H‑1B registration extended
USCIS pushed the H‑1B electronic registration deadline to 5:00 PM EST on March 19 after website glitches disrupted applicants — a last‑minute relief for those hit by technical failures. The extension came via social posts flagged by immigration practitioners monitoring the system. (x.com)
USCIS’s public H‑1B pages contain conflicting close times: the H‑1B Cap Season page lists the registration window running through 5:00 p.m. Eastern on March 19, 2026, while the H‑1B Electronic Registration FAQ on the same USCIS site still references a noon Eastern close. (uscis.gov) Several immigration law firms and industry outlets had circulated guidance showing a 12:00 p.m. ET cutoff before the discrepancy surfaced, including Foley & Lardner, VisaHQ and CSG Law in client alerts and news posts. (foley.com) The timing confusion coincided with technical problems across USCIS public tools: the H‑1B Employer Data Hub’s search and mapping functions went offline during the registration window and Downdetector logged elevated reports of USCIS site issues. (nripulse.com) Immigration practitioners circulated a social‑media post showing the timing change; the X post with ID 2034656769163571574 was amplified by practitioner networks monitoring the system. USCIS’s FY‑2027 registration announcement confirms a $215 per‑registration fee and references the new wage‑weighted selection rule implemented by DHS’s final rule effective Feb. 27, 2026 — changes that were central to preparatory messaging this season. (uscis.gov) USCIS and outside trackers indicated selection notifications are expected by March 31, 2026, after which selected registrants’ petition filing windows open (typically giving employers roughly a 90‑day filing period following selection). (relief.law)
