The US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) confirmed on July 17 that the H-1B visa cap for FY2027 has been reached, closing the door on any second lottery round for the fiscal year and leaving thousands of unselected registrants, a large share of them Indian professionals, to wait until the FY2028 cycle opens next spring.
USCIS said it had received enough petitions to fill both the 65,000 regular cap and the 20,000 slots reserved under the US advanced-degree exemption, commonly called the master’s cap, bringing the total allocation to 85,000 visas for the fiscal year beginning October 1, 2026. Because the statutory cap was met in a single round, no additional selections will be conducted this year, a pattern that also held in FY2026.
Why Did Registrations Drop This Year?
USCIS received 211,600 eligible registrations for FY2027, a steep 38.5 percent decline from the 343,981 registrations submitted for FY2026. The fall coincides with the programme’s first cycle under a new wage-weighted selection system, which replaced the traditional random lottery. Under the revised process, registrations tied to higher-paying job offers receive more entries in the selection pool, based on the Department of Labor’s four-tier prevailing wage levels, while entry-level roles receive comparatively fewer chances.
How Has the Selection Process Changed for Applicants?
The shift has visibly altered who gets selected. USCIS data shows that 71.5 percent of chosen beneficiaries this cycle held a US advanced degree, up sharply from 57 percent in the previous year, while registrations tied to the lowest prevailing wage tier made up just 17.7 percent of selections. For many Indian applicants, who make up the largest share of H-1B VISA beneficiaries every year, this means early-career and entry-level roles now face materially longer odds than senior or specialized positions.
A few key points employers and applicants should keep in mind heading into the new cap season:
- Selected employers had until June 30, 2026 to file complete petitions; approved workers can begin employment from October 1, 2026.
- Unselected registrants will not get a second chance this cycle and must wait for the FY2028 registration window, expected to open in March 2027.
- USCIS continues to accept cap-exempt petitions, including extensions, amendments, and change-of-employer filings for existing H-1B holders.
- A disputed $100,000 fee on new H-1B petitions requiring consular processing, introduced via a September 2025 presidential proclamation, remains in effect after moving through the courts, adding further uncertainty for first-time applicants.
- Amazon, Apple, Google, Meta, and JPMorgan Chase remain among the largest approved petitioners under the programme.
What Should Unselected Applicants Consider Next?
Immigration attorneys are advising employers whose registrations were not selected to explore alternative routes rather than waiting a full year for the next lottery. Options include cap-exempt H-1B employment through qualifying universities and nonprofit research institutions, O-1 visas for individuals with extraordinary ability, and, for eligible nationals, other employment-based categories. With demand for skilled talent continuing to outstrip the statutory cap year after year, the FY2027 outcome is likely to renew calls in Washington and in Indian policy circles alike for a broader overhaul of how the United States allocates its most sought-after work visa.
