USCIS Announces FY2027 H-1B Cap Initial Registration: Know The Revised Rules in Detail

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has officially opened the FY2027 H-1B cap initial registration period, which remains an important update for employers, foreign professionals, and immigration stakeholders. The registration window will run from March 4, 2026, to March 19, 2026, with selection notices expected to be sent by March 31, 2026, through users’ online accounts. This announcement represents not just a new timeline but a series of revised rules that could affect how employees and employers plan for the coveted H-1B Visa season.

Understanding the FY2027 H-1B registration process

The H-1B visa cap is a numerically limited program that allows U.S. employers to sponsor highly skilled foreign workers for temporary specialty occupation work. Each year, 65,000 visas are available under the regular cap, and an additional 20,000 are reserved for applicants holding U.S. advanced degrees (the “master’s cap”).

For FY2027, prospective petitioners and their representatives must complete an online registration using a USCIS account and pay the $215 registration fee per beneficiary. Only those beneficiaries whose registrations are selected will be eligible to file full H-1B cap-subject petitions. USCIS has also emphasized the need for organizational accounts for larger employers or representatives managing multiple registrations.

Moreover, if the registrations for unique beneficiaries exceed the cap, USCIS argued that it will then resort to a weighted selection among the properly submitted registrations. On the other hand, if USCIS does not receive enough registrations to meet the cap, all properly filed registrations will be selected.

What’s new for FY2027? Key revisions you must know

Weighted selection system

One of the most significant changes for the 2027 cycle is the use of a weighted selection process instead of a pure random lottery. Under this system, employers offering higher wages or workers with advanced qualifications may receive more “entries” or selection chances, giving them priority in the cap allocation. This rule was finalized as part of a broader overhaul aimed at prioritizing high-skill, high-wage talent.

While the overall quota remains the same, this weighted approach could shift the dynamics of H-1B selection and reward employers with higher wage offers.

Integrity and compliance measures

USCIS has also strengthened its fraud prevention and integrity provisions in recent years, including requiring valid passport data for each beneficiary. The agency has also limited registrations to one per unique individual, and tightened requirements for employment start dates and attestations. These measures were introduced beginning in FY2025 and continued through FY2026.

Fee changes and broader policy context

Aside from registration, according to the proclamation of President Trump, if an H-1B registration is selected and the petitioner becomes eligible to file an H-1B cap-subject petition, they may need to pay the $100,000 fee before filing the petition.

Although these policies do not directly pertain to the electronic registration itself, they illustrate the evolving backdrop against which the FY2027 H-1B cap is operating.

At GCEB1, our EB-1A experts are a major proponent of staying informed with knowledge and all the policy changes in the immigration landscape. Our blogs are a great resource to tap into the diverging trends and policy changes in the U.S. landscape from one place. If you need further personalized suggestions on immigration or want to tap into the potential of transitioning from H-1B to EB-1A, get in touch with us directly.

Source

https://www.uscis.gov/newsroom/alerts/fy-2027-h-1b-cap-initial-registration-period-opens-on-march-4