Registration Fee Requirement for Petitioners Seeking To File H-1B Petitions on Behalf of Cap Subject Aliens, 60307-60316 [2019-24292]

Agencies

• DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY

[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 217 (Friday, November 8, 2019)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 60307-60316]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-24292]



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Rules and Regulations
                                                Federal Register
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under 50 titles pursuant to 44 U.S.C. 1510.

The Code of Federal Regulations is sold by the Superintendent of Documents. 

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Federal Register / Vol. 84, No. 217 / Friday, November 8, 2019 / 
Rules and Regulations

[[Page 60307]]



DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY

8 CFR Part 103

[CIS No. 2652-19; DHS Docket No. USCIS-2019-0006]
RIN 1615-AC36


Registration Fee Requirement for Petitioners Seeking To File H-1B 
Petitions on Behalf of Cap Subject Aliens

AGENCY: U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, DHS.

ACTION: Final rule.

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SUMMARY: This final rule amends Department of Homeland Security (DHS) 
regulations to require petitioners seeking to file H-1B cap-subject 
petitions to pay a $10 fee for each registration they submit to U.S. 
Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) for the H-1B cap selection 
process.

DATES: This final rule is effective December 9, 2019.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Charles Nimick, Chief, Business & 
Foreign Workers Division, Office of Policy and Strategy, U.S. 
Citizenship and Immigration Services, Department of Homeland Security, 
20 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Suite 1100, Washington, DC 20529-2140; 
Telephone (202) 272-8377.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Table of Contents

I. Background
    A. The H-1B Registration System
    B. Legal Authority
    C. Registration Fee
II. Public Comments on the Proposed Rule
    A. Summary of Public Comments
    B. General Support for the Proposed Rule
    C. General Opposition to the Proposed Rule
    D. Establishment of Registration Fee
    1. Fee Payment System
    2. Fee Amount ($10 per registration)
    3. Fraud Deterrent
    4. Equity of Registration Fee
    E. Impact on Small Entities
    F. Paperwork Reduction Act
    G. Implementation Timeframe
    H. Out of Scope
III. Statutory and Regulatory Requirements
    A. Executive Order 12866 and 13563
    B. Regulatory Flexibility Act
    C. Other Regulatory Requirements
    D. Paperwork Reduction Act

I. Background

A. The H-1B Registration System

    On January 31, 2019, DHS published a final rule requiring 
petitioners seeking to file H-1B cap-subject petitions, including those 
eligible for the advanced degree exemption, to first electronically 
register with USCIS during a designated registration period, unless the 
requirement is suspended (``H-1B registration final rule'').\1\ USCIS 
stated in the H-1B registration final rule that it was suspending the 
registration requirement for the fiscal year 2020 cap season to 
complete required user testing of the new H-1B registration system and 
otherwise ensure the system and process work correctly.
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    \1\ See 84 FR 888 (Jan. 31, 2019); 8 CFR 214.2(h)(8)(iii)(A)(1).
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    Once USCIS implements the system and requires registration, USCIS 
will not consider an H-1B cap-subject petition to be properly filed 
unless it is based on a valid registration selection for the applicable 
fiscal year. See 8 CFR 214.2(h)(8)(iii)(A)(1) and (h)(8)(iii)(D). USCIS 
will reject or deny H-1B cap-subject petitions that are not properly 
filed. 8 CFR 214.2(h)(8)(iii)(D).

B. Legal Authority

    The Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) authorizes DHS to 
establish and collect fees for adjudication and naturalization services 
to ``ensure recovery of the full costs of providing all such services, 
including the costs of similar services provided without charge to 
asylum applicants or other immigrants.'' INA section 286(m), 8 U.S.C. 
1356(m). Through the collection of fees established under that 
authority, USCIS is primarily funded by immigration and naturalization 
fees charged to applicants, petitioners, and other requestors. See INA 
sections 286(m) and (n), 8 U.S.C. 1356(m) and (n); 8 CFR 
103.7(b)(1)(i)(USCIS fees). Fees collected from individuals and 
entities filing immigration benefit requests are deposited into the 
Immigration Examinations Fee Account (IEFA) and used to fund the cost 
of processing immigration benefit requests.\2\ Consistent with that 
authority and USCIS' reliance on fees for its funding, DHS is amending 
its regulations to require a fee for submitting H-1B registrations.
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    \2\ See 81 FR 26904, 26905 (May 4, 2016).
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C. Registration Fee

    On September 4, 2019, DHS published a notice of proposed rulemaking 
seeking public comments on its proposal to require a $10 fee per H-1B 
registration. See 84 FR 46460. DHS is amending its regulations to 
require a $10 fee for each registration submitted to register for the 
H-1B cap selection process. See 8 CFR 103.7(b)(1)(i)(NNN). As stated in 
the proposed rule, USCIS operations are funded by fees collected for 
adjudication and naturalization services, and USCIS must expend 
resources to implement and maintain the registration system. Therefore, 
DHS is requiring a fee for submitting H-1B registrations to recover 
those costs.

II. Public Comments on the Proposed Rule

A. Summary of Public Comments

    In response to the proposed rule, DHS received 22 comments during 
the 30-day public comment period. There were no duplicate submissions 
or letters submitted through mass mailing campaigns. DHS considered all 
of these comment submissions. Commenters consisted of individuals 
(including U.S. workers), law firms, professional organizations, and 
advocacy groups. Some commenters expressed support for the rule and/or 
offered suggestions for improvement. Two commenters expressed general 
opposition to the rule, suggesting that DHS should not impose a fee for 
registration. For many of the public comments, DHS could not ascertain 
whether the commenter supported or opposed the proposed rule. A number 
of comments received addressed subjects beyond those covered by the 
proposed rule, and were deemed out of scope.
    DHS has reviewed all of the public comments received in response to 
the proposed rule and is addressing relevant comments in this final 
rule. DHS's responses are grouped by subject area,

[[Page 60308]]

with a focus on the most common issues and suggestions raised by 
commenters. DHS is not addressing comments seeking changes in U.S. 
laws, regulations, or agency policies that are out of scope and 
unrelated to the changes proposed on September 4, 2019, or to the H-1B 
registration system generally.

B. General Support for the Proposed Rule

    Comment: Two commenters stated that they agreed with the proposed 
fee without providing any additional or substantive rationale. While 
DHS appreciates the input, a response to these general support comments 
is not necessary.

C. General Opposition to the Proposed Rule

    Comment: Two commenters said the rule would cause an unnecessary 
financial obstacle to an already tedious and burdensome process for 
prospective immigrants. One commenter said that the additional fee 
would oppress minorities and put unnecessary financial barriers on 
families and extend the time it takes for them to receive clearance. 
The commenter explained that the process to become a legalized citizen 
is already an extensive process and extending it further could turn 
away families from receiving legalization.
    Response: The H-1B classification is an employment-based 
nonimmigrant classification that allows U.S. employers to temporarily 
employ foreign workers in specialty occupations. DHS notes that this 
rule is not addressing the process of obtaining an immigrant visa or 
lawful permanent resident status. Rather, this rule addresses the fee 
for filing an H-1B registration which is a prerequisite to being able 
to file a nonimmigrant petition for a foreign worker in the H-1B 
nonimmigrant classification. The fee paid for the registration is a 
responsibility of the petitioning employer, not the foreign worker. DHS 
believes that a $10 fee for each registration a U.S. employer chooses 
to submit would not be overly burdensome for employers, especially when 
considering the benefits of not having to submit a full, paper-based 
petition as required for possible selection under the current cap 
selection process. Moreover, the nominal fee would assist DHS in 
recovering the cost of administering the electronic registration 
process. Requiring such a fee would not have any impact on the time to 
adjudicate an immigration benefit request.

D. Establishment of Registration Fee

1. Fee Payment System
Pay.gov
    Comments: A few commenters asked DHS to explain with specificity in 
the final rule how the payment system and payment mechanics will work. 
The comments related to pay.gov are as follows:
     Will DHS utilize pay.gov for the payment portal? If an 
employer is already registered in pay.gov, will that registration 
control for the H-1B registration fee payment?
     Is submission of the registration fee payment via pay.gov 
limited to employers, or may attorneys also submit payments via pay.gov 
on behalf of their U.S. employer clients? The commenter stated that 
attorneys should be able to submit registration fee payments via the 
pay.gov portal for their U.S. employer clients.
     A professional association stated that, given the limited 
familiarity of stakeholders with the pay.gov portal, USCIS should 
conduct stakeholder outreach and provide guidance and trainings on how 
to utilize the pay.gov portal well in advance of the initial 
registration period.
    Response: DHS will use pay.gov for the payment portal. DHS is using 
the pay.gov architecture to process the payment on the back end, 
however, petitioners do not need to create a pay.gov account to pay the 
fee. Registrants only have to enter in checking/savings account 
information to do an ACH (Automated Clearing House) or credit/debit 
card information to pay via card.\3\ G-28 Representatives will be able 
to pay on pay.gov as well, given that there is no need for an account, 
just basic payment details. USCIS is planning to conduct stakeholder 
outreach and provide training on how to use the pay.gov portal and will 
announce these trainings on the USCIS website.
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    \3\ Per 8 CFR 103.7(a)(2), remittances must be drawn on a bank 
or other institution located in the United States and be payable in 
United States currency.
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Payment Sources
    Comments: The comments on payment sources include the following:
     An advocacy group asked if pay.gov would allow access to 
payment via computerized access to bank account and ACH payment 
systems. This commenter also asked if there would be a one-time 
registration per user of banking and pay.gov information.
     A professional association stated that it appears that the 
registration fee payment can be paid with either a debit or credit 
card, or with a withdrawal from a checking or savings account, but 
USCIS only provides a screen shot in the workflow document for the 
credit card payment transaction. The commenter urged USCIS to allow for 
the registration fee to be paid with a withdrawal from a checking or 
savings account (ACH), as this is a common method of payment and will 
better accommodate U.S. employers and immigration practitioners 
submitting registrations on behalf of a high volume registrants.
     A business association asked if there would be an ACH 
processing fee associated with using this method of payment. If so, the 
commenter asked if USCIS incorporated those costs into how it factored 
the $10/registration fee such that it would be covered by the $10 fee 
or in addition to the $10 fee. If the processing fee is separate from 
the $10 registration fee, the commenter asked how much these processing 
fees would add onto the $10 fee.
    Response: The registration system will permit payments to be made 
from a bank account (checking or savings), a credit card, or debit 
card. No ACH fee will be charged. The registration fee cannot be made 
using cash, a certified (bank) check, or money order.
Batch Payments
    Comments: The comments on batch payments include the following:
     A couple of commenters asked if employers would be able to 
batch payments for multiple registrations.
     A business association supported the ability of the 
employer or representative to file registrations for more than one 
beneficiary under one account, but said the NPRM does not indicate how 
many registrations a petitioner can file at the same time or exactly 
how the payment system will operate. Similarly, another commenter asked 
whether the payment system would limit the amount of beneficiaries that 
can be batched for simultaneous payment at any given time.
     Another commenter also stated that they support the 
ability to bundle the H-1B registration fees for multiple registrations 
into one payment, but said it is unclear whether the pay.gov portal 
would permit a registrant to make several bundled registration fee 
payments on multiple occasions over a period of several days, or if 
only one bundled registration fee could be submitted during the 
registration period. Because large U.S. employers will likely submit 
registrations throughout the registration period, the commenter 
recommended that the

[[Page 60309]]

system should allow registrants to make several bundled registration 
fee payments through the pay.gov portal.
     A business association said the final H-1B Registration 
Rule stated that employers would not be required to enter their 
corporate information for each potential beneficiary. The commenter 
asked if employers would be able to file information regarding the 
corporation, the authorized employee of the corporation, and the 
payment method/information used to pay the fees one time throughout 
this process, and if so, how that would be done.
    Response: The registration system will allow for batch payments to 
pay the fee for multiple registrations submitted simultaneously. For 
example, one registrant may submit five registrations at one time and 
make one payment of $50 for the cost of the five registrations. There 
is no limit to the number of registrations that can be submitted at one 
time. Registrants would be able to submit as many registrations in as 
many batches as they see fit during the registration period. For 
example, a registrant could submit five registrations and pay a $50 fee 
on March 2, a batch of five registrations on March 5 and pay another 
$50 fee, and a batch of eight registrations with an $80 fee on March 
15.
    Registrants will not be required to enter their corporate 
information for each potential beneficiary. Corporate and payment 
information will only need to be entered one time for each batch of 
registrations and associated payments. However, the corporate and 
payment information will not carry over between subsequent batches of 
registrations and fees.
Other Comments/Questions on Fee Payment Processing
    Comments: Additional comments on fee payment processing are as 
follows:
     A business association stated that they were concerned 
about the lack of specificity regarding how the $10 fee will be 
collected. The commenter wrote that, as USCIS moves to finalize this 
proposal, the agency should clearly lay out how employers will have to 
use the H-1B registration's system payment mechanism.
     An advocacy group asked how far in advance of the 
registration period would registration be permitted for the payment 
portal.
    Response: DHS will use pay.gov for the payment portal, however, 
there is no need to register with pay.gov in order to pay for an H-1B 
registration. The pay.gov architecture is used only to process the 
payments. USCIS will advise registrants of the location of the H-1B 
registration portal, and any deadlines or other restrictions that will 
apply. The H-1B registration system will contain clear instructions for 
completing and submitting registrations and fees.
2. Fee Amount ($10 per Registration)
    Comment: Two commenters wrote that the proposed fee was too low 
without providing an alternative amount. One commenter noted that they 
were in favor of requiring a fee for H-1B petitions, but that it should 
be a larger fee. This commenter wrote that a fee free H-1B application 
and the lower wages paid to those granted H-1B status provides 
incentive to hire non-U.S. citizens for U.S. based careers. One 
commenter suggested a $500 fee, while another suggested a $1,000 fee. 
One commenter said that based upon the assertion that the registration 
would be a 7-minute additional time burden, the $10 registration fee is 
appropriate and can be considered a nominal expense for most 
petitioners.
    Response: First, DHS notes that the $10 registration fee is 
separate from and in addition to the H-1B petition filing fee.\4\ The 
registration fee will be charged regardless of whether the potential 
petitioner's registration is selected; i.e. even if the petitioner may 
not ultimately file an H-1B petition. As stated in the NPRM, USCIS 
lacks sufficient data to precisely estimate the costs of the 
registration process. DHS proposed a $10 fee to provide an initial 
stream of revenue to mitigate potential fiscal effects on USCIS. 
Following implementation of the registration fee provided for in this 
rule, USCIS will gather data on the costs and burdens of administering 
the registration process in its next biennial fee review to determine 
whether a fee adjustment is necessary to ensure full cost recovery.
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    \4\ As stated in the proposed rule, H-1B petitioners currently 
pay a $460 filing fee per petition. In addition to the filing fee, 
certain H-1B petitions may have to pay up to $6,000 in statutory 
fees. DHS does not have the authority to adjust the amount of these 
statutory fees. USCIS does not retain most of the revenue. CBP 
receives 50 percent of the $4,000 9-11 Response and Biometric Entry-
Exit fee and the remaining 50 percent is deposited into the General 
Fund of the Treasury. USCIS retains 5 percent of the $1,500 or $750 
American Competitiveness and Workforce Improvement Act (ACWIA) fee. 
The remainder goes to the Department of Labor and the National 
Science Foundation. USCIS retains one third of the $500 Fraud 
Detection and Prevention fee, while the remainder is split between 
the Department of State and the Department of Labor. See 84 FR 
46462-46463.
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3. Fraud Deterrent
    Comment: One commenter asked how the nominal fee will prevent large 
outsourcing companies from gaming the H-1B system, when their revenue 
is in the billions. A professional association stated that the addition 
of a $10 registration fee will not sufficiently deter speculative and/
or fraudulent filings. Another commenter noted that requiring employers 
to pay a more substantial fee may protect employees from predatory 
employers and that we should include a provision barring employers from 
passing the fee on to their employees or garnishing it from their 
wages.
    Response: As stated in the proposed rule, the purpose of the 
registration fee is to recover the costs of the registration system and 
process; however, the fee may have an added benefit of deterring 
frivolous registrations. USCIS will monitor the system for potential 
fraud and abuse (e.g. monitoring the system to determine if employers 
are submitting many registrations but filing petitions based on 
selected registrations at a significantly lower rate, which could 
reflect gaming of the system to unfairly improve their odds of being 
selected). Further, DHS will require registrants to attest that they 
intend to file an H-1B petition for the beneficiary in the position for 
which the registration is filed. This attestation is intended to ensure 
that each registration is connected with a bona fide job offer and, if 
selected, will result in the filing of an H-1B petition.
    In response to a commenter's proposal to bar employers from passing 
the fee on to the beneficiary (foreign worker), DHS is not adopting 
this suggestion because it is unnecessary and already prohibited by DOL 
regulations as an unauthorized deduction. See 20 CFR 655.731(b)(9)(ii) 
(`` . . . except that the deduction may not recoup a business 
expense(s) of the employer (including attorney fees and other costs 
connected to the performance of H-1B program functions which are 
required to be performed by the employer, e.g., preparation and filing 
of LCA and H-1B petition); . . .''). DHS notes that this prohibition 
encompasses the costs of an H-1B registration.
    Comment: A professional association recommended that, in its 
calculations for how many registrations will be selected in the 
registration lottery, USCIS take into consideration that there may be a 
significantly higher rate of selected registrations resulting in 
unfiled, denied, or revoked petitions. This commenter also recommended 
that USCIS reserve enough unselected registrations that could be 
invited to file in the situation where the H-1B petition approval rate 
will not result in meeting the H-1B numerical limitations for FY 2021.

[[Page 60310]]

    Response: When registration is not required, USCIS randomly selects 
a certain number of H-1B cap-subject petitions projected as needed to 
meet the numerical allocations. USCIS makes projections on the number 
of H-1B cap-subject petitions necessary to meet the numerical limits, 
taking into account historical data related to approvals, denials, 
revocations, and other relevant factors.\5\ USCIS uses these 
projections to determine the number of petitions to select to meet, but 
not exceed, the 65,000 regular cap and 20,000 advanced degree 
exemption, although the exact percentage and number of petitions may 
vary depending on the applicable projections for a particular fiscal 
year. Similarly, in years when USCIS will use the registration system, 
it will project how many registrations need to be selected in order to 
meet, but not exceed the numerical limitations. Unselected 
registrations will remain on reserve for the applicable fiscal year. If 
USCIS determines that it needs to increase the number of registrations 
projected to meet the regular cap or advanced degree exemption, and 
select additional registrations, USCIS would select from among the 
registrations that are on reserve a sufficient number to meet the cap 
or advanced degree exemption, or re-open the registration period if 
additional registrations are needed to meet the new projected amount.
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    \5\ See 8 CFR 214.2(h)(8)(ii)(B).
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4. Equity of Registration Fee
    Comment: A commenter stated that H-1B petitioners have established 
willingness and ability to pay the nominal H-1B registration fee. The 
commenter stated a $10 fee is justifiable because the employers are the 
ones who pay existing H-1B related filing fees rather than investing 
this money to cultivate the knowledge of existing employees to better 
their business.
    Response: DHS agrees that a $10 fee for each registration will not 
be overly burdensome for employers and will assist DHS in recovering 
the cost of administering the registration process.

E. Impact on Small Entities

    Comment: Two commenters addressed the proposal's impact on small 
entities. A business association said USCIS stated that the $10 
registration fee might minimize the possibility that larger employers 
could flood the system crowding out smaller, compliant firms. The 
commenter said it remains concerned about how the overall H-1B 
registration system will impact small businesses and urged USCIS to 
monitor and report on the filings. One commenter said that they were 
concerned there were not enough safeguards in place to prevent 
unscrupulous petitioners from flooding the H-1B system. This commenter 
wrote that DHS should conduct additional outreach consistent with the 
Regulatory Flexibility Act (RFA), especially to small business 
entities, so that concerns about potential flooding of the registration 
system can be addressed prior to implementation.
    Response: DHS has already put several safeguards in place to 
prevent employers from flooding the H-1B registration system, and will 
monitor the system throughout the registration process. As noted in the 
H-1B registration final rule, DHS believes it is too speculative to 
conclude that the H-1B registration system would result in large 
entities crowding out smaller entities for H-1B prospective employees. 
With the registration system, and the lower nominal fee, the barrier to 
entry associated with the registration system could result in increased 
participation by small entities in the competition for H-1B cap-subject 
nonimmigrant visas. As noted in the proposed rule, the new fee will 
impose a nominal compliance cost for any entity, including small 
entities, that choose to compete for an H-1B cap-subject visa. DHS 
maintains that the proposed fee will not impose a significant impact on 
small entities.

F. Paperwork Reduction Act

    Comment: A professional association stated that USCIS' estimate of 
a 7-minute additional time burden for reading the instructions and 
completing the electronic fee payment was ``extremely low'' and appears 
to assume that stakeholders are familiar with the pay.gov portal, 
rather than first time users. However, the commenter stated that many 
U.S. employers and attorneys have little or no experience using the 
pay.gov portal. The commenter wrote that USCIS should recalculate the 
total public burden (in time) to take into consideration that in many, 
if not most cases, registrants will be accessing and navigating the 
pay.gov portal for the very first time when submitting initial H-1B 
registrations.
    Response: The pay.gov screen will be seamlessly linked to the 
registration platform and will not require a separate log in, password, 
or navigation to a separate website. Paying the $10 fee will be very 
similar to paying for events or airline tickets, merchandise, and other 
orders placed online, and USCIS anticipates it will be a 
straightforward process for the public. In addition and as noted above, 
USCIS intends to conduct outreach and training on how to use the 
registration system, including making payments on the pay.gov portal, 
and will announce these trainings on the USCIS website. USCIS has 
received approval from OMB-OIRA to discontinue the approval of this 
collection of information as guidance found at the website 
pra.digital.gov stated that such payment transactions are not subject 
to the PRA.

G. Implementation Timeframe

    Comment: Two commenters addressed the implementation timeframe for 
the proposed fee or the H-1B registration process more generally and 
expressed concern about the lack of a definitive decision from USCIS to 
implement the new H-1B registration requirement to which the $10 
registration fee will be attached. These commenters asked that USCIS 
notify the public as soon as possible with a final decision on whether 
usability testing supports proceeding with the registration tool. One 
commenter stated that, without a final decision and proper notice being 
provided to stakeholders at this point in time, many business have 
already begun expending resources in the preparation of various 
supporting documents for the cap-subject H-1B petitions as they 
normally would, thus negating the cost savings intended by the rule. 
One commenter noted that if USCIS does not announce that it will 
proceed with registration until shortly before the FY2021 cap season 
begins in April 2020, it will likely be most harmful to the interests 
of smaller employers who have less overall resources to deal with new 
regulatory requirements in a short period of time. A few commenters 
stated that, no later than November 1, 2019, USCIS should publicly 
announce its decision to implement the registration system in the 
Spring of 2020 for FY 2021 cap-subject H-1B cases. An advocacy group 
stated that this notice could be posted on the agency's website or 
could come with the publication of the H-1B registration fee final 
rule, so it can be announced in the Federal Register months before any 
registration period would be opened. This commenter also said USCIS 
should indicate as early as possible the dates when the specific 
registration period will occur and should consider a registration 
period longer than the 2-week minimum registration period identified in 
the final rule.
    Response: USCIS intends to implement the registration process for 
FY 2021, subject to continued testing of the system. DHS will publish a 
notice in the Federal Register to announce the initial implementation 
of the H-1B

[[Page 60311]]

registration process in advance of the cap season in which it will 
first implement the requirement. USCIS will notify the public about the 
implementation timeframe of the registration system and the initial 
registration period as soon as possible, and will provide stakeholders 
with plenty of notice prior to implementing the registration 
requirement.
    Comment: One commenter asked that as DHS moves to finalize and 
implement the H-1B registration fee, it continue public outreach on 
usability testing as a means to further assess the technical details of 
the registration mechanics. A business association said USCIS should 
(1) engage stakeholders and fully vet the new platform before 
instituting the electronic registration system and (2) extend the 
registration period to at least 30 days to account for any system 
outages, difficulties in entering data, or other unforeseen problems.
    Response: USCIS intends to continue stakeholder outreach and 
training prior to the initial implementation of the registration system 
to allow stakeholders the opportunity to familiarize themselves with 
the electronic registration process. USCIS will provide guidance on how 
to use the registration system and edit registrations prior to opening 
the registration system for the initial registration period. DHS will 
announce the duration of the initial registration period in the Federal 
Register notice.

H. Out of Scope

    DHS received many comments that were unrelated to the proposed 
revisions regarding the registration fee. Many of these comments would 
require Congressional action or additional regulatory action by DHS 
unrelated to the H-1B registration fee requirement. Although DHS has 
summarized the comments it received below, DHS is not providing 
substantive responses to those comments as they are beyond the scope of 
this rulemaking. To the extent that comments are seeking further 
revisions to the H-1B program, DHS recognizes that additional 
regulatory changes could improve the H-1B program and intends to 
propose a separate rule to strengthen the H-1B visa classification. As 
stated in the Unified Agenda of Proposed Regulatory Actions, 83 FR 
57803, DHS plans to propose to revise the definition of specialty 
occupation to increase focus on obtaining the best and the brightest 
foreign nationals via the H-1B program, and revise the definition of 
employment and employer-employee relationship to better protect U.S. 
workers and wages. In addition, DHS will propose additional 
requirements designed to ensure employers pay appropriate wages to H-1B 
nonimmigrant workers.
    Comments from the public outside the scope of this rulemaking 
concerned the following issues:
     Some commenters provided suggestions for improvement of 
the H-1B program in general, including to raise the H-1B salary 
minimum.
     Some commenters said DHS should review the B-1, [Optional 
Practical Training] OPT, EB-1, H-4, [Employment Authorization Document] 
EAD, and L-1/L-2 visa programs to address unfairness, reduce fraud and 
abuse within the programs, address specific companies known for abuses, 
and protect wages of American workers.
     One commenter expressed safety concerns that H-1B workers 
are managing critical infrastructure at state government facilities due 
to an influx of H-1B workers in the fields of IT, human resources, and 
contracting.
     Another commenter said H-1B is a ``legalized scam.''
    Response: DHS appreciates these suggestions, however, DHS did not 
propose to address these issues in the proposed rule, therefore these 
suggestions fall outside of the scope of this rulemaking.
    As discussed previously, DHS is finalizing this rule as proposed.

IV. Statutory and Regulatory Requirements

A. Executive Orders 12866 and 13563

    Executive Orders 12866 and 13563 direct agencies to assess the 
costs, benefits, and transfers of available alternatives, and if 
regulation is necessary, to select regulatory approaches that maximize 
net benefits (including potential economic, environmental, public 
health and safety effects, distributive impacts, and equity). Executive 
Order 13563 emphasizes the importance of quantifying both costs and 
benefits, of reducing costs, of harmonizing rules, and of promoting 
flexibility.
    The Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA) has not 
designated this rule a ``significant regulatory action'' under section 
3(f) of Executive Order 12866. Accordingly, OIRA has not reviewed this 
rule. As this rule is not a significant regulatory action, this rule is 
exempt from the requirements of Executive Order 13771. See OMB's 
Memorandum ``Guidance Implementing Executive Order 13771, Titled 
`Reducing Regulation and Controlling Regulatory Costs' '' (April 5, 
2017).
1. Summary
    DHS will amend its regulations to require a fee for each 
registration submitted to register for the H-1B cap selection process. 
DHS will require a fee of $10 per registration to recover some of the 
costs that are associated with implementing and maintaining the H-1B 
cap registration system. USCIS suspended the registration requirement 
for the FY 2020 H-1B cap selection process. DHS recognizes that the 
registration requirement was established to provide efficiency savings 
to both USCIS and H-1B cap-subject petitioners associated with the 
current paper-based cap selection process. In the H-1B registration 
final rule, DHS estimated significant cost savings for both USCIS and 
those H-1B petitioners. DHS stands by that analysis and believes that 
USCIS will still reap significant efficiency and cost savings when 
comparing an electronic registration process relative to the current 
paper filing and cap selection process. DHS acknowledges that the $10 
registration fee will reduce some of the estimated cost savings for 
unselected H-1B cap-subject petitioners as described in the H-1B 
registration final rule. As discussed in the Regulatory Review section, 
DHS does not believe that the proposed registration fee will 
significantly factor into the decision-making of potential H-1B 
petitioners, nor does DHS believe that the fee will be perceived as 
being cost-prohibitive by these potential H-1B petitioners. After the 
registration requirement is implemented and reviewed over the coming 
years, DHS will consider the costs associated with the system as 
required during biennial fee reviews and adjust the registration fee 
accordingly via notice-and-comment rulemaking.
2. Analysis of Costs and Benefits
    When registration is required, all petitioners seeking to file an 
H-1B cap-subject petition, including those eligible for the advanced 
degree exemption, must first electronically register with USCIS during 
a designated registration period. A separate registration must be 
submitted for each worker on whose behalf a petitioner seeks to file an 
H-1B cap-subject petition. Only those petitioners whose registrations 
are selected will be eligible to file an H-1B cap-subject petition 
during an associated filing period for the applicable fiscal year. By 
means of this rule, DHS will require payment of a $10 registration fee 
for each registration, which will be due and payable at the time of 
registration submission. A registration will not be considered as

[[Page 60312]]

properly submitted until the fee is paid.\6\ In the analysis 
accompanying the H-1B registration final rule, DHS estimated that 
192,918 H-1B cap-subject registrations will be submitted annually based 
on 5-year historical average Form I-129 petition filings.\7\ That 
estimate will form the baseline for the analysis of costs associated 
with the $10 registration fee. As DHS acknowledged in the H-1B 
registration final rule, the use of this historical average to form the 
baseline estimate does not factor in the possibility that the 
registration's lower barrier to entry could result in increasing the 
number of registrations that USCIS receives.\8\ To account for this 
possibility, this analysis will present a range analysis of annual 
costs up through an escalator of 30 percent increase over the baseline 
estimate.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \6\ See 8 CFR 103.2(a)(1) and 8 CFR 214.2(h)(8)(iii)(A)(1).
    \7\ See 84 FR at 925.
    \8\ Id.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Table 1 presents the annual, undiscounted, aggregate costs 
associated with the $10 registration fee using a range of escalations 
over the baseline estimate of registrations.

       Table 1--Undiscounted Aggregate Cost Estimates by Projected
                              Registrations
------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                             Number of     Annual cost--
                                           registrations   undiscounted
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Baseline................................         192,918      $1,929,180
Baseline Plus 10%.......................         212,210       2,122,100
Baseline Plus 20%.......................         231,502       2,315,020
Baseline Plus 30%.......................         250,793       2,507,930
------------------------------------------------------------------------

    USCIS is required to review the cost of its operations on a 
biennial basis and recommend fee adjustments as necessary. USCIS may 
adjust the filing fees for immigration benefits and services through 
notice-and-comment rulemaking. DHS used a 5-year period of analysis to 
account for a potential time lag of the fee review and the actual 
adjustment that occurs during the rulemaking cycle. Therefore, it is 
reasonable to conclude that a 5-year period is a sufficient period for 
DHS to base the analysis of the estimated impact of the registration 
fee.
    In addition to the $10 registration fee, USCIS projects there will 
be an additional 7-minute time burden associated with reading the 
instructions and completing the electronic fee payment. In the H-1B 
registration final rule, DHS monetized time burdens based on who is 
expected to submit the registration: A human resources (HR) specialist; 
an in-house lawyer; or an outsourced lawyer.\9\ The relevant wage is 
currently $32.11 \10\ per hour for an HR specialist and $69.34 \11\ per 
hour for an in-house lawyer. DHS accounts for worker benefits when 
estimating the opportunity cost of time by calculating a benefits-to-
wage multiplier using the Department of Labor, BLS report detailing the 
average employer costs for employee compensation for all civilian 
workers in major occupational groups and industries. DHS estimates that 
the benefits-to-wage multiplier is 1.46 and, therefore, is able to 
estimate the full opportunity cost per applicant, including employee 
wages and salaries and the full cost of benefits such as paid leave, 
insurance, and retirement.\12\ DHS multiplied the average hourly U.S. 
wage rate for HR specialists and lawyers by 1.46 to account for the 
full cost of employee benefits and overhead, for a total of $46.88 \13\ 
per hour for an HR specialist and $101.24 \14\ per hour for an in-house 
lawyer. DHS recognizes that a firm may choose, but is not required, to 
outsource the preparation of these registrations and, therefore, has 
presented two wage rates for lawyers. To determine the full opportunity 
costs if a firm hired an outsourced lawyer, DHS multiplied the average 
hourly U.S. wage rate for lawyers by 2.5 for a total of $173.35 \15\ to 
approximate an hourly billing rate for an outsourced lawyer.\16\ The 
monetized equivalent time burden for 7 minutes (0.12 hours) is 
$5.63,\17\ $12.15,\18\ and $20.80 \19\ for an HR specialist, in-house 
lawyer, and outsourced lawyer, respectively.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \9\ See 84 FR at 929.
    \10\ Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, 
``Occupational Employment Statistics, May 2018, Human Resources 
Specialist'': https://www.bls.gov/oes/2018/may/oes131071.htm. 
Visited October 2, 2019.
    \11\ Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, 
``Occupational Employment Statistics, May 2017, Lawyers'': https://www.bls.gov/oes/2018/may/oes231011.htm. Visited October 2, 2019.
    \12\ The benefits-to-wage multiplier is calculated as follows: 
(Total Employee Compensation per hour)/(Wages and Salaries per 
hour). See Economic News Release, U.S. Dep't of Labor, Bureau of 
Labor Statistics, Table 1. Employer costs per hour worked for 
employee compensation and costs as a percent of total compensation: 
Civilian workers, by major occupational and industry group (June 
2019), available at https://www.bls.gov/news.release/archives/ecec_09172019.pdf (viewed October 2, 2019). The ECEC measures the 
average cost to employers for wages and salaries and benefits per 
employee hour worked.
    \13\ Calculation: $32.11 * 1.46 = $46.88 total wage rate for HR 
specialist.
    \14\ Calculation: $69.34 * 1.46 = $101.24 total wage rate for 
in-house lawyer.
    \15\ Calculation: $69.34 * 2.5 = $173.35 total wage rate for an 
outsourced lawyer.
    \16\ See 83 FR at 24914 (May 31, 2018). The DHS analysis in, 
``Exercise of Time-Limited Authority To Increase the Fiscal Year 
2018 Numerical Limitation for the H-2B Temporary Nonagricultural 
Worker Program'' used a multiplier of 2.5 to convert in-house 
attorney wages to the cost of outsourced attorney wages. DHS 
believes the methodology used in the Final Small Entity Impact 
Analysis remains sound for using 2.5 as a multiplier for outsourced 
labor wages in this rule.
    \17\ Calculation: $46.88 hourly wage rate for HR specialist * 
0.12 hours = $5.63.
    \18\ Calculation: $101.24 hourly wage rate for in-house lawyer * 
0.12 hours = $12.15.
    \19\ Calculation: $173.35 hourly wage rate for outsourced lawyer 
* 0.12 hours = $20.80.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Based on a review of historical filings, USCIS determined that 
approximately 75 percent of H-1B cap-subject petitions are filed by an 
attorney or accredited representative.\20\ This analysis will carry 
that finding forward to estimate the time burden costs for complying 
with the registration fee requirement. In other words, the analysis of 
time burden costs presented assumes that 25 percent of the 
registrations will be completed by an HR specialist or representative, 
and 75 percent of the registrations will be completed by an attorney, 
either in-house or outsourced. Table 2 presents the annual, 
undiscounted, time burden or opportunity costs associated with paying 
the registration fee electronically, assuming 7 minutes of time burden, 
over a range of estimated numbers of registrations and according to who 
submits the H-1B registration.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \20\ See 84 FR at 925.

[[Page 60313]]



     Table 2--Annual Time Burden Cost (Undiscounted) by Projected Registrations & Type of Submitter, Rounded
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                     Number of    HR  specialist     In-house       Outsourced
                                                   registrations       \21\         lawyer \22\     lawyer \23\
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Baseline........................................         192,918        $271,532      $1,757,965      $3,009,521
Baseline Plus 10%...............................         212,210         298,686       1,933,764       3,310,476
Baseline Plus 20%...............................         231,502         325,839       2,109,562       3,611,431
Baseline Plus 30%...............................         250,793         352,991       2,285,351       3,912,371
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Note that the cost estimates in Table 2 are overstated because they 
do not account for the scenario of fewer unique entities submitting 
registrations for multiple workers. DHS assumes that in those cases, 
the registration submissions would be done at the same time so the fee 
payment could be bundled, thus reducing the overall time burden 
associated with submitting separate payments. The DHS analysis in the 
H-1B registration final rule found that, on average, each employer 
submitted five petitions.\24\ Thus, the estimate of undiscounted costs 
in Table 2, which is based on the assumption of one petitioning 
employer filing one petition, is likely overstated by approximately 80 
percent. Estimates that are more likely to reflect the current business 
behavior of five petitions per employer, are presented in Table 3.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \21\ Calculation: Number of Registrations * 25 percent * $5.63 
(figures presented in the table are rounded to the nearest dollar).
    \22\ Calculation: Number of Registrations * 75 percent * $12.15 
(figures presented in the table are rounded to the nearest dollar).
    \23\ Calculation: Number of Registrations * 75 percent * $20.80 
(figures presented in the table are rounded to the nearest dollar).
    \24\ See 84 FR at 948 (January 31, 2019) for the FY 2016 cohort 
of H-1B cap-subject petitions selected. Of the 95,839 petitions 
selected, there were only 20,046 unique entities that filed those 
petitions. Calculation: 95,839/20,046 = 4.78.

    Table 3--Annual Time Burden Cost (Undiscounted) by Projected Registrations & Type of Submitter, Less 80%
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                     Number of                       In-house       Outsourced
                                                   registrations   HR specialist      lawyer          lawyer
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Baseline........................................         192,918         $54,306        $351,593        $601,904
Baseline Plus 10%...............................         212,210          59,737         386,753         662,095
Baseline Plus 20%...............................         231,502          65,168         421,912         722,286
Baseline Plus 30%...............................         250,793          70,598         457,070         782,474
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Therefore, the total, undiscounted, aggregate annual costs of both 
the registration fee and time burden costs are presented in Table 4. 
The figures in Table 4 are found by adding the proportional costs 
presented in Table 1 (in other words, assume 25 percent of 
registrations are completed by HR specialist and 75 percent of 
registrations are completed by lawyers either in-house or outsourced) 
with the estimated costs for entities submitting registrations in Table 
3.

              Table 4--Aggregate Cost (Undiscounted) by Projected Registrations & Type of Submitter
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                                     In-house       Outsourced
                                                     Number of     HR specialist   lawyer (table   lawyer (table
                                                   registrations  (table 3 + 25%    3 + 75% of      3 + 75% of
                                                                    of table 1)      table 1)        table 1)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Baseline........................................         192,918        $536,601      $1,798,478      $2,048,789
Baseline Plus 10%...............................         212,210         590,262       1,978,328       2,253,670
Baseline Plus 20%...............................         231,502         643,923       2,158,177       2,458,551
Baseline Plus 30%...............................         250,793         697,581       2,338,018       2,663,422
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    The lower bound aggregate cost estimate of complying with the 
registration fee requirement is found by summing the estimated cost of 
using an HR specialist with the cost estimate of using in-house lawyers 
to complete the registration. The upper bound aggregate cost estimate 
is found by summing the estimated cost of using an HR specialist with 
the cost estimate of using outsourced lawyers to complete the 
registration. Table 5 presents the lower bound and upper bound 
aggregate cost estimates over the projected number of registrations for 
a 5-year period, discounted at 3 and 7 percent.

[[Page 60314]]



    Table 5--Aggregate Cost Estimates by Projected Registrations Over 5-Year Period, Discounted at 3% and 7%
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                   5-Year discounted costs, 3%,    5-Year discounted costs, 7%,
                                     Number of             ($ millions)                    ($ millions)
                                   registrations ---------------------------------------------------------------
                                                    Lower bound     Upper bound     Lower bound     Upper bound
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Baseline........................         192,918           $10.7           $11.8            $9.6           $10.6
Baseline Plus 10%...............         212,210            11.8            13.0           105.0            11.7
Baseline Plus 20%...............         231,502            12.8            14.2            11.5            12.7
Baseline Plus 30%...............         250,793            13.9            15.4            12.4            13.8
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    As discussed previously, while this initial registration fee of $10 
per registration may not recover the full costs associated with 
implementing and maintaining the H-1B registration system, it would 
allow for USCIS to recover some of the costs, thus lessening the fiscal 
impact to USCIS. DHS does not anticipate the required registration fee 
to represent a significant business expense for those employers that 
seek to employ cap-subject H-1B workers. The total costs for each 
registration would range from $15.63 to $30.80 for a registration, 
depending on who the petitioner uses to submit the registration. Even 
with the addition of the registration fee requirement, as discussed 
previously in the preamble, the registration process is still 
anticipated to result in a net benefit relative to the paper-based cap 
selection process.
    The registration fee may also provide some unquantified benefits to 
the extent that the fee may help to deter frivolous registrations. DHS 
makes no conclusions on the impact that a $10 fee would have on the 
number of registrations and has no way to estimate such an impact. As 
stated in the H-1B registration final rule, however, commenters on the 
H-1B registration proposed rule expressed various concerns about 
potential ``flooding'' of the registration system. While there is no 
way to estimate if a small fee would further deter such acts, beyond 
the measures identified in the H-1B registration final rule (e.g., the 
attestation requirement), DHS believes that it is reasonable to 
conclude that the existence of a $10 fee could reduce the likelihood 
that frivolous registrations would be submitted to flood or otherwise 
game the registration system. In any event, such a benefit would only 
be tangential to the fee's primary purpose of recovering USCIS costs.

B. Regulatory Flexibility Act

    The Regulatory Flexibility Act of 1980 (RFA), 5 U.S.C. 601-612, as 
amended by the Small Business Regulatory Enforcement Fairness Act of 
1996, Public Law 104-121 (March 29, 1996), requires Federal agencies to 
consider the potential impact of regulations on small entities during 
the development of their rules. The term ``small entities'' comprises 
of small businesses, not-for-profit organizations that are not dominant 
in their fields, and governmental jurisdictions with populations of 
less than 50,000. An ``individual'' is not defined by the RFA as a 
small entity and costs to an individual from a rule are not considered 
for RFA purposes. In addition, the courts have held that the RFA 
requires an agency to perform a regulatory flexibility analysis of 
small entity impacts only when a rule directly regulates small 
entities. Consequently, any indirect impacts from a rule to a small 
entity are not considered as costs for RFA purposes.
    In the proposed rule, DHS provided a factual basis in certifying 
the registration fee requirement would not pose a significant impact on 
small entities for public comment. DHS received no challenges to the 
certification statement under the RFA, nor to the factual basis 
presented in support of said certification. DHS is reproducing the 
factual basis, with updates to correct costs estimates due to 
calculation errors, in certifying this final rule will not pose a 
significant impact on small entities.
    This final rule will directly impact those entities that petition 
on behalf of H-1B cap-subject workers. Generally, H-1B petitions are 
filed by a sponsoring employer; by proxy, once the online registration 
requirement is implemented, registrations would likewise be submitted 
by a sponsoring employer or their authorized representative. The 
employer intending to petition for an H-1B cap-subject worker will 
incur the registration fee costs of $10 per registration. Therefore, 
DHS examines the direct impact of this final rule on small entities in 
the analysis that follows.
    In the H-1B registration final rule, DHS estimated that 
approximately 78 percent of selected H-1B petitioners were small 
entities after conducting an analysis of a statistically significant 
sample.\25\ DHS believes it is reasonable to carry this finding through 
and assume that approximately 78 percent, a majority, of H-1B 
registrations would be submitted by small entities. Thus, for purposes 
of the RFA, this final rule is expected to impact a ``substantial'' 
number of small entities.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \25\ See 84 FR at 948-49.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    To determine whether the impact of the required registration filing 
fee would be ``significant,'' DHS must consider the estimated fee 
impacts of individual petitioning small entities. In the H-1B 
registration final rule, DHS found that the majority of petitioning 
employers tended to submit petitions for multiple employees. Based on a 
review of filings received in 2016, DHS determined that for every one 
unique petitioning employer, there were an average of 4.78 petitions 
submitted.\26\ For purposes of this analysis, DHS is rounding that 
figure up to form a baseline assumption that for every one petitioning 
employer, a total of five H-1B cap-subject workers are requested. 
Therefore, it is reasonable to conclude that on average each 
petitioning employer that is a small entity will face a total fee 
impact of $50, plus a one-time monetized time burden impact ranging 
from $5.63 to $20.80, as a result of the required H-1B registration 
fee.\27\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \26\ See 84 FR at 948, explaining that, for the FY 2016 cohort, 
20,046 unique entities filed the 95,839 H-1B cap-subject petitions 
that were selected. Calculation: 95,839/20,046 = 4.78.
    \27\ Calculation: $10 (registration fee) x 5 registrations (one 
for each H-1B worker being entered into the registration) = $50 
total fee impact for employers.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    In that same statistically valid sample study, DHS was able to 
determine the top 10 industries that petitioned for cap-subject H-1B 
workers.\28\ The industry data, using the North American Industry 
Classification System (NAICS), is self-reported on USCIS Form I-129, 
Petition for Nonimmigrant Worker, which petitioning employers use to 
petition for H-1B workers. Table 6 shows a list of the top 10 NAICS 
industries that

[[Page 60315]]

submitted H-1B cap-subject petitions in the sample study, and the 
corresponding size standard according to the SBA.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \28\ See 84 FR at 950.

              Table 6--Top 10 NAICS Industries Submitting Form I-129, Small Entity Analysis Results
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                                  Size standards  Size standards
         Rank                   NAICS code            NAICS U.S. industry title   in millions of   in number of
                                                                                      dollars        employees
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1....................  541511.....................  Custom Computer Programming            $27.5  ..............
                                                     Services.
2....................  541512.....................  Computer Systems Design                 27.5  ..............
                                                     Services.
3....................  561499.....................  All Other Business Support              15.0  ..............
                                                     Services.
4....................  541330.....................  Engineering Services........            15.0  ..............
5....................  511210.....................  Software Publishers.........            38.5  ..............
6....................  541611.....................  Administrative Management               15.0  ..............
                                                     and General Management
                                                     Consulting Services.
7....................  334413.....................  Semiconductor and Related     ..............           1,250
                                                     Device Manufacturing.
8....................  541618.....................  Other Management Consulting             15.0  ..............
                                                     Services.
9....................  541690.....................  Other Scientific and                    15.0  ..............
                                                     Technical Consulting
                                                     Services.
10...................  325412.....................  Pharmaceutical Preparation    ..............           1,250
                                                     Manufacturing.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Source: USCIS analysis based on small business size standards.
Note: The Small Business Administration (SBA) has developed size standards to carry out the purposes of the
  Small Business Act and those size standards can be found in 13 CFR, section 121.201.

    SBA's monetary size standard is based on the average annual 
receipts of the business entity. As discussed previously, DHS has 
determined that the majority of H-1B petitioning employers would be 
classified as ``small'' for purposes of the RFA. However, comparing the 
expected total fee impact of $55.63 on the low-end for every small 
entity (assuming each entity submits approximately five registrations) 
results in a negligible cost impact relative to average annual 
receipts. In fact, for a cost of $55.63, a company would need to have 
annual receipts of only $5,563 for the cost of the registration fee for 
five registrations to equal 1 percent of the annual receipts. If a 
company used an outsourced lawyer to petition for a visa at a cost of 
$70.80 (assuming each entity uses an outsourced attorney to submit five 
registrations) the company would need to have annual receipts of only 
$7,080 for the cost of the fee to equal 1 percent of the annual 
receipts.
    SBA guidance on additional measures to determine whether a rule 
would have a significant impact suggest comparing the compliance cost 
to the labor costs.\29\ In that guidance, SBA states that an impact 
could be significant if the compliance cost ``exceeds 5 percent of the 
labor costs of the entities in that sector.'' \30\ In the annual report 
to Congress on the characteristics of H-1B workers for fiscal year 
2017, USCIS determined the median annual compensation for initial 
employment across all occupations was $75,000.\31\ Furthermore, the 
median annual compensation for initial employment across known 
occupations ranged from a low of $42,000 to a high of $160,000.\32\ 
This final rule is estimated to result in compliance costs that 
represent much less than 5 percent of the H-1B labor costs.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \29\ See U.S. Small Business Administration, A Guide for 
Government Agencies: How to Comply with the Regulatory Flexibility 
Act, The RFA threshold analysis: Can we certify? at Pg. 19, https://www.sba.gov/sites/default/files/advocacy/How-to-Comply-with-the-RFA-WEB.pdf. Visited Apr. 16, 2019.
    \30\ Id.
    \31\ See U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, 
Characteristics of H-1B Specialty Occupation Workers, Fiscal Year 
2017 Annual Report to Congress, at Table 11, https://www.uscis.gov/sites/default/files/reports-studies/Characteristics-of-Specialty-Occupation-Workers-H-1B-Fiscal-Year-2017.pdf. Visited Apr. 16, 2019.
    \32\ Id.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Based on these findings, DHS certifies that while this final rule 
could impact a substantial number of small entities, the impact that 
would arise from the $10 registration fee would not result in a 
significant impact. Therefore, the Secretary certifies that this final 
rule will not cause a significant impact to a substantial number of 
small entities.

C. Other Regulatory Requirements

    This final rule is not a ``major rule'' as defined by the 
Congressional Review Act, 5 U.S.C. 804(2), and thus is not subject to a 
60-day delay in the rule becoming effective. This action is not subject 
to the written statement requirements of the Unfunded Mandates Reform 
Act of 1995 (UMRA) (Pub. L. 104-4). Nor does it require prior 
consultation with State, local, and tribal government officials as 
specified by Executive Order 13132 or 13175. This final rule also does 
not require an Environmental Assessment (EA) or Environmental Impact 
Statement (EIS). 40 CFR 1507.3(b)(2)(ii) and 1508.4. This action would 
not affect the quality of the human environment and fits within 
Categorical Exclusion number A3(d) in Dir. 023-01 Rev. 01, Appendix A, 
Table 1, for rules that interpret or amend an existing regulation 
without changing its environmental effect.

D. Paperwork Reduction Act

    DHS is submitting the information collection requirements in this 
rule to OMB for review and approval in accordance with requirements of 
the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, 44 U.S.C. 3501-3512. DHS and USCIS 
are revising this information collection to report a change in the 
estimated annual cost to the Federal government as a result of this 
final rule. Additionally, the information collection instrument has 
been revised to include language about the new registration fee. The 
notice of proposed rulemaking stated that DHS proposed a revision to 
the USCIS Electronic Fee Payment Processing information collection, 
former OMB Control Number 1651-0131. DHS and USCIS have determined that 
the collection of information related to fee payment processing is 
exempt from the Paperwork Reduction Act and that collection of 
information is not required to be included in this rulemaking.\33\ DHS 
is revising the following USCIS information collection:
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \33\ See https://pra.digital.gov/do-I-need-clearance/ Stating, 
``Doesn't need PRA Clearance: Information for voluntary commercial 
transactions, like payment and delivery details.'')
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

H-1B Registration Tool
    DHS and USCIS are revising this information collection to report a 
change in the estimated annual cost to the Federal government as a 
result of this rule. Additionally, the information collection 
instrument has been revised to include language about the new 
registration fee.

[[Page 60316]]

    Overview of information collection:
    (1) Type of Information Collection: Revision of a Currently 
Approved Collection.
    (2) Title of the Form/Collection: H-1B Registration Tool.
    (3) Agency form number, if any, and the applicable component of the 
DHS sponsoring the collection: No Agency Form Number; USCIS.
    (4) Affected public who will be asked or required to respond, as 
well as a brief abstract: Primary: Business or other for-profit. USCIS 
uses the data collected on this form to determine which employers will 
be informed that they are eligible to submit a USCIS Form I-129, 
Petition for a Nonimmigrant Worker, to petition for a cap-subject 
beneficiary in the H-1B classification.
    (5) An estimate of the total number of respondents and the amount 
of time estimated for an average respondent to respond: The estimated 
total number of respondents for the information collection H-1B 
Registration Tool is 192,918 and the estimated hour burden per response 
is 0.5 hours. Any additional time burden for fee payment processing is 
captured in the information collection USCIS Electronic Fee Payment 
Processing (OMB 1615-0131).
    (6) An estimate of the total public burden (in hours) associated 
with the collection: The total estimated annual hour burden associated 
with this collection is 96,459 hours.
    (7) An estimate of the total public burden (in cost) associated 
with the collection: The estimated total cost burden for purchases of 
equipment or services to achieve compliance with the information 
collection requirements of this rule (not including providing 
information to or keeping records for the government, or kept as part 
of customary and usual business or private practices), are $0.\34\ 
There are no capital, start-up, operational or maintenance costs to 
respondents associated with this collection of information.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \34\ As stated elsewhere in this rule, the annual transfer for 
registrants associated with the proposed $10 fee is $1,929,180.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

List of Subjects in 8 CFR Part 103

    Administrative practice and procedure, Authority delegations 
(Government agencies), Freedom of information, Immigration, Privacy, 
Reporting and recordkeeping requirements.

    Accordingly, DHS is amending chapter I of title 8 of the Code of 
Federal Regulations as follows:

PART 103--IMMIGRATION BENEFITS; BIOMETRIC REQUIREMENTS; 
AVAILABILITY OF RECORDS

0
1. The authority citation for part 103 continues to read as follows:

    Authority: 5 U.S.C. 301, 552, 552a; 8 U.S.C. 1101, 1103, 1304, 
1356, 1356b, 1372; 31 U.S.C. 9701; Pub. L. 107-296, 116 Stat. 2135 
(6 U.S.C. 1 et seq.); E.O. 12356, 47 FR 14874, 15557, 3 CFR, 1982 
Comp., p. 166; 8 CFR part 2; Pub. L. 112-54, 125 Stat 550.



0
2. Section 103.7 is amended by adding paragraph (b)(1)(i)(NNN) to read 
as follows:


Sec.  103.7  Fees.

* * * * *
    (b) * * *
    (1) * * *
    (i) * * *
    (NNN) Registration requirement for petitioners seeking to file H-1B 
petitions on behalf of cap-subject aliens. For each registration 
submitted to register for the H-1B cap or advanced degree exemption 
selection process: $10. This fee will not be refunded if the 
registration is not selected or is withdrawn.
* * * * *

Kevin K. McAleenan,
Acting Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2019-24292 Filed 11-7-19; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 9111-97-P