USCIS Completes the H-1B Cap Selection Process for FY 2027

Welcome back to Visalawyerblog! In this post, we bring you the latest H-1B lottery news.

On March 31, 2026, USCIS announced that they have selected enough beneficiaries from properly submitted electronic registrations to meet the H-1B regular cap and the U.S. advanced degree exemption for fiscal year 2027.

With this announcement, USCIS brings the 2027 FY H-1B cap season to a close.

What happens next?

At this point, USCIS has completed its selection process and sent out non-selection notifications via the myUSCIS online accounts to those petitioners and their attorneys who were not selected for FY 2027.

The status for registrations properly submitted for the FY 2027 H-1B numerical allocations, but that were not selected, will show:

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

If I was selected, when can I submit my paper application by mail or online?

Only petitioners who were selected will be able to file a paper or online application on behalf of the alien worker, beginning April 1, 2026. Petitioner’s must include a copy of the applicable registration selection notice with the FY 2027 H-1B cap-subject petition. For paper applications, petitioners should ensure that they send their application to the correct service center within the filing period indicated on the registration selection notice.

Beginning April 1, USCIS will only accept the 02/27/26 edition of Form I-129. All H-1B cap subject petitions for FY 2027 must use this edition of the form.

$100,000 Fee Applies to Overseas H-1B Lottery Winners

U.S. employers must pay a $100,000 fee to file new H-1B petitions for workers from abroad pursuant to a presidential proclamation issued by President Trump in September.

A petition will generally be subject to the fee if it is filed for consular processing only, or if it is only approvable with consular notification. This typically applies when the beneficiary is outside the United States or is inside the United States but is not eligible for a change of status.

When did the FY 2027 selection occur?

Selection for the FY 2027 H-1B lottery occurred in late March, at which time USCIS selected from properly submitted electronic registrations to meet the fiscal year (FY) 2027 H-1B cap, including petitions filed for the advanced degree exemption.

Only those petitioners with selected registrations for FY 2027 are eligible to file H-1B cap-subject petitions online or by mail.

If I am selected, does that mean I will receive an H-1B visa?

No. Registration selection only indicates that petitioners are eligible to file H-1B cap-subject petitions. It does not indicate that the petition will be approved and there is no guarantee of approval. Petitioners filing H-1B cap-subject petitions, including those petitions eligible for the advanced degree exemption, must still submit evidence and establish eligibility for petition approval based on existing statutory and regulatory requirements. The burden of proving eligibility always falls upon the petitioner who is filing the H-1B petition on behalf of the alien worker.

To read the USCIS announcement please click here.

If you have any questions regarding your petition, please contact your case manager.

Weren’t selected in the FY 2027 lottery? Do not lose hope. We invite you to contact our office to determine what other visa options may be right for you.

If you are in this situation, we have just the blog post for you, Plan B: Alternatives to the H-1B Visa.

Contact Us. If you would like to schedule a consultation, please text 619-483-4549 or call 619-819-9204.

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