H‑1B FY2027 Selection Done
USCIS says the FY2027 H‑1B initial registration selection process is complete and notifications are rolling out — no more lottery uploads this round (possible extra round in July). The agency’s organizational‑account features and new procedural changes mean firms should now focus on petition prep and compliance for selected registrants. (uscis.gov)
The FY‑2027 electronic registration window ran from 12:00 p.m. Eastern on March 4, 2026 through 12:00 p.m. Eastern on March 19, 2026, and USCIS required a $215 registration fee per beneficiary. (uscis.gov) DHS published a final rule effective Feb. 27, 2026 that implements a wage‑weighted selection system tied to DOL prevailing‑wage levels; the final rule was published in the Federal Register on Dec. 29, 2025. (federalregister.gov) (uscis.gov) Under the new weighting, registrations tied to a Level IV prevailing wage receive four entries, Level III three entries, Level II two entries, and Level I one entry, and registrants were required to indicate the highest OEWS wage level that the proffered wage meets or exceeds during registration. (fragomen.com) (uscis.gov) USCIS and legal‑service trackers note the statutory H‑1B allocation remains 85,000 total visas for FY‑2027, broken into 65,000 regular cap numbers and 20,000 for the advanced‑degree exemption (master’s cap). (uscis.gov) (bipc.com) Selected registrants should be prepared to file petitions in the April 1–June 30, 2026 filing window using the new Form I‑129 edition dated 02/27/2026 (USCIS will reject older editions beginning April 1, 2026), and petition packets must include the Registration Selection Notice and the passport or travel document used at registration. (uscis.gov) (uscis.gov) USCIS has historically run additional selection draws later in the cap season when needed — for example, a second random selection for FY‑2025 was completed in August 2024 — establishing a precedent for potential later draws if numbers require it. (uscis.gov)
