USCIS Announces H-1B Form I-129 Filing Location Change for FY 2025 Cap Season: Important Updates and Reminder

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WASHINGTON, DC- The initial registration period for the FY 2025 H-1B cap season concluded at noon Eastern on March 25, 2024. USCIS will soon randomly select sufficient unique beneficiaries from properly submitted registrations to meet the FY 2025 H-1B numerical allocations, including the master’s cap, and notify prospective petitioners of selected beneficiaries eligible for H-1B cap-subject petitions. Another web alert will be issued upon completion of this process.

Effective April 1, 2024, H-1B and H-1B1 (HSC) Form I-129 petitions must be filed exclusively at USCIS lockbox locations. Petitions received at USCIS service centers after this date will be rejected without a grace period.

New fees and the 04/01/24 edition of Form I-129 will be required for petitions postmarked on or after April 1, 2024, with no grace period provided. The postmark date determines the applicable form version and fees.

Organizational accounts for online filing and the discontinuation of prepaid mailers for H-1B or H-1B1 (HSC) petitions were implemented on March 25. USCIS will now notify MyUSCIS account holders of case status changes via email or text message, followed by a paper notice by mail.