The US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has officially closed the H-1B visa cap process for Fiscal Year 2027 after receiving enough petitions to fill all 85,000 available visas. The announcement confirms that employers and applicants who were not selected in the initial round will not get another chance through a second H-1B lottery this year.
The FY2027 cycle is the first to be conducted under the Department of Homeland Security’s new wage-based selection system, a significant departure from the random lottery that had been used for years. Under the revised process, registrations associated with higher salary offers receive greater preference, with weighting determined by the Department of Labor’s four-tier Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) prevailing wage levels.
Companies whose registrations were selected had until June 30, 2026, to submit complete H-1B petitions. Successful applicants approved under this year’s cap will be eligible to begin working in the United States from October 1, 2026, the start of the federal government’s 2027 fiscal year.
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The latest confirmation follows preliminary figures USCIS released in May showing a notable decline in demand compared with the previous year. The agency received 211,600 eligible registrations for FY2027, down 38.5% from the 343,981 registrations submitted for FY2026.
The change in the selection process also appears to have influenced the makeup of chosen applicants. USCIS data showed that nearly three-quarters, or 71.5%, of selected beneficiaries held a US advanced degree, compared with 57% in the previous cycle. At the same time, registrations tied to the lowest prevailing wage level made up just 17.7% of those selected, suggesting the new system favored higher-paying positions.
While USCIS has confirmed that the annual quota has been met, it has yet to release the complete FY2027 cap data, including the overall selection rate. The agency said more detailed statistics are expected in the coming days or weeks.
For employers whose registrations were not picked in the initial selection, the announcement effectively ends this year’s cap season. Unlike some previous years, USCIS will not conduct an additional lottery because the agency has already received enough petitions to meet the statutory limit.
The H-1B program allows US employers to sponsor foreign professionals for jobs requiring specialized knowledge, including positions in technology, engineering, healthcare, finance, and other specialized fields. Each fiscal year, Congress limits new H-1B approvals to 85,000 visas, including 20,000 reserved for applicants with a US master’s degree or higher. The FY2027 cap applies to petitions for employment beginning October 1, 2026.