U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced the initial H-1B registration period for the FY 2027 H-1B cap season. Registration will be open from 12pm EST on March 4 until 12pm EST on March 19, 2026. During this period, H-1B petitioners will be able to register candidates using an online USCIS account. Petitioners can register individually via or with a connected legal representative’s account. Due to the additional requirements this year, we highly encourage prospective H-1B petitioners to work with an attorney.

Registration Basics

Ahead of the registration period, H-1B petitioning companies should validate existing USCIS accounts or create a new account, if the company doesn’t already have one. When creating an account, it is important to select “Organizational Account” as the account type.

Under the USCIS organizational account system, H-1B petitioning companies must decide who will be the Administrator for the company or organization. The Administrator is the person who will oversee a “Company Group” and collaborate with legal representatives. This person should be someone who has the authority to sign, pay for, and submit registrations and petitions on behalf of the company.

The H-1B petitioning company’s designated Administrator can invite coworkers to join the organizational group as either Administrators or Members. The Administrator can also invite a Legal Representatives to collaborate. If you are planning to register through an attorney, it is important you complete this step ahead of registration, so that your attorney can prepare the registrations on your behalf.

It doesn’t matter when sponsors create an online account. However, registering candidates or entering their information isn’t possible until March 4. The same goes for submitting any required material or making the $215 H-1B registration fee.

Once the H-1B registration period ends on March 19, USCIS will complete the selection process. USCIS will notify H-1B petitioning companies of their selections via the online accounts by March 31, 2026. H-1B petitioners can then file H-1B petitions for any selected candidates from April 1 through June 30.

Changes for the FY2027 Cap Season

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) recently published a final rule amending the process of how USCIS selects H-1B registrations for unique beneficiaries. The new H-1B selection process allocates visas to higher-skilled and higher-paid professionals, rather than utilizing a random lottery. The DHS explained the change better protects the wages, working conditions, and job opportunities of American-born workers.

The new H-1B selection process prioritizes individuals with higher paying positions. The higher the wage level, the more registration entries petitioners get:

• Four entries for registrations at wage level IV.
• Three entries for registrations at wage level III.
• Two entries for registrations at wage level II.
• One entry for registrations at wage level I.

H-1B petitioning companies must disclose the SOC code, work location, and wage level at the time of registration. Once registered, those details remain the same for any subsequent H-1B petition filed based on that selection. While H-1B registration previously only required basic biographic information, employers will now need to make high-level petition-related decisions at the time of registration instead. As the registration period is only open for a limited period, planning ahead will be especially important this year.

The multiple petition rule remains unchanged for the FY 2027. Employees registered for multiple companies only count against the cap once. However, if multiple registrations exist for the same beneficiary at different wage levels, the lowest wage level will be used in determining the weighted entry number. In other words, if one employer registers the beneficiary under Level I, the beneficiary will only be entered into the selection pool once, even if other employers register that beneficiary at a higher wage level.

The other notable change from last year’s H-1B cap season is the 100k fee. On Sept. 19, 2025, the government published a presidential proclamation titled Restriction on Entry of Certain Nonimmigrant Workers. This proclamation imposes an additional 100k fee which must be paid before filing any H-1B petition requesting consular processing. For the FY 2027 cap, what this means is that if you register a candidate who is outside the U.S., if that candidate is selected, you will be required to pay the 100k fee before you can file the accompanying H-1B petition. The additional fee is triggered anytime an H-1B petition requests consular processing, including H-1B new, amendment, extension, or change of employer petitions. As ILBSG previously reported, the 100k fee may discourage H-1B petitioning companies from registering candidates abroad, which could reduce the overall pool and increase selection rates.

As always, Immigration USA actively monitors ongoing U.S. immigration news. If you have questions about any U.S. immigration related issue, please contact us. Working with an experienced attorney ensures you get the right advice based on the most recent laws and policy updates. In an ever-evolving immigration landscape, we’re with you every step of the way.