USCIS registrations fall 38.5%

USCIS closed the initial FY2027 H-1B selection process on March 31 after receiving enough registrations to fill the annual cap, the agency said. Separate reporting citing USCIS figures said registrations fell to 211,600 from 343,981 in the prior cycle, a 38.5% drop. (uscis.gov) USCIS has not, in the alert announcing the completed selection process, published the full registration count on the page itself, but it said all selected registrants were notified through online accounts and could begin filing petitions on April 1. (uscis.gov) Meta layoffs reported this week put a second pressure point into view for visa-dependent workers: the clock that starts after a job ends. (uscis.gov) USCIS says certain nonimmigrant workers, including H-1B holders, may have an “up to 60-day” grace period after termination to find another employer to file on their behalf, change status, adjust status if eligible, or leave the United States. India Today, citing Meta’s latest cuts, reported that visa-sponsored employees were among those affected. ### Why did the H-1B registration pool get smaller this year? USCIS changed the FY2027 selection system before the March registration window opened. The agency said on January 30 that the registration period would run from March 4 to March 19 and that a new weighted selection process would favor higher-skilled and higher-paid applicants while still allowing employers to register workers at all wage levels. (uscis.gov) The registration fee also rose to $215 per beneficiary for FY2027, according to USCIS. That was a sharp increase from the older $10 registration fee described in USCIS’s earlier webinar materials, and it raised the cost of entering large numbers of candidates into the system. (uscis.gov) ### What does the USCIS rule actually change? The Department of Homeland Security’s final rule took effect on February 27, 2026, and USCIS said it would govern the FY2027 cap season. The agency said the weighted process would prioritize higher wage levels rather than rely solely on a random selection among unique beneficiaries once registrations exceeded the cap. (uscis.gov) USCIS also said selected petitioners must submit evidence supporting the wage level chosen at registration and use the 02/27/26 edition of Form I-129. The filing window for cap-subject petitions opened April 1 and must remain open for at least 90 days, the agency said. (uscis.gov) ### What happens when an H-1B worker is laid off? USCIS says a laid-off nonimmigrant worker does not automatically have to leave immediately. The agency lists four main paths during the grace period: a change-of-employer filing, a change of status application, an adjustment of status filing if eligible, or an application for a “compelling circumstances” employment authorization document. (uscis.gov) The deadline is not unlimited. USCIS says that if no qualifying action is taken within the up-to-60-day grace period, the worker and dependents may need to depart within 60 days or by the end of the authorized validity period, whichever is shorter. (uscis.gov) ### Why does the Meta episode matter beyond one company? India Today reported on May 21 that Meta’s latest layoffs hit visa-sponsored employees and quoted CEO Mark Zuckerberg telling affected workers, “We know this is especially difficult.” An older Meta layoff message published by the company in 2022 used similar language and said there would be “some visa grace periods,” underscoring that immigration status can become a central issue when a job disappears. (uscis.gov) The H-1B program remains a major hiring channel for U.S. employers in specialty occupations including engineering, mathematics, medicine, business and law, according to USCIS. (uscis.gov) But the FY2027 season combined a smaller registration pool with a more selective wage-weighted process and a higher upfront fee. ### What should employers and workers watch next? April 1, 2026 was the opening date for FY2027 cap-subject petition filings, and USCIS said only petitioners with selected beneficiaries may file. USCIS online accounts continue to show selection status, and employers must file within the period listed on the selection notice using the required Form I-129 edition and supporting wage evidence. (indiatoday.in) (uscis.gov 1) (uscis.gov 2)