The H-1B visa was introduced in 1990. Under this, the US allows foreigners to work temporarily in their country. The US government issues this visa only to foreigners who have work experience in specific fields.

US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has announced the initial registration period for the fiscal year 2026 H-1B visa. Registration will open on March 7. It will close on March 24, 2025. During this time, one has to apply for the selection process for an H-1B visa. It is necessary to have a USCIS online account to apply. Registration fees will also have to be paid while applying for the application.

What is the process?

Employers who need an H-1B visa for their employees will have to create an organizational account to apply. The applicant will have to pay the registration fee. Those who want to apply for H-1B visa for the first time will also have to create an account. USCIS uses the selection process keeping in mind the needs of the beneficiary. If USCIS finds a sufficient number of union beneficiaries by March 24, it will notify the user through his or her online account after selecting the union beneficiary.

Who can apply?

Under the H-1B nonimmigrant visa program, foreign workers are allowed temporary employment in special areas. For this, knowledge of the particular field is necessary. Also, the applicant must have a bachelor’s degree or above. The final rules for the H-1B visa from the Department of Homeland Security have come into effect from January 17, 2025. The US Department of Treasury has increased the daily transaction limit from credit cards for the FY2026 H-1B season.

When did it start?

The H-1B visa was started in 1990. Under this, the US allows foreigners to work temporarily in their country. The US government issues this visa only to foreigners who have work experience in special areas. These special areas include science, technology, engineering and maths. Many big technology companies use the H-1B visa. These include Infosys, Amazon, Apple, Meta and Google.

Last year, fewer applications were received.

Last year, USCIS had tightened its grip on multiple applications. This reduced the number of applications for the visa lottery. For the 2024 lottery, the agency received 4,70,342 applications, which was less than 7,58,994 a year ago. This happened due to a decrease in cases of multiple applications.