The US has completed its annual selection process for H-1B visas for FY2027, meeting the statutory cap and opening the filing window for successful applicants.
The US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) said it has met the annual quota of 85,000 H-1B cap beneficiaries for FY-2027 and completed both the regular and advanced-degree selection lotteries.
The agency said it had notified all prospective petitioners with selected beneficiaries that they are eligible to file H-1B cap-subject petitions on their behalf.
The H-1B visa programme is used largely by US technology companies to hire foreign workers, with Indian professionals, including tech workers and physicians, forming one of the largest groups of visa holders.
“H-1B cap-subject petitions for FY 2027, including those petitions eligible for the advanced degree exemption, may be filed with USCIS beginning April 1, 2026, if filed for a selected beneficiary and based on a valid registration,” a USCIS statement said here on Tuesday.
It said the filing period for H-1B cap-subject petitions will be at least 90 days and advised petitioners to include a copy of the applicable selection notice with their submissions.
USCIS also said it would accept the new edition of Form I-129 published on February 27 this year.
The H-1B selection process is transitioning to a wage-based model, under which applicants with higher salaries and skill levels are prioritised, in a move aimed at aligning visa allocation with labour market needs and curbing misuse of the system.
The changes also include a significant fee component introduced earlier, where a USD 100,000 charge applies in certain cases when employers sponsor workers from outside the United States, a measure intended to reduce reliance on overseas hiring and encourage domestic recruitment.
Under existing provisions set by the US Congress, the annual regular cap for H-1B visas stands at 65,000, with an additional 20,000 slots available for beneficiaries holding a master’s degree or higher from a US institution of higher education.
USCIS said that an H-1B cap petition must contain and be supported by the same identifying and position-related information as provided in the selected registration.
It also asked petitioners to submit evidence of the beneficiary’s valid passport or travel document used at the time of registration, along with proof supporting the wage level selected in the registration as of the date it was submitted.