# H-1B Form I-129 Filing Location Change and FY 2025 H-1B Cap Season Updates and Reminders

03/26/2024

**H-1B Initial Registration Period Closed**

The initial registration period for the FY 2025 H-1B cap season closed at noon Eastern on March 25, 2024. USCIS will soon randomly select enough unique beneficiaries of properly submitted registrations projected as needed to reach the FY 2025 H-1B numerical allocations (H-1B cap), including the advanced degree exemption (master’s cap), and will notify all prospective petitioners with selected beneficiaries that they are eligible to file an H-1B cap-subject petition for such beneficiaries. We will issue another web alert when this process has been completed.

**H-1B Form I-129 Filing Location Change to Lockbox**

Starting April 1, 2024, H-1B and H-1B1 (HSC) Form I-129 petitions must no longer be filed at the USCIS service centers. All paper-based H-1B and H-1B1 (HSC) Form I-129 petitions must be filed at USCIS lockbox locations. This includes cap, non-cap, and cap-exempt H-1B filings.

We will reject H-1B or H-1B1 (HSC) petitions **received** at a USCIS service center on or after April 1, 2024. There will be **no grace period** provided.

USCIS has specific mailing addresses for cases that are subject to the H-1B cap. To determine the correct mailing address, please see our Form I-129 Direct Filing Addresses page.

If a petition is filed at the wrong location, we may reject the petition. Rejected petitions will not retain a filing date. If we reject a petition because it was filed at the wrong location, it may be refiled at the correct location, or online. H-1B cap subject petitions may be refiled at the correct location, or online, as long as the petition is refiled during the designated 90-day filing window listed on the selection notice.

**New Fees and Form Edition**

On Jan. 31, 2024, USCIS published a final rule that adjusts the fees required for most immigration applications and petitions. The new fees are effective April 1, 2024. Petitions **postmarked on or after April 1, 2024**, must include the new fees or we will not accept them. Additionally, there will be a new 04/01/24 edition of Form I-129, Petition for a Nonimmigrant Worker. There will be **no grace period** for filing the new version of Form I-129 because it must include the new fee calculation.

What to Know About Sending Us Your Form I-129.
                - We will accept the 05/31/23 edition of this form if it is postmarked  before  April 1, 2024;
                - We will not accept the 05/31/23 edition of this form if it is postmarked  on  or  after  April 1, 2024; and
                - We will only accept the 04/01/24 edition of this form if it is postmarked  on  or  after  April 1, 2024.

We have published a preview version of the 04/01/24 edition of Form I-129 and its instructions.

We will use the **postmark date** of a filing to determine which form version and fees are correct but will use the **received date** for purposes of any regulatory or statutory filing deadlines.

As a reminder, we recently announced a final premium processing fee rule that increased the filing fee for Form I-907, Request for Premium Processing Service, to adjust for inflation, effective Feb. 26, 2024. If we receive a Form I-907 postmarked on or after Feb. 26, 2024, with the incorrect filing fee, we will reject the Form I-907 and return the filing fee. For filings sent by commercial courier (such as UPS, FedEx, and DHL), the postmark date is the date on the courier receipt.

**Online Filing and Organizational Accounts**

On Feb. 28, 2024, we launched new online organizational accounts that allow multiple people within an organization and their legal representatives to collaborate on and prepare H-1B registrations, H-1B petitions, and any associated Form I-907. Information on organizational accounts is available on the Organizational Accounts Frequently Asked Questions page.

We also launched online filing of Form I-129 and associated Form I-907 for non-cap H-1B petitions on March 25. On April 1, we will begin accepting online filing for H-1B cap petitions and associated Forms I-907 for petitioners whose registrations have been selected.

Petitioners will continue to have the option of filing a paper Form I-129 H-1B petition and any associated Form I-907 if they prefer. However, during the initial launch of organizational accounts, users will not be able to link paper-filed Forms I-129 and I-907 to their online accounts.

**No More Pre-paid Mailers**

Prepaid mailers are no longer used to send out any communication or final notices for any H-1B or H-1B1 (HSC) petitions as of March 25. With H-1B intake now occurring at the lockbox or online, we will not be able to use any prepaid mailers for H-1B or H-1B1 (HSC) filings.

The process of printing and mailing H-1B petition approval notices by first-class mail is fully automated. MyUSCIS account holders will also receive an email or text message notification when there is a case status change on a case in their account, followed by a paper notice by mail.

04/01/2024

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