Fiscal Year 2027 H-1B Cap Lottery: What Employers Should Know (Quick Guide)

USCIS is expected to open the FY 2027 H-1B cap registration on March 4, 2026, and it will run through noon Eastern Time on March 19, 2026. Given the short registration window, it is smart to start preparing now.

1) Registration and fee

• Registration is completed online through myUSCIS.gov.

• You must submit one electronic registration for each employee you want to enter.

• The registration fee is $215 per employee and is nonrefundable.

• The fee must be paid online through pay.gov.

• This $215 fee is separate from the government filing fees you may pay later if the employee is selected and you file an H-1B petition.

If you plan to use immigration counsel, set up your account and internal approval/payment process in advance so you can move quickly once registration opens.

2) Information you should gather now

Be ready to provide:

• Company name, FEIN, and address
• Company contact information (and attorney information, if using counsel)
• Employee's full name, date of birth, country of birth, country of citizenship, gender, and passport number
• Whether the employee has a U.S. master's degree (for the master's cap)
• Wage level for the offered position (Levels I–IV). If you are unsure, schedule time with a Fennemore immigration attorney.

3) What is changing about the lottery

• Wage-based selection: USCIS has announced a plan to give higher selection odds to registrations with higher wage levels (Level IV more likely than Level I). This could reduce the "purely random" nature of selection.
• One entry per person: USCIS uses a beneficiary-based selection system. That means an employee should only be counted once in the lottery, even if more than one employer submits a registration for that person. If multiple employers submit registrations for the same beneficiary, the beneficiary will be entered based on the corresponding lowest weighted OEWS level submitted among those registrations

4) Practical reminders

• Accuracy matters. Incorrect information or problems with fee payment can create serious issues later.
• Start dates: If selected, petitions may request an employment start date on or after October 1, as long as the requested start date is within six months of filing.

Next steps

Identify potential H-1B candidates now, confirm passport details, confirm job title and worksite location, and start wage level review. Our team can help you assess candidates, prepare registrations, and plan options if an employee is not selected.

Review our separate alert on the new $100,000 fee that applies to certain H-1B petitions here.

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.