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H-1B petition rules updated with new USCIS form

The new form is mandatory for all petitions received by USCIS on or after April 1, 2026.

A U.S. flag and a U.S. H-1B Visa application form are seen in this illustration taken, September 22, 2025. / REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has made a push for greater transparency in H-1B hiring, demanding more details about job requirements from employers while filing the new Form I-129.

Form I-129 is filed by employers with the USCIS to request permission for a foreign worker to work temporarily in the United States. Released on Feb. 28, the new form will be exclusively accepted by the USCIS for petitions postmarked on or after April 1, 2026.

ALSO READ: New H-1B approvals drop 37%, Indian share at 71%: USCIS

Petitioners will now have to specify minimum education needed, specific field(s) of study, required years of work experience, special skills required for the role and number of employees the H-1B employee supervise, if the role is supervisory in nature, while applying to the USCIS through the I-129 route.

The initial registration period for the fiscal year 2027 H-1B cap will open March 4 and close on March 19.

Discover more at New India Abroad.

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