USCIS rolls out H‑1B overhaul
USCIS finalized cap selections and introduced a wage‑based H‑1B selection system effective April 2026, prioritizing higher salaries and advanced skills and increasing filing scrutiny. The quota has already been filled and employers and applicants face higher costs and stricter form requirements going forward. (thehindu.com (timesofindia.indiatimes.com))
The Department of Homeland Security published a final rule in the Federal Register on Dec. 29, 2025, and set the rule’s effective date as Feb. 27, 2026, formally changing how USCIS selects H‑1B registrations for the FY‑2027 season. (federalregister.gov) Under the final rule, USCIS assigns multiple entries to a single registrant based on the Department of Labor OEWS wage level that the offered wage meets or exceeds—Level IV registrants receive 4 entries, Level III receive 3, Level II receive 2, and Level I receive 1. (gtlaw.com) The FY‑2027 electronic registration window opened at 12:00 p.m. Eastern on March 4, 2026, and closed at 12:00 p.m. Eastern on March 19, 2026, per USCIS scheduling. (uscis.gov) USCIS completed the FY‑2027 selection process and began notifying sponsoring employers by March 31, 2026, and selected petitioners may file cap‑subject H‑1B petitions during the filing window that starts April 1, 2026 and runs for at least 90 days (through June 30, 2026). (fragomen.com) USCIS published a new edition of Form I‑129 dated 02/27/2026 and will reject filings submitted on the prior 01/20/25 edition if received on or after April 1, 2026, with the new form adding more granular position and wage‑level disclosure fields. (uscis.gov) A Presidential Proclamation issued Sept. 19, 2025 requires an additional $100,000 payment for certain new H‑1B petitions filed on or after 12:01 a.m. EDT on Sept. 21, 2025, and USCIS subsequently issued guidance specifying how and when that supplemental payment must be submitted or documented. (whitehouse.gov) USCIS has not disclosed the total number of FY‑2027 registrations, and outside estimates reported in industry outlets put the registration volume at roughly 200,000–220,000 unique registrations for the season. (fragomen.com)
