Top News

No more lotteries for H-1B visas in FY27
18 Jul 2026

The United States has hit the annual H-1B visa cap for fiscal year (FY) 2027.

The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) confirmed that it received enough petitions to fill all 85,000 available slots.

This means there will be no second lottery for FY27.

Employers whose registrations were selected in this lottery had until June 30, 2026, to submit complete petitions for employment starting October 1, 2026.

211,600 H-1B registrations submitted for FY2027
Registration decline

The confirmation comes after USCIS's earlier announcement in May that 211,600 H-1B registrations were properly submitted for FY2027.

This is a significant decrease of 38.5% from the previous fiscal year's total of 343,981 registrations.

The drop in numbers indicates a major shift in the demand for H-1B visas compared to previous years.

New weighted lottery system
New system

The FY27 H-1B cap process was the first to use the Department of Homeland Security's weighted lottery system.

This new system replaced the long-standing random selection process.

Under this system, registrations with higher wage offers are given a better chance of selection according to the Department of Labor's four-level Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) prevailing wage system.

Increasing number of advanced degree holders
Degree statistics

Data released by USCIS in May showed that 71.5% of selected foreign nationals for FY2027 held a US advanced degree. This is a significant increase from the 57% in FY2026.

Only 17.7% of selected registrations were under the lowest wage category (OEWS Level 1).

These statistics highlight a shift toward hiring more highly qualified professionals under the new lottery system.