The registration window for the U.S. H-1B visa is closing soon. The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced that the initial registration period for the fiscal year 2025 H-1B visa will conclude on March 22.
Foreign nationals seeking to work in the U.S. require the H-1B visa. The registration window opened on March 6. USCIS stated that the registration period will end at noon on March 22 (India Standard Time at 9:30 PM).
Registration will be conducted online using the myUSCIS account, where applications and associated fees will also be submitted.
Required Documentation
Applicants must provide valid passport details and travel documentation. Any discrepancies may result in the rejection of the application.
Following the registration closure, selected applicants will be notified via their myUSCIS online accounts by March 31. The filing for the H-B cap petition will commence on April 1. The dates for H-1B non-cap petitions will be announced shortly.
USCIS has made application forms I-129 for non-immigrant workers and I-907 for premium services available online.
Visa Fee Increase
As of April 1, the visa application fee for the fiscal year 2025 will be accepted. After years, the U.S. government has increased the visa fee from $10 to $110. Similarly, the registration fee for the H-1B visa has risen from $10 to $215.
Understanding the H-1B Visa
The H-1B visa is a non-immigrant visa permitting U.S. companies to employ foreign workers. Whenever someone takes a job with an American company, they are issued an H-1B visa.
It used to be that if an individual's H-1B visa expired, they would need to return to their country to renew it. However, the renewal process can now be done without leaving the U.S.
This simplification of the H-1B visa renewal process will benefit nearly a million individuals, including a substantial number of Indians. There are hundreds of thousands of Indians working in the U.S. In 2022, the U.S. government issued 442,000 H-1B visas, with Indians making up 73 percent of the recipients.
