$100,000 Supplemental Fee Looms as Wage-Weighted H-1B Lottery Replaces Random Draw

(NEW JERSEY) — USCIS announced on March 31, 2026, that it received enough eligible registrations to reach the FY 2027 H-1B cap, closing the initial selection round for jobs that can start on October 1, 2026.

For New Jersey employers, this year looks different from prior cap seasons. The wage-weighted selection system now shapes selection odds. A new $100,000 supplemental fee also raises costs for some cases. New Jersey remains one of the busiest H-1B states, led by pharma, finance, technology, and university hiring.

USCIS also kept the one-registration-per-beneficiary rule. That means multiple employers can register the same worker, but USCIS counts the person once for selection. That rule still limits duplicate advantage. The new weighted lottery implementation changes who gets picked within that structure.

📅 Key Date: USCIS confirmed the FY 2027 cap was reached on March 31, 2026. Selected employers may now file H-1B petitions during the filing period listed in their online accounts.

FY 2027 H-1B timeline

USCIS has not yet released full FY 2027 registration totals. On March 31, 2026, it confirmed that enough registrations were selected to meet the 65,000 regular cap and 20,000 master’s cap.

For comparison, the prior year drew very heavy demand. FY 2026 received about 442,000 registrations, and USCIS selected about 120,000 registrations to fill the cap. That produced an estimated 27% selection rate. Employers should expect USCIS to publish FY 2027 numbers later through the cap season page or newsroom updates.

Why FY 2027 is different

The biggest change is the weighted lottery implementation tied to wage levels. Starting with the March 2026 registration cycle, higher-paid roles received better odds than lower-paid roles.

Under the published framework, wages tied to higher DOL levels receive more entries in the selection process. A Level IV role may receive four entries, while a Level I role receives one. That shifts the process away from a pure random draw.

This matters in New Jersey because many employers file for high-salary jobs in pharmaceuticals, banking, software, and data roles. It also hurts entry-level candidates, especially students on OPT or STEM OPT.

Reported projections for FY 2027 show a steep drop in odds for Level I positions. Entry-level workers may see a 48% decline in selection odds compared with prior random-selection cycles.

The second major change is the $100, 000 supplemental fee for certain new H-1B petitions, effective from late 2025. It does not apply to every filing. It is most relevant for some cap-subject cases involving workers outside the United States. Employers must review whether the fee applies before registration strategy turns into petition filing.

⚠️ Employer Alert: The new fee is separate from normal H-1B filing costs. Employers should budget for government fees, legal costs, and wage compliance before filing selected cases.

What New Jersey filing patterns show

New Jersey remains a major H-1B market. The state’s largest sponsors span IT services, consulting, banking, and higher education.

Other active New Jersey sponsors include Johnson & Johnson, Bristol Myers Squibb, and Prudential.

Universities such as Princeton and Rutgers are especially important because many university jobs are cap-exempt. That gives some workers an option outside the annual lottery.

Salaries now matter more

The weighted system puts more attention on wage level selection. Employers must still pay at least the higher of the prevailing wage or actual wage. The prevailing wage depends on the SOC code, worksite, and skill level.

In New Jersey, the median H-1B salary in 2026 is about $115,918. High-skilled roles average about $168,742. Sample salaries from 2026 filings show why some employers may perform better under the new system.

A Level I wage usually reflects 0-2 years of experience and close supervision. A Level III wage usually reflects 4-6 years and independent work. USCIS has scrutinized lower-level wages more closely, especially where job duties appear broad or generic.

💼 Employee Tip: Ask for the job’s SOC code, wage level, and worksite location. Check the prevailing wage at flcdatacenter.com before the petition is filed.

What happens next if you were selected

Selection is not an approval. Employers must still file a complete H-1B petition on time. That filing usually includes the certified LCA, specialty occupation evidence, wage documents, degree records, and maintenance-of-status evidence if the worker is in the United States.

USCIS will also look closely at third-party placement cases. That is especially true after Project Firewall, a 2026 enforcement effort focused on wage compliance and worksite fraud. New Jersey consulting firms should expect more requests for client letters, contracts, and project-site records.

Workers selected this year should also prepare for added screening. USCIS introduced strengthened vetting measures effective March 30, 2026. Consulting cases and offsite placements may face heavier review.

What if you were not selected

• Cap-exempt H-1B with a university or nonprofit research employer
• Concurrent H-1B if the worker joins a cap-exempt employer first
• O-1 for workers with strong records of achievement
• L-1 for intracompany transferees with qualifying foreign employment
• TN for eligible Canadian and Mexican professionals
• STEM OPT extension if the worker still has F-1 work authorization
• H-1B transfer to a new employer later, if the worker already holds cap-counted H-1B status

For employers, this year’s cost structure may shift hiring toward U.S.-based candidates, current H-1B workers, or cap-exempt institutions. Startups may file fewer new cap cases because of the new fee exposure.

Where to verify FY 2027 data

Employers and workers should confirm every update through official government pages. The most useful sources are the USCIS Newsroom, the Federal Register rule on weighted selection, the Employer Data Hub, and the USCIS H-1B main page.

⏰ Deadline: Selected employers should review the selection notice in their USCIS account immediately. The notice controls the filing location and the petition deadline.

Looking ahead, employers should expect the next cap season to open again in March 2027 for FY 2028 cases, unless DHS changes the schedule. Employers should begin job classification and wage review in January 2027. Employees should confirm degree match, worksite details, and offered salary before registration season begins.

📋 Official Resources: – H-1B Program: uscis.gov/h-1b-specialty-occupations – Cap Season: uscis.gov/h-1b-cap-season – Prevailing Wages: flcdatacenter.com