United States: USCIS Organizational Accounts and Online Filing for H-1B Petitions Coming Next Month
January 12, 2024
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At a glance
- In February, USCIS plans to launch online organizational accounts for H-1B filings – including for FY 2025 H-1B cap registrations – and make Form I-129 H-1B petitions and any associated Form I-907 premium processing requests available for online filing.
- Employers will still be permitted to file Forms I-129 and I-907 on paper with USCIS.
- The agency will hold informational sessions starting on January 23 to provide the public with more information on the new tools.
The issue
Next month, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) will introduce online organizational accounts for H-1B filings, including for FY 2025 H-1B cap registration, and make Form I-129 petitions for H-1B status and associated Form I-907 premium processing requests available for online filing. USCIS has not yet provided a date in February for the launch, but the agency indicates that introduction of the organizational accounts will precede the start of the H-1B petition online filing capability.
What it means
Once the organizational account changes are implemented, multiple individuals within an organization will be permitted to collaborate on and prepare H-1B registrations and petition filings. The changes may also streamline the current complex registration “hand-off” process between attorney and client, a pain point in the existing registration system. Employers or their immigration counsel will be able to submit cap registrations through their organizational accounts, and according to USCIS, the changes should help to reduce the potential for duplicate H-1B registrations.
Online H-1B petitions and related premium processing requests will be required to be submitted through an organizational account. Online filing has been available for a limited number of select USCIS forms for several years, but the H-1B Form I-129 is the first employment-based petition available for online filing. Petitioners will still have the option to file a paper-based Form I-129 and I-907 for their H-1B cases.
According to USCIS, the agency conducted usability testing on organizational accounts with those in a variety of roles in the H-1B registration and petition filing processes, including employers, human resources personnel, attorneys, and paralegals. This feedback was used to inform development of the tools to be released next month. The agency says it will continue to seek feedback from users of the new organizational accounts and use this feedback for improvement.
What’s next
USCIS will host national engagements on organizational accounts on January 23 and January 24, as well as several smaller sessions leading up to the H-1B registration period. According to the agency, the public will have the opportunity to ask questions about the organizational accounts in preparation for the changes. USCIS appears to be aware that the public will be particularly interested in changes that may impact the FY 2025 H-1B registration and petition filing processes. It is hoped that the agency will provide information on the transition to organizational accounts for existing USCIS online account holders, and on changes to the H-1B filing process resulting from the new online filing option.
USCIS typically announces the H-1B cap registration schedule towards the end of January each year. Fragomen is closely monitoring agency updates on the H-1B registration schedule and on upcoming changes to the H-1B registration and filing systems and will provide all relevant updates.
If you have any questions about this alert, please contact the immigration professional with whom you work at Fragomen. This alert is for informational purposes only.
