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

The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services announced that it has received enough H-1B petitions to reach the statutory cap for fiscal year 2027, which begins October 1, 2026. The agency will not conduct a second lottery this year, as the initial selection process already filled all 85,000 slots, including the 20,000 reserved for applicants with U.S. master's degrees or higher.

The cap was reached by June 30, 2026, the final day of the filing window. USCIS will continue to accept and 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 for H-1B workers who have already been counted against the cap in prior years are also not subject to the annual limit.

For employers who submitted registrations but were not selected, USCIS will not issue additional selection notices this fiscal year. The agency has not yet announced the exact number of registrations received, but the high volume in recent years has made the lottery increasingly competitive.

Selected petitioners must file their complete H-1B petitions within the 90-day filing window, which begins April 1, 2026. Those who miss the deadline or have their petitions denied will not be able to fall back on a second lottery, as none will be held.

The H-1B program allows U.S. employers to temporarily employ foreign workers in specialty occupations that require at least a bachelor's degree or equivalent. The annual cap has been a source of contention among tech companies and immigration advocates, who argue the limit is too low to meet labor demand, while critics say the program is abused by outsourcing firms.