACH), and employers may need to notify their banks in advance to avoid potential transaction blocks.
New enhancements for FY 2026
USCIS has introduced several improvements for organizational and representative accounts to streamline the H-1B filing process. Key updates include:
These enhancements will be available before the registration period begins.