The H-1B visa registration process for fiscal year 2027 has began. The initial registration window opened at noon Eastern Time on March 4, 2026 and will close at noon Eastern Time on March 19, 2026.
During this period, employers who want to sponsor foreign workers for H-1B visas must submit electronic registrations through the USCIS online system. Because the number of applications usually exceeds the available visas and USCIS conducts a selection process to decide which registrations can move forward.
Here are seven important things to know about the H-1B 2027 registration season:
Registration dates
The H-1B registration window opened at noon ET on March 4, 2026 and will close at noon ET on March 19, 2026.
Employers must submit registrations during this period if they want their candidates to be considered for the H-1B lottery.
Registration fee
The registration fee remains $215 per application which is the same as last year.
Employers must pay this fee when submitting each beneficiary’s registration through the USCIS online system only.
Selection results timeline
After the registration window closes on March 19 and after that USCIS will begin the selection process.
The agency plans to notify selected registrants by March 31, 2026 through their USCIS online accounts.
Number of H-1B visas available
Each fiscal year, the US government issues 85,000 H-1B visas under the annual cap:
- 65,000 visas for specialty occupations that require at least a bachelor’s degree in a specific field.
- 20,000 additional visas for applicants who have earned a master’s degree or higher from a US university.
USCIS uses a lottery system to allocate the visas because demand is usually higher than the available visas.
New weighted selection system
For the first time, the FY 2027 cap season will use a weighted selection process.
The rule was finalized in December 2025 which aims to prioritize higher-paid and higher-skilled workers during the H-1B selection process.
According to USCIS, “For the FY 2027 H-1B cap season, if we receive registrations for unique beneficiaries during the initial registration period that exceed the cap, we will conduct a weighted selection from the unique beneficiaries with properly submitted registrations. If we do not receive registrations for enough unique beneficiaries, we will select all registrations for unique beneficiaries that were properly submitted in the initial registration period.”
Online registration requirement
Employers must submit registrations through USCIS online accounts.
Companies that do not already have an account must create an organizational account before submitting registrations.
Possible $100,000 additional fee
A new rule was also introduced under Presidential Proclamation No. 10973 which was issued on September 19, 2025. The new rule may require certain petitioners to pay an additional $100,000 fee if their registration is selected.
The announcement states that, “If a petitioner has their registration selected and is eligible to file an H-1B cap-subject petition, they may need to pay an additional $100,000 fee before filing the H-1B petition as a condition of eligibility.”
