USCIS Announces FY 2027 H-1B Cap Registration Period

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has announced the electronic registration dates for the Fiscal Year (FY) 2027 H-1B cap lottery. The registration window will open at noon ET on March 4, 2026, and close at noon ET on March 19, 2026.

Updates for this year's lottery

As discussed in our previous client alert, this year's H-1B cap registration selection process will shift from a random lottery to a weighted selection process based on a beneficiary's proposed salary and the prevailing wage level into which the offered salary falls, increasing the chance of selection of employees paid at higher wage levels. This process requires employers to indicate the relevant Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) code, area(s) of intended employment (i.e., worksite(s)), and highest OEWS wage level that a beneficiary's proffered wage equals or exceeds for each H-1B registration they submit. Accordingly, we will need the following information and materials in order to properly assess and complete each registration:

• proposed salary (as of October 1, 2026);
• worksite(s);
• detailed job description for the proposed role;
• resume, diploma(s), and transcript(s); and
• passport biographic page.

It will also be critical to confirm that each beneficiary is currently maintaining valid nonimmigrant status in the U.S. and will continue to maintain valid status during the H-1B filing and adjudication process. In order to avoid the new $100,000 H-1B super fee, the beneficiary's H-1B cap petition must be approved as a change of status within the U.S. Any H-1B petition filed for a beneficiary who is not currently in the U.S., or who is in the U.S. but not maintaining valid nonimmigrant status, could only be approved for consular notification and would therefore be subject to the new $100,000 H-1B fee.

Lottery registrations and selections

Following the registration period, USCIS will select more than 85,000 entries and invite those petitioners to submit a full H-1B petition filing (including all filing fees) within the period of at least 90 days specified in the case selection notice. The reason that USCIS selects more entries than the 85,000 available H-1B numbers (including 20,000 for U.S. Master's degree holders) is to ensure that cases that are denied or not pursued do not prevent the 85,000 cap from being reached. If USCIS believes that more H-1B filings are needed in order to reach the 85,000 available numbers, it can make additional rounds of selections (subsequent to the March lottery).

This year's registration period will use the same beneficiary-centric selection process that was launched in FY 2025, which requires that we provide a valid passport or a valid travel document. The passport or travel document provided must be the one the beneficiary, if or when abroad, intends to use to enter the United States if issued an H-1B visa. Each beneficiary must be registered under only one passport or travel document.

USCIS will also continue to administer the online electronic registration process through its MyUSCIS portal. USCIS has provided information and resources on organizational accounts, including step-by-step videos, on its Organizational Accounts Frequently Asked Questions page. This page will be updated with FY 2027 information before the start of the initial registration period. The government registration fee remains $215 per registration.

USCIS announced that the initial selection process will be completed by March 31, 2026. USCIS will then notify organizations as to which foreign nationals have been selected via the MyUSCIS portal. These notifications will also provide a 90-day period in which H-1B petitions for the selected individuals must be prepared and filed. However, candidates who need a cap gap extension of their F-1 OPT/STEM OPT EAD cards must have H-1B petitions filed for them before their EAD cards expire.

Master's cap

To be eligible for the Master's cap (which will also be subject to the new weighted selection process), an individual must earn a U.S. Master's (or more advanced) degree no later than the last (89th) day of the period allotted for the filing (due on day 90) of the H-1B petition following lottery selections. This means that if an individual has not yet earned their U.S. Master's (or more advanced) degree but will earn it within 89 days following April 1, 2026, he or she may be eligible for the Master's cap.

Next steps

Please review your employment needs now to determine whether you wish to sponsor any of your current or prospective employees for H-1B status. This includes those professionals already employed by you in F-1 Optional Practical Training (OPT), F-1 STEM OPT, F-1 CPT, E-3, TN, J-1/J-2, or L-1A/L-1B status, and any other individuals you may wish to bring on board as of October 1, 2026. You may also consider submitting an H-1B registration for current employees who are already working for you based on their dependent status (H-4 EAD, L-2S, E-2S, E-3S, etc.).

The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.