US Citizenship and Immigration Services announced it will require electronic registration for those filing for H-1B petitions starting in the federal 2021 fiscal year. USCIS also reported that it completed a pilot testing of the system.

Employers seeking H-1B workers must complete the electronic registration process that requires basic information with an initial registration period running from March 1 through March 20, according to the USCIS.

“By streamlining the H-1B cap selection process with a new electronic registration system, USCIS is creating cost savings and efficiencies for petitioners and the agency, as only those selected will now be required to submit a full petition,” USCIS Deputy Director Mark Koumans said.

H-1B visas, which are used to bring in highly skilled foreign workers on a temporary basis — IT professionals in particular — are subject to an annual cap. If more visas requests are received than are available under the cap, the USCIS uses a lottery to determine which workers will receive visas. With the new electronic registration, the lottery, if needed, will only take place on those electronic registrations.

Employers must also pay an additional fee of $10 for the registration system.

USCIS had initially planned to put the electronic system in place for H-1B petitions for the 2020 federal fiscal year but postponed it in order to provide more time to test the system.