H-1B registration FY27 to begin March 4: USCIS fixes a $215 fee; Key dates, what employers must do now
The agency said prospective H-1B cap-subject petitioners and representatives must register each beneficiary electronically through a USCIS online account
- Feb 1, 2026,
- Updated Feb 1, 2026 6:02 PM IST
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has set the clock running for the FY 2027 H-1B cap season, announcing that the initial registration window will open at noon Eastern on March 4 and close at noon Eastern on March 19, 2026.
The agency said prospective H-1B cap-subject petitioners and representatives must register each beneficiary electronically through a USCIS online account and pay the associated $215 H-1B registration fee for each registration.
USCIS clarified that employers who intend to file H-1B petitions but do not yet have an online account will need to create an organisational account. Representatives can add company clients to their accounts at any time, but both representatives and employers must wait until March 4 to enter beneficiary information and submit registrations along with the $215 fee.
Selections will take place after the initial registration period closes, with USCIS saying it intends to send selection notifications by March 31, 2026, through users’ USCIS online accounts to prospective petitioners and representatives who have at least one registration selected.
The agency underlined that an employer can only file an H-1B cap-subject petition, including for beneficiaries eligible for the advanced degree exemption, if the registration was selected through the H-1B registration process.
USCIS added that further details on electronic registration are available on the H-1B Electronic Registration Process page and said it will update the page before the registration period.
What’s new in the FY 2027 H-1B cap season
The Department of Homeland Security has published a final rule amending the regulations that govern how USCIS selects H-1B registrations for unique beneficiaries who can then file cap-subject petitions.
“The new H-1B selection process prioritises allocating visas to higher-skilled and higher-paid aliens to better protect the wages, working conditions, and job opportunities of American workers,” the USCIS update said.
For the FY 2027 cap season, USCIS said that if registrations for unique beneficiaries exceed the cap during the initial registration period, it will conduct a weighted selection from the unique beneficiaries with properly submitted registrations. If registrations do not exceed the cap, the agency said it will select all properly submitted registrations for unique beneficiaries.
Trump proclamation and potential $100,000 fee
USCIS also flagged an additional condition that could apply after selection. It pointed to a September 19, 2025 proclamation issued by President Donald Trump titled Restriction on Entry of Certain Nonimmigrant Workers, calling it “an important initial step to reform the H-1B nonimmigrant visa program.”
While USCIS said the proclamation does not directly impact the electronic registration process, it added that if a petitioner has their registration selected and is eligible to file an H-1B cap-subject petition, “they may need to pay an additional $100,000 fee before filing the H-1B petition as a condition of eligibility.”
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has set the clock running for the FY 2027 H-1B cap season, announcing that the initial registration window will open at noon Eastern on March 4 and close at noon Eastern on March 19, 2026.
The agency said prospective H-1B cap-subject petitioners and representatives must register each beneficiary electronically through a USCIS online account and pay the associated $215 H-1B registration fee for each registration.
USCIS clarified that employers who intend to file H-1B petitions but do not yet have an online account will need to create an organisational account. Representatives can add company clients to their accounts at any time, but both representatives and employers must wait until March 4 to enter beneficiary information and submit registrations along with the $215 fee.
Selections will take place after the initial registration period closes, with USCIS saying it intends to send selection notifications by March 31, 2026, through users’ USCIS online accounts to prospective petitioners and representatives who have at least one registration selected.
The agency underlined that an employer can only file an H-1B cap-subject petition, including for beneficiaries eligible for the advanced degree exemption, if the registration was selected through the H-1B registration process.
USCIS added that further details on electronic registration are available on the H-1B Electronic Registration Process page and said it will update the page before the registration period.
What’s new in the FY 2027 H-1B cap season
The Department of Homeland Security has published a final rule amending the regulations that govern how USCIS selects H-1B registrations for unique beneficiaries who can then file cap-subject petitions.
“The new H-1B selection process prioritises allocating visas to higher-skilled and higher-paid aliens to better protect the wages, working conditions, and job opportunities of American workers,” the USCIS update said.
For the FY 2027 cap season, USCIS said that if registrations for unique beneficiaries exceed the cap during the initial registration period, it will conduct a weighted selection from the unique beneficiaries with properly submitted registrations. If registrations do not exceed the cap, the agency said it will select all properly submitted registrations for unique beneficiaries.
Trump proclamation and potential $100,000 fee
USCIS also flagged an additional condition that could apply after selection. It pointed to a September 19, 2025 proclamation issued by President Donald Trump titled Restriction on Entry of Certain Nonimmigrant Workers, calling it “an important initial step to reform the H-1B nonimmigrant visa program.”
While USCIS said the proclamation does not directly impact the electronic registration process, it added that if a petitioner has their registration selected and is eligible to file an H-1B cap-subject petition, “they may need to pay an additional $100,000 fee before filing the H-1B petition as a condition of eligibility.”