H‑1B registration window closing March 19
The FY2026 H‑1B cap registration window closes on March 19 — and it's the last pre‑overhaul lottery before a 2027 wage‑weighted system reshapes selection priorities explained. Employers and counsel are scrambling to register candidates now as regulators move toward a system that will favor higher wages next year.
USCIS set the FY2027 H‑1B electronic registration window to open at 12:00 p.m. Eastern on March 4 and close at 12:00 p.m. Eastern on March 19, 2026 (uscis.gov). The Department of Homeland Security published a final rule establishing a wage‑level weighted selection process that is effective February 27, 2026, putting the upcoming March registration under the new weighted framework rather than a last pre‑overhaul lottery (federalregister.gov). USCIS requires a $215 non‑refundable registration fee per beneficiary for the cap season, a jump from prior years’ $10 fee that Treasury accommodated by temporarily raising the daily credit‑card transaction limit to $99,999.99 for this season (uscis.gov). The electronic registration now asks petitioners to provide the beneficiary’s highest DOL OES wage level for the offered role, the SOC code, and the worksite location — data points the weighted algorithm will use to prioritize higher‑wage entries (cilawgroup.com). USCIS is expected to complete selection notifications by March 31, 2026, and to permit filing of selected cap‑subject petitions beginning April 1 through the statutory filing window (typically into late June); employers should therefore have petitions drafted and supporting evidence ready before selections are released (gtlaw.com). DHS’s final rule explicitly gives greater odds to higher prevailing‑wage levels (DOL Level III/IV), meaning employers can materially affect selection probability by documenting an accurate, higher wage level in registration data rather than submitting multiple registrations for the same beneficiary (fragomen.com). Law‑firm business tactics tied to the deadline: create a timed “H‑1B readiness” package (organizational‑account setup, wage‑level audit, SOC/wage mapping, and registration submission) marketed to in‑house counsel and HR with clear deadlines (registration closes March 19; selections by March 31) to convert employer prospects into paying clients before petitions open (uscis.gov).
