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USCIS will open H-1B FY 2027 registrations from March 4. Employers must register online with a $215 fee, while changes in selection rules may impact international students.
USCIS announces H-1B FY 2027 registration dates and key changes affecting international students and employers. (Representative image)
For international students in the United States and employers who depend on foreign professionals, the upcoming H-1B visa season is expected to be closely watched. The US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has announced the timeline for the initial H-1B cap registration process for FY 2027, while also flagging possible changes in fees and how candidates may be selected.
At the same time, the US government has taken steps to temporarily increase the number of H-2B non-immigrant worker visas for the next fiscal year to address labour shortages in specific industries.
As per the USCIS notice, the H-1B cap registration window will open on March 4 at 12 noon Eastern Time, which is 10:30 pm IST, and will close on March 19 at 12 noon Eastern Time, or 9:30 pm IST. During this period, employers and authorised representatives must register beneficiaries online through a USCIS account and pay a non-refundable registration fee of $215 per applicant. The agency has said that selected registrations are likely to be notified by March 31.
USCIS has reiterated that the registration process will be conducted entirely online. Employers who do not have an organisational USCIS account will need to create one in advance. The agency has made it clear that paper filings will not be accepted at any stage of registration.
Possible Additional Fee For Selected H-1B Petitions
While outlining the registration schedule, USCIS also addressed the impact of a recent proclamation titled “Restriction on Entry of Certain Nonimmigrant Workers.” The agency clarified that the proclamation does not change the electronic registration process. However, it cautioned that employers whose registrations are selected and who later file H-1B cap-subject petitions may have to pay an additional fee of up to $100,000, depending on eligibility and future implementation rules. If applied, this could significantly raise the cost of sponsoring foreign workers.
USCIS has also shared details of changes proposed by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) for selecting H-1B beneficiaries in FY 2027. According to the agency, the revised approach is intended to favour “higher-skilled and higher-paid” workers, with the aim of protecting wages and employment opportunities for US workers.
If the number of valid registrations exceeds the annual H-1B cap, the agency will move away from a purely random lottery. Instead, a weighted selection system may be used, where registrations linked to higher salary levels and skill categories have a greater chance of selection. This change is expected to have a direct impact on international graduates on Optional Practical Training, who rely on H-1B approval to continue working in the US.
Temporary Expansion Of H-2B Visas For FY 2026
Separately, the US government has announced a temporary increase in the H-2B visa cap. On January 30, the DHS and the Department of Labor (DOL) issued a temporary final rule allowing up to 64,716 additional H-2B visas for FY 2026. The expansion is based on limited statutory authority and will not automatically apply to future years.
According to the official notice, the additional visas will be made available only to employers facing or likely to face “impending irreparable harm.” This refers to businesses that may suffer serious and permanent financial losses if they are unable to hire the required workforce.
What The H-2B Visa Covers?
The H-2B visa allows US employers to hire foreign workers for temporary, non-agricultural roles, commonly in sectors such as hospitality, landscaping, seafood processing, and construction. Under existing rules, workers can stay in the US for up to three years, after which they must leave the country for at least three months before seeking re-entry under the same category.
The additional 64,716 visas will be released in three phases, depending on employers’ start dates of need during the fiscal year. These allocations will be spread through FY 2026 to align with different labour demand periods.
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Eligibility Conditions For Extra H-2B Visas
To qualify for the supplemental H-2B cap, employers must meet all existing programme requirements. This includes securing an approved Temporary Labor Certification from the Department of Labor before filing Form I-129 with USCIS. Petitions must be filed at the correct USCIS location and within the prescribed filing window. Applications submitted after September 15, 2026, will not be accepted.
February 03, 2026, 15:42 IST
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