FY2027 H-1B Visa Cap Hit By USCIS; Applicants Await Second Lottery Decision

The US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has announced that it will not conduct a second lottery for H-1B visas for fiscal year 2027 after receiving enough applications to meet the annual cap set by Congress. The decision is expected to impact thousands of foreign professionals, including applicants from countries such as India, who rely on the H-1B programme for employment opportunities in the United States. USCIS said on Friday that it had received sufficient petitions to reach both the regular H-1B visa cap of 65,000 and the additional 20,000 exemption reserved for applicants holding advanced degrees from US institutions, commonly known as the master’s cap.

The agency confirmed that the selection process for FY2027 has been completed and that no additional lottery round will be held. This means applicants who were not selected in the initial process will not receive another opportunity during the current visa cycle. The H-1B programme allows US employers to hire foreign professionals in specialised occupations, particularly in sectors such as technology, engineering, healthcare, finance, and research. Because demand for these visas consistently exceeds the annual limit, USCIS uses a lottery system to select applicants when the number of petitions crosses the available quota.

For FY2027, USCIS introduced changes to the selection process, with reports indicating that the agency moved away from a purely random selection method and adopted a wage-based approach. Under the revised system, registrations were weighted based on offered wage levels, with higher-paid positions receiving greater consideration. Employers were also required to meet additional financial requirements during the petition process. Reports stated that companies sponsoring H-1B workers were required to pay a $100,000 fee for each H-1B petition under the updated framework.

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The changes were introduced as part of broader efforts to reform the visa system, reduce misuse, and prioritise highly skilled workers. The wage-based selection model was intended to encourage employers to offer competitive salaries and reduce incentives for lower-wage applications. The announcement is particularly significant for Indian professionals, who represent one of the largest groups of H-1B visa holders in the United States. Many Indian technology workers and graduates depend on the programme as a pathway to employment and long-term career opportunities.

With no second lottery planned, applicants who were not selected will have to explore alternative immigration routes, such as other employment-based visa categories, future H-1B cycles, or opportunities outside the United States. USCIS said employers whose petitions were selected will be able to proceed with filing applications according to the announced timelines. The agency will continue processing approved registrations and reviewing petitions under existing immigration rules.

The H-1B visa programme remains a key component of the US workforce, especially in industries facing shortages of specialised talent. However, high demand, limited annual quotas, and ongoing policy changes continue to make the application process highly competitive. The FY2027 cap announcement marks another major development in the evolving H-1B system, with employers and applicants now awaiting further clarity on how the revised selection process will operate in future years.

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