USCIS Reaches H-1B FY2027 Cap of 85,000, No Second Lottery

The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services announced it has received enough H-1B petitions to meet the congressionally mandated cap for fiscal year 2027. The agency will not run a second lottery because it has already collected a sufficient number of filings.

The cap includes 65,000 visas under the regular H-1B allocation and an additional 20,000 for applicants with a U.S. master's degree or higher. USCIS will continue to process petitions that are exempt from the cap, such as those filed by institutions of higher education, nonprofit research organizations, and government research entities.

Petitions selected in the initial lottery have until June 30, 2026, to be filed. USCIS will reject and return filing fees for any cap-subject petitions that are not selected or are filed after the cap is reached.

The agency has not yet announced the exact date for the FY2028 H-1B registration period, but it typically opens in March. Employers and prospective petitioners are advised to monitor the USCIS website for updates.