🚨 FY 2027 H-1B Lottery Selection Is Currently Underway
Live Update — March 2026: USCIS has begun selecting registrations for the FY 2027 H-1B cap. Employers are actively receiving selection notices. If you submitted a registration between March 4–19, 2026, check your USCIS online account now.
FY 2027 Registration Window — Closed
The initial registration period for the fiscal year 2027 H-1B cap ran from noon Eastern on March 4, 2026 through 5:00 p.m. Eastern on March 19, 2026.
During this window, prospective petitioners and their representatives used a USCIS online account to:
- Electronically register each beneficiary for the selection process
- Pay the $215 H-1B registration fee per registration
Historical Registration & Selection Data (FY 2021–2026)
The table below shows how registrations and selections have trended across the last six cap seasons. This context is critical for understanding FY 2027 competitiveness.
| Cap Year | Total Registrations | Eligible Registrations | Unique Beneficiaries (Single Registration) | Beneficiaries with Multiple Registrations | Selected |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY 2021 | 274,237 | 269,424 | 241,299 | 28,125 | 124,415 |
| FY 2022 | 308,613 | 301,447 | 211,304 | 90,143 | 131,924 |
| FY 2023 | 483,927 | 474,421 | 309,241 | 165,180 | 127,600 |
| FY 2024 | 780,884 | 758,994 | 350,103 | 408,891 | 188,400 |
| FY 2025 | 479,953 | 470,342 | 423,028 | 47,314 | 135,137 |
| FY 2026 | 358,737 | 343,981 | 336,153 | 7,828 | 120,141 |
| FY 2027 | Selection underway | — | — | — | — |
Eligible registrations exclude: duplicate registrations, registrations deleted by the employer before the period closed, those denied for invalid passport/travel document information, and those with failed payments.
What the Trend Tells Us
| Observation | Detail |
|---|---|
| Peak volume | FY 2024 hit an all-time high of 780,884 total registrations — nearly 3× FY 2021 |
| Multiple-registration abuse | FY 2024 had 408,891 beneficiaries with multiple registrations — the primary driver behind the new weighted rule |
| Rule takes effect | FY 2025 saw a sharp drop to 479,953 after USCIS signaled reform; FY 2026 dropped further to 358,737 |
| Single-registration dominance in FY 2026 | 336,153 of 343,981 eligible registrations (97.7%) were for unique beneficiaries — the weighted rule is already reshaping behavior |
| Selection rate FY 2026 | 120,141 selected out of 343,981 eligible ≈ 34.9% selection rate |
| FY 2027 outlook | With the weighted lottery now fully enforced, lower overall volume is expected, but selection odds for higher-wage beneficiaries improve significantly |
New Weighted Selection Rule (Effective Feb. 27, 2026)
On December 23, 2024, DHS announced a final rule amending the H-1B cap registration selection process:
| What Changed | Details |
|---|---|
| Selection method | Weighted lottery — higher OEWS wage levels get priority |
| Effective date | February 27, 2026 |
| First applicable cap | FY 2027 H-1B cap season |
| Goal | Favor higher-skilled, higher-paid beneficiaries while maintaining opportunity at all wage levels |
How Wage-Level Weighting Works
Registrants must provide the highest OEWS (Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics) wage level that the beneficiary's proffered wage equals or exceeds for the relevant SOC code and area of intended employment.
OEWS Wage Levels (selection weight, low → high):
- Level I — Entry
- Level II — Qualified
- Level III — Experienced
- Level IV — Fully Competent ← highest selection weight
How the Electronic Registration Process Works
- Create / log into your USCIS online account at myaccount.uscis.gov
- Register each beneficiary during the open registration window
- Pay $215 per registration at time of submission
- Wait for selections — USCIS runs the weighted lottery after the registration period closes
- Receive a selection notice — only registrants whose beneficiary is selected may file an H-1B cap-subject petition
- File the petition within the window specified in the selection notice
You do not need to register on the first day. Selections happen after the period closes — there is no advantage to registering early versus any other day within the window.
Key Dates — FY 2027 H-1B Cap
| Milestone | Date / Status |
|---|---|
| Registration period opens | March 4, 2026 at noon ET |
| Registration period closes | March 19, 2026 at 5:00 pm ET ✅ |
| Weighted selection rule effective | February 27, 2026 ✅ |
| Lottery selections | 🔄 Underway — employers receiving notices now |
| Petition filing window | After selection notice received |
Work Visa Insights Data Context
Based on historical H-1B data in our platform:
- Top wage-level filers — Technology companies (Google, Microsoft, Amazon, Meta) consistently file at Level III–IV, positioning them well under the weighted selection model
- Consulting firms — Many staffing and consulting firms file at Level I–II, which receive lower selection weight under FY 2027 rules
- FY 2024 registration surge — The 780K spike was driven by consulting firms submitting multiple registrations per beneficiary. The new rule directly targets this practice
- FY 2026 data signal — The collapse of multi-registrations (from 408K in FY 2024 to just 7,828 in FY 2026) confirms the weighted rule is already working as intended
- Advanced degree exemption — The 20,000-slot master's cap pool remains; eligible beneficiaries are entered into both pools
Use the H-1B Intelligence dashboard on Work Visa Insights to explore wage level distributions by employer, SOC code, and year — and model your competitiveness under the weighted selection system.
Source
Official source: USCIS — H-1B Electronic Registration Process
Historical registration data sourced directly from USCIS published cap statistics.