The fiscal year 2027 H-1B cap initial registration period will open at 12 p.m. (EST) on Wednesday, March 4, 2026, and run through 12 p.m. (EST) Thursday, March 19, 2026, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced.
During this period, prospective H-1B cap-subject petitioners and representatives must use a USCIS online account to electronically register each beneficiary for the selection process and pay the associated $215 H-1B registration fee for each registration.
An online USCIS organizational account is required to register beneficiaries, and employers petitioning on behalf of a registrant may add them to their accounts at any time. However, both representatives and employers must wait until March 4 to enter beneficiary information and submit registrations, along with the required $215 fee.
Selections will take place after the initial registration period closes. By March 31, 2026, the USCIS intends to notify prospective petitioners and representatives with at least one selected registration through their USCIS account. Petitioners and their representatives can only file a H-1B cap-subject petition if they receive a selection notice for the petition beneficiary.
The H-1B process allows U.S. employers to hire a set number of skilled foreign professionals when qualified U.S. workers are unavailable. Congress sets the current annual regular cap at 65,000 for applicants with bachelor’s degrees or equivalent. Of those visas, 6,800 are reserved for applicants from Chile and Singapore. An additional 20,000 H-1B visas are set aside for beneficiaries who have earned a U.S. master’s degree or higher.
As previously reported, for FY 2027, the USCIS is switching to a new weighted lottery selection process, which weights registrant entries differently based on wage levels. Higher wage levels will receive multiple entries into the selection pool while lower wage levels will receive fewer, which increases the odds in favor of higher skilled and higher paid workers.
Additionally, on September 29, 2025, President Trump issued a proclamation requiring employers to pay a $100,000 fee before filing their H-1B petition. The USCIS later issued a memorandum and an updated H-1B FAQ confirming the new fee requirement. Several lawsuits challenging the fee remain pending. Employers should consult with legal counsel to determine whether the new fee applies to their petitions.
The USCIS H-1B Electronic Registration Process has additional resources and frequently asked questions.
Katie Culliton, Senior Editor, CalChamber
CalChamber members can read more about the H-1B Visa in the HR Library. Not a member? Learn how to power your business with a CalChamber membership.
