H‑1B lottery emails begin
USCIS began sending email notifications for H‑1B lottery selections on March 28, with practitioners noting random employer uploads and roughly 12% selection rates across caps. The activity came even as other USCIS adjudication pauses persist. (x.com)
USCIS has told stakeholders it intends to post all H‑1B registration selection notices to petitioner myUSCIS organizational accounts by March 31, 2026. (visapro.com)) Selection notices are uploaded to the petitioner or representative myUSCIS account only, and account holders may receive email or SMS alerts when new activity appears rather than beneficiaries receiving direct selection emails. (legalclarity.org)) The Department of Homeland Security’s final rule implementing wage‑weighted selection took effect on Feb. 27, 2026 and assigns multiple entries by OEWS wage level (Level IV=4, Level III=3, Level II=2, Level I=1). (tryalma.com)) Industry trackers and press reporting indicate registration volume declined sharply this season, with estimates of roughly a 30–50% drop in filings compared with the prior year, concentrating selection probability toward higher‑wage registrations. (hindustantimes.com)) A $100,000 supplemental fee for certain new H‑1B petitions filed after Sept. 21, 2025 remains in effect and has been cited by employers and counsel as a material factor changing filing behavior this cap season. (experian.com)) Petitioners whose registrations are selected may begin filing cap‑subject Form I‑129 petitions starting April 1, 2026 and must include the selection notice and evidence matching the registration data; USCIS establishes a filing period of at least 90 days for selected beneficiaries. (uscis.gov)) Immigration practices report actively monitoring organizational accounts for unexpected or duplicative registrations, verifying petitioner names and beneficiary passport numbers, and aligning LCA wage levels with registration wage entries to reduce risk of USCIS scrutiny under the new wage‑level rules. (marksgray.com))
