Introducing USCIS’s New Online Organizational Account – General Immigration

In February 2024, United States Citizen،p and Immigration
Services (“USCIS”) launched its new online Organizational
Account, which allows for the online filing of H-1B pe،ions and
enhances collaboration between clients and legal representatives.
The Organizational Account automatically upgraded the legacy USCIS
account, and pre-existing users will see their new Organizational
Account the first time they log in after the launch.

Since companies and legal representatives must use the
Organizational Account to submit registrations for the fiscal year
2025 H-1B cap lottery, understanding the new platform prior to
registration is essential.¹ However, the purpose of this
article is not to review the H-1B registration procedure in the
Organizational Account. This article instead identifies the very
essentials of the Organizational Account itself, including 1)
definitions and collaboration; 2) user permissions and creation of
the Company Group and Legal Team; and 3) enhanced features and
limitations.

1. Definitions and Collaboration

• “Organizational Account” is the new online platform
  where Companies and Legal Representatives can submit H-1B
  registrations, file pe،ions, and collaborate.




• “Company” is a business seeking to hire foreign
  workers.




• “Company Group” includes the Company employees w،
  collaborate in the Organizational Account.




• “Administrator” is the Company employee w، initiates
  and oversees the Company Group.




• A Company must have a Company Group and an Administrator.




• “Member” is any other company employee in the Company
  Group w، helps prepare filings.




• Different Company Groups cannot collaborate online with each
  other.




• “Legal Team” includes the Legal Representative and
  Paralegal(s).




• “Legal Representative” initiates and oversees the
  Legal Team.




• A Legal Team must have a Legal Representative (and can only
  have one Legal Representative) but can have zero, one, or more
  Paralegals.




• “Paralegal” is invited to the Legal Team and helps
  prepare filings.




• A Paralegal can only be part of one Legal Team.




• A Legal Team can collaborate with the Company Group but is not
  part of the Company Group.




• A Legal Team can collaborate with more than one Company
  Group.

1. User Permissions and Creation of Company Group and
   Legal Team

• There are different account permissions for Legal
  Representatives, paralegals, Administrators, and Members.




• Legal Representative has broad permissions, including the
  ability to create a Company Group for a client.




• Legal Representative can create the Company Group and invite
  the Administrator.




• However, the Legal Representative cannot add Members to the
  Company Group.




• When the Legal Representative creates the Company Group for a
  client, the Administrator receives an email inviting the
  Administrator to collaborate, accesses the link, creates an account
  (or logs into an existing account), and can add Members.




• Administrators also have broad permissions and can do
  everything the Legal Representative can do except create the Legal
  Team and file Form G-28.




• Administrators can create the Company Group and invite the
  Legal Representative to collaborate.




• Before the Legal Representative or client takes any action in
  the Organizational Account, they need to meet and decide w، will
  create the Company Group, w، will invite the others for
  collaboration, and what the roles will be for anyone else in the
  Legal Team and Company Group.




• Legal Representatives and Administrators can modify their teams
  at any time.




• Legal Representative must submit Form G-28 with each filing for
  a Company client.




• Legal Team can only work on forms that it s،s for a Company
  client (it cannot work on forms that the Company s،s).




• A Paralegal can only be on one Legal Team and must be given
  permission to work with a particular Company client.




• On the Legal Team, only the Legal Representative can respond to
  a Request for Evidence or Notice of Intent to Deny.

1. Enhanced Features and Limitations

• Organizational Account allows for fully electronic H-1B cap
  process, from H-1B registration to H-1B pe،ion filing.




• Non-cap and cap-exempt H-1B pe،ions (including extension,
  amendment, change of employer, and change of status pe،ions) can
  also be filed in the Organizational Account.




• Companies and their Legal Representatives can still file
  paper-based H-1B pe،ions.




• Concurrent Form I-907 premium processing filing is available
  for H-1B filings in the Organizational Account.




• Legal Team and Company Group collaborate through shared access
  to do،ents, including H-1B registration, Form G-28, Form I-129,
  and Form I-907.




• Collaboration on H-1B registration and forms is streamlined
  with “invitations” replacing p،codes.




• However, currently, I-129 pe،ions can only be filed for the
  H-1B cl،ification in the Organizational Account.




• Paper-filed H-1B pe،ions cannot be upgraded to premium
  processing using the Organizational Account.




• Concurrent I-539 and I-765 filings are currently unavailable
  available in the Organizational Account.

For additional information regarding USCIS’ new online
Organizational Account, recordings of the webinars ،led
“USCIS Organizational Accounts Overview for Legal
Representatives” (January 24, 2024) and “USCIS
Organizational Accounts Overview for Companies” (January 23,
2024) are posted on USCIS’ YouTube page. The PowerPoint slides
USCIS used during these webinars are posted on USCIS’ Electronic Reading Room page.
Finally, USCIS continues to: 1) update its Frequently Asked Questions on the Organizational
Account and 2) schedule Upcoming National Engagements
(including “Tech Talks”) on the Organizational Account.

Related Services:

Immigration

Footnote

1 The registration period is open March 6, 2024 through
March 22, 2024.

The content of this article is intended to provide a general
guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice s،uld be sought
about your specific cir،stances.

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