FY 2027 H-1B Cap Registration Opens March 4 with New Wage-Weighted Lottery System
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) opened the FY 2027 H-1B cap electronic registration window on March 4, 2026, at 12:00 p.m. ET. The registration period will remain open through March 19, 2026, at 12:00 p.m. ET. This season marks the debut of a landmark change: a wage-weighted lottery selection system that replaces the previous purely random selection process.
Under the new framework, established by a DHS final rule effective February 27, 2026, USCIS will conduct a weighted selection among properly submitted registrations based on the highest Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) wage level that the beneficiary's proffered wage equals or exceeds. In practical terms, registrations for workers offered higher wages—relative to the prevailing wage for their occupation and location—will have a statistically greater chance of being selected in the lottery.
Additional changes for FY 2027 include a $215 non-refundable registration fee per beneficiary (introduced in FY 2026), a requirement to provide passport information for each beneficiary, and a consistency rule requiring that the same passport be used throughout the H-1B petition process. USCIS has also indicated it may impose a $100,000 fee at the H-1B petition stage for certain filings, though this remains under regulatory review.
During the FY 2026 registration season, the total number of eligible unique beneficiaries fell to approximately 339,000—down from 442,000 in FY 2025—suggesting the prior fee requirement significantly reduced speculative filings. Employers and their legal counsel should ensure all registrations are submitted before the March 19 deadline.