A federal US agency announced on Friday that it had completed the process to implement the H-1B electronic registration process for the 2021 cap season.

As a result of this, companies applying for H-1B visas for foreign workers for the fiscal year 2021 would have to register online and pay a processing fee of USD10.

“The electronic registration process will dramatically streamline processing by reducing paperwork and data exchange, and will provide an overall cost savings to petitioning employers,” the USCIS said on Friday.

“The agency completed a successful pilot testing phase, which included sessions with industry representatives, and implementation of the registration system will further the goal of modernising USCIS from a paper-based to an online-filing agency,” he said.

Under this new process, employers seeking H-1B workers subject to the cap, or their authorised representatives, will complete a registration process that requires only basic information about their company and each requested worker.

“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,” said USCIS Deputy Director Mark Koumans.

USCIS will post step-by-step instructions informing registrants how to complete the registration process on its website along with key dates and timelines as the initial registration period nears.