USCIS reveals a 38.5% decline in H-1B registrations for fiscal year 2027.
USCIS released details of the FY 2027 H-1B lottery as the season came to a close and celebrated a 38.5% drop in registration, attributing it to President Donald Trump’s America First policies.
In one year, the number of registrations dropped from 343,981 in fiscal year 2026 to just 211,600 in fiscal year 2027. “These data are a clear sign that the days of abuse of the program through mass low-wage registrations are over, and that the program is better serving its intended purpose of attracting highly skilled foreign workers and protecting the wages, working conditions, and employment opportunities of American workers,” the agency said.Regarding the wage-based selection that was introduced for the first time this year, replacing a random lottery, the agency said it approved more applicants with advanced degrees and higher salaries, and gave priority to those who studied at American universities. “71.5% of the selected foreigners hold a US master’s degree or higher, compared to 57% last year,” the agency said.“These skilled workers are having a real impact on our economy and we are closing the door on the influx of low-wage, low-skill foreign workers approved under the Biden administration’s policies.
“This year, only 17.7% of all selected filings were in the lowest wage category,” USCIS said.
The release of these numbers is what H-1B applicants and companies handling these applications are looking forward to as they anticipate whether there will be a second and third lottery if the H-1B quota is not filled in the first round of the lottery.Immigration attorney Emily Newman said the number of filings filed this year is about the same as 10 years ago.
But that’s mostly due to the $100,000 fee Trump imposed on applications submitted from outside the United States. “The 38.5% drop from last year is likely only for beneficiaries who are outside the United States and therefore subject to Trump’s $100,000 fee,” Newman said.“Since the implementation of the online lottery, USCIS has selected an average of 127,843 registrations each year to fill 85,000 slots (not counting 2024, which had a much higher number selected). This year’s selection rate will be close to 60%,” Newman predicted.
