- USCIS has not yet released official statistics for the FY 2027 H-1B cap lottery results.
- Current reports are relying on FY 2026 data as the latest verified benchmark for selection rates.
- Stakeholders should verify claims about wages and degree concentrations against future official USCIS reports.
(UNITED STATES) — USCIS has not published FY 2027 H-1B cap results as of May 22, 2026, leaving FY 2026 as the latest official benchmark for this year’s H-1B season.
The latest published cap report shows 343,981 eligible registrations, 120,603 selected registrations, and a 35.1% selection rate for FY 2026. USCIS also reported 336,153 unique beneficiaries with registrations and 118,660 selected unique beneficiaries. Those figures matter because the agency has not yet released the registration totals or selection rate for FY 2027.
The policy debate has moved faster than the data. Public statements tied to an America First message have described a sharper tilt toward higher-paid workers and candidates with advanced degrees, especially those with a U.S. master’s degree. Those claims are not yet part of an official USCIS cap results release for FY 2027.
USCIS has confirmed the basic timeline for the current cap cycle. The FY 2027 electronic registration period ran from March 7, 2026, through March 24, 2026. The agency said it would notify registrants of selection results by March 31, 2026. It has not published the final registration count, selected count, or selection rate.
The one-registration-per-beneficiary rule remains central to the cap system. USCIS now runs selection on a beneficiary-centric basis, which means each person gets one chance in the lottery regardless of how many employers submit registrations. That change was designed to cut duplicate filings and reduce the incentive for mass registration strategies.
Employers and workers should treat unsupported figures with caution until USCIS posts a formal cap report. Claims that registrations fell to 211,600, that 71.5% of selected beneficiaries hold a U.S. master’s degree or higher, and that 17.7% of selected registrations fell in the lowest wage category remain unverified. They may prove accurate, but they are not official cap statistics today.
| FY 2027 Milestone | Date |
|---|---|
| Registration Opens | March 7, 2026 |
| Registration Closes | March 24, 2026 |
| Selection Notification | By March 31, 2026 |
| Petition Filing Window Opens | April 1, 2026 |
| Earliest Employment Start | October 1, 2026 |
📅 Key Date: Selected cap cases for FY 2027 can be filed starting April 1, 2026, for employment beginning October 1, 2026.
⚠️ Employer Alert: USCIS selection does not waive wage rules. Employers must pay the higher of the actual wage or the prevailing wage for the SOC code and worksite.
The official FY 2026 numbers already showed a lower-volume system than the record years driven by duplicate filings. The beneficiary-centric rule helps explain that shift. It also changes how employers should plan. Submitting multiple registrations through related companies no longer multiplies a worker’s lottery odds in the same way.
The wage discussion needs more precision than recent slogans provide. Prevailing wage levels are set by occupation and location, then divided into four levels. Level I covers entry roles, usually 0-2 years of experience and close supervision. Level II, Level III, and Level IV reflect progressively more experience and independence. USCIS has paid closer attention to cases that pair broad specialty occupation claims with Level I wages.
If an employer received a selection notice, the next step is a full Form I-129 filing with the certified Labor Condition Application. Standard required fees still include the $780 base filing fee, the $500 fraud fee, and the ACWIA fee of $750 or $1,500, depending on company size. Premium processing remains optional at $2,805. The registration fee was $215 and had to be paid by the employer.
If a registration was not selected, the cap path usually ends for this fiscal year unless USCIS runs another selection round. Some workers can still move through cap-exempt employers, including certain universities, affiliated nonprofits, and research institutions. Others may qualify for an O-1 if they can document sustained acclaim, or an L-1 if they worked abroad for a qualifying related company. Treaty-based options, TN status for eligible Canadian and Mexican professionals, and F-1 STEM OPT extensions also stay in play depending on the case.
Employees should not rely only on a registration screenshot. They should confirm the offered job title, work location, and wage level before petition filing starts. The occupation must support a specialty occupation claim, and the salary must match at least the prevailing wage. A low wage level is not barred, but it draws more scrutiny when the job description looks advanced on paper.
The next official release to watch is the FY 2027 cap results report from USCIS. That report should answer the unresolved questions: total registrations, total selections, final selection rate, and any breakdowns by degree level or wage band. Until then, broad claims about who benefited from this H-1B season remain provisional, even when framed as proof of an America First shift.
Planning for FY 2028 should start early. USCIS has followed a March registration calendar for recent cap seasons, and employers that wait until registration opens often run into wage, job description, and LCA timing problems. Begin position review and prevailing wage checks in January. Employees should confirm degree evaluations, passport validity, and whether the offered role matches the field of study before the next registration window.
Employers should now audit selected cases for Form I-129 filing readiness, confirm the correct SOC code, and check wages against 💼 Employee Tip: Ask whether the case is cap-subject or cap-exempt before making travel, graduation, or work authorization plans. 📋 Official Resources:
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