The H-1B visa registration process for fiscal year 2027 has begun, with the initial registration window open from March 4 to March 19, 2026.
Employers must submit electronic registrations through the USCIS online system, as the number of applications usually exceeds the available visas and USCIS conducts a selection process.
The registration fee remains $215 per application, and employers must pay this fee when submitting each beneficiary's registration.
After the registration window closes, USCIS will begin the selection process and notify selected registrants by March 31, 2026, through their USCIS online accounts.
Each fiscal year, the US government issues 85,000 H-1B visas under the annual cap, with 65,000 visas for specialty occupations and 20,000 additional visas for applicants with a master's degree or higher from a US university.
For the first time, the FY 2027 cap season will use a weighted selection process, prioritizing higher-paid and higher-skilled workers during the H-1B selection process.
Employers must submit registrations through USCIS online accounts, and companies without an account must create an organizational account before submitting registrations.
A new rule may require certain petitioners to pay an additional $100,000 fee if their registration is selected.
