USCIS Reaches Fiscal Year 2027 H-1B Cap

On July 17, 2026, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced that it has received enough petitions to reach the congressionally mandated 65,000 H-1B visa regular cap, along with the 20,000 advanced degree exemption known as the master's cap, for fiscal year (FY) 2027. This exemption is reserved for individuals who hold a U.S. master's degree or higher. With this year's cap now met, USCIS will not conduct any further rounds of the H-1B cap registration selection process.

Registrants can log into their online accounts to check the status of their submissions. Petitioners whose beneficiaries were selected earlier this year had the opportunity to file H-1B cap-subject petitions during the filing window that ran from April 1, 2026, through June 30, 2026.

This year's selection process also marked a notable shift from prior cycles. Starting FY 2027, USCIS implemented a new weighted selection process that gives greater weight to higher skilled and higher paid beneficiaries, while still preserving opportunities for employers hiring at all wage levels. Petitioners who filed based on selection should include a copy of their selection notice with the petition and continue to monitor their case status as USCIS processes and adjudicates these filings.

For registrations that were not selected, petitioners can expect their online accounts to be updated in the coming weeks, reflecting that the registration is not eligible to move forward for FY 2027. USCIS will continue to accept and process H-1B petitions that fall outside the cap, including extensions of stay for current H-1B workers, amendments, change of employer petitions, and change of status petitions filed by cap exempt petitioners.

For those whose beneficiaries were not selected this year, or if you have any questions about your case or the H-1B process generally, we encourage employers to reach out to our office. Our experienced attorneys at Pasricha & Patel can help review your situation and explore potential alternatives.