The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has officially commenced the H-1B visa registration process for the fiscal year 2026. The registration period began on March 7 and will continue until March 24, 2025. Foreign professionals aspiring to work in the United States must complete the registration process in compliance with the guidelines provided by USCIS to ensure eligibility.

Increased Registration Fee

In a significant change for the current application season, USCIS has increased the H-1B registration fee from $10 to $215 per beneficiary, reflecting a staggering 2,050% increase. The agency has justified this fee hike by stating that it will help cover administrative costs and deter non-serious applicants from flooding the system.

Lottery Process

Once the registration period closes, USCIS will implement a beneficiary-centric selection process to prevent system manipulation and ensure equal opportunities for all applicants, regardless of the number of registrations submitted on their behalf. A random lottery selection will be conducted, and selected candidates will be notified by March 31, 2025.

Common Errors To Avoid While Applying For An H-1B Visa

1. Applying With The Wrong Type Of Account

• One of the most frequent mistakes applicants make is creating the wrong type of account during registration. USCIS offers three types of accounts –
• Applicant/Petitioner/Requestor Account: This account type is used by individuals to prepare and file applications, petitions, or other benefit requests. However, it cannot be used to prepare or submit H-1B registrations.
• Attorney/Representative Account: Attorneys or accredited representatives submitting H-1B registrations on behalf of prospective petitioners should use this account type.
• Organizational Account (formerly Registrant Account): Prospective petitioners must create this account to participate in the H-1B registration process, even if they work with an attorney or accredited representative to submit the registration.

Selecting the wrong account type can result in an inability to submit the application correctly, leading to disqualification.

2. Creating Multiple Beneficiary Accounts

Some applicants mistakenly believe that creating multiple beneficiary accounts will improve their chances of selection. However, this approach can backfire.

If USCIS detects that a prospective petitioner has submitted more than one registration for the same beneficiary, all registrations for that beneficiary will be invalidated. This applies to both the petitioner and their authorized attorney or representative. To avoid disqualification, ensure that only a single valid registration is submitted per beneficiary.

3. Avoiding Duplicate Registrations With The Duplicate Checker Tool

Before submitting an H-1B registration, USCIS provides a Duplicate Checker Tool that allows applicants to verify whether a registrant (prospective petitioner) has already submitted a registration for any beneficiary listed in their draft submission.

This tool compares listed beneficiaries against previously submitted registrations during the current registration period. Despite using it, the burden remains on the registrant (or their attorney/representative) to ensure no duplicate registrations exist.

Additionally, USCIS provides a feature to download a .csv file that applicants can use to identify and remove duplicate entries. If duplicates are detected, the applicant must delete the extra registrations before submission. However, registration fees are non-refundable, even if duplicates are removed.

4. Failing To Attest Submitted Information

When submitting an H-1B registration, applicants must attest under penalty of perjury that all information provided is complete, true, and accurate. If USCIS determines that any information in the submission is false or misleading, the application will be revoked. Furthermore, individuals or entities providing false attestations may be referred to federal law enforcement agencies for investigation and potential legal action.