The H-1B cap season 2027 start date is approaching US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has announced the opening and closing dates for the initial registration period for the fiscal year (FY) 2027 H-1B cap season.
The H-1B cap season 2027 registration runs from March 4 to March 19, 2026, with a fee of $215. USCIS will use a weighted selection process for applications. (Representative picture)Registration for the H-1B cap season 2027 will begin on March 4 at noon Eastern time, and the deadline to submit registrations for the H-1B cap season 2027 will end on March 19, 2026 at noon Eastern time.
Elections will begin after the early registration period for the H-1B cap season 2027 closes on March 19. USCIS will notify prospective applicants and their representatives of any selected registrations through their USCIS online account by March 3.
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H-1B Visa 2027 Registration: Key Details HereFrom March 4 through March 19, prospective applicants and representatives subject to the H-1B cap must electronically register each beneficiary for the selection process using a USCIS online account and submit the required $215 H-1B registration fee for each registration.
Employers applying for H-1B visas who do not have a USCIS online account are required to establish an organizational account. Representatives can add their company’s clients to their accounts at any time. However, both representatives and employers must wait until March 4 to input beneficiary details and submit the registration with a $215 fee.
An applicant is permitted to file only one H-1B cap-subject petition, including petitions for beneficiaries eligible for the advanced degree exemption, if their registration for a cap-subject petition beneficiary is selected in the H-1B registration process.
The initial registration period lasts for a minimum of 14 calendar days per fiscal year. For the H-1B cap season 2027, the initial registration period will be available for 15 days. The Trump administration introduced two new rules in the FY 2027 cap season – the revised H-1B selection process and the $100,000 petition fee.
New ‘weighted selection’ rulesThe final rule that establishes the weighted H-1B cap selection method, which will take effect on February 27, 2026, will apply for the 2027 cap season.
“For the FY 2027 H-1B cap season, if we receive registrations for unique beneficiaries past the initial registration deadline, we will conduct a weighted selection from unique beneficiaries with registrations that were correctly submitted. If we do not receive registrations for enough unique beneficiaries, we will select all registrations that have registered for the individual registrant’s submission period individually for the initially submitted individual registrant,” USCIS said.
$100K fee on all H-1B visasAccording to the instructions outlined in the H-1B Proclamation, the Proclamation states that “if an applicant has elected to register and is eligible to file an H-1B cap-subject petition, they may be required to pay an additional $100,000 fee before filing the H-1B petition as a condition of eligibility.”
