H-1B FY 2027 Cap Reached: USCIS Confirms No Second Lottery, Weighted System Boosts High-Wage Selections

USCIS confirms H-1B cap reached for FY 2027 with no second lottery.

WASHINGTON D.C. — July 17, 2026 — U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has confirmed that it has received enough petitions to meet the annual H-1B quota of 85,000 for Fiscal Year 2027, according to an agency announcement issued today. Employers had until June 30, 2026, to submit petitions for registrants selected in the FY 2027 lottery.

The announcement means that USCIS will not conduct a second cap lottery selection for H-1B employment in FY 2027.

Key Takeaways at a Glance

Feature	Details
FY 2027 H-1B Cap	85,000 (65,000 regular + 20,000 U.S. advanced degree exemption)
Cap Status	Reached — no second lottery
Registration Deadline	June 30, 2026
Registrations Received	211,600 (down 38.5% from FY 2026)
Selection Rate	~40.2% (85,000 of 211,600)
U.S. Advanced Degree Holders Selected	71.5% (up from 57% in FY 2026)
Lowest Wage Selections	17.7% (down significantly)
Weighted Lottery	Replaced random lottery in FY 2027

What Changed This Year: The Weighted Lottery

This year, the Department of Homeland Security introduced a change by replacing the traditional random H-1B cap lottery process with a new weighted lottery that enhances the chances of selection for foreign nationals who are offered the highest wages as per the Department of Labor's four-level Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) prevailing wage system.

Key Registration Data Released by USCIS

USCIS has not yet released sufficient data to determine the full FY 2027 cap registration selection rate after the close of registration in late March 2026. In May 2026, however, the agency shared a limited amount of registration data via social media, which included the following:

• The number of properly submitted registrations decreased by 38.5% , from 343,981 in fiscal year 2026 to 211,600 in fiscal year 2027

• 71.5% of selected foreign nationals hold a U.S. advanced degree, compared to 57% in FY 2026

• This fiscal year, only 17.7% of all selected registrations were in the lowest wage category (OEWS Level 1)

Interpretation: The weighted lottery system appears to have significantly favoured higher-wage registrants and U.S. advanced degree holders. The dramatic decrease in total registrations suggests the new system discouraged speculative filings from employers offering lower wages.

It is possible that USCIS will issue further FY 2027 cap data in the coming days or weeks.

FY 2027 H-1B Registration Summary

Metric	FY 2026	FY 2027	Change
Registrations Submitted	343,981	211,600	-38.5%
U.S. Advanced Degree Selections	57%	71.5%	+14.5%
Lowest Wage (OEWS Level 1) Selections	—	17.7%	Significantly decreased
Overall Selection Rate	~24.7%	~40.2%	+15.5%

The weighted lottery system appears to have produced two significant outcomes:

1. Higher selection rates for registrants overall

2. Significantly higher selection rates for those with higher wages and U.S. advanced degrees

What This Means for Employers and Foreign Nationals

For Employers

Impact	Details
No More FY 2027 H-1B Cap Filings	No further opportunities for cap-subject H-1B petitions this fiscal year
Focus on Cap-Exempt Petitions	Continue filing extensions, changes of employer, and amended petitions
Plan for FY 2028	Begin preparing for Spring 2027 cap season
Wage Strategy	Higher wage offers significantly increase odds of selection

For Foreign Nationals

Impact	Details
Unselected Registrations	Cannot file H-1B cap petition based on this registration
Non-Selection Notices	Will be posted in myUSCIS system over the next few days
No Carry-Over	Unselected registrations do not carry over to FY 2028
Next Opportunity	Spring 2027 (FY 2028 cap season)

What USCIS Will Post

Registrations that were not chosen in the FY 2027 lottery should be reflected in the USCIS system as:

"Not Selected: Not selected – not eligible to file an H-1B cap petition based on this registration."

If USCIS follows the protocols of prior years, the agency will post non-selection notices for these beneficiaries in the myUSCIS system over the coming days.

Cap-Exempt H-1B Petitions (Still Accepted)

The USCIS announcement means that there are no further opportunities for cap-subject H-1B employment in FY 2027. However, USCIS continues to accept petitions for H-1B employment that are not subject to the cap, including:

• Extensions of stay

• Changes of employer

• Amended petitions

• Employment that is exempt from the annual quota (such as H-1B petitions filed by institutions of higher education, nonprofit research organizations, and governmental research organizations)

Looking Ahead: FY 2028 Cap Season

Foreign nationals whose registrations were not selected can be re-registered by a sponsoring employer when the FY 2028 cap season begins in Spring 2027. Unselected registrations are not carried over to the next fiscal year.

Key Dates to Watch

Event	Expected Timing
FY 2028 H-1B Registration	Spring 2027
FY 2028 H-1B Lottery	Late March 2027
FY 2028 H-1B Petition Filing	April – June 2027
FY 2028 H-1B Cap Effective	October 1, 2027

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