USCIS Confirms No Second H-1B Visa Lottery for FY 2027

No Additional H-1B Lottery for Fiscal Year 2027

The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has announced that there will not be a second lottery for H-1B visas for the fiscal year 2027, as they have received enough applications to fulfill the annual limit. In a statement released on Friday, the agency confirmed that it has gathered sufficient petitions to cover both the standard cap of 65,000 H-1B visas and the additional 20,000 allocated for applicants with advanced degrees from US educational institutions, often referred to as the master's cap. This declaration puts an end to the speculation regarding the possibility of further lottery rounds this year.

Reasons Behind the Anticipation for a Second Lottery

USCIS typically holds a second or even third lottery when the number of approved petitions does not meet the annual cap. Many immigration specialists had anticipated another selection round for FY 2027 due to significant changes in this year's H-1B application process. Notably, USCIS implemented a wage-based lottery system for the first time, moving away from the traditional random selection method. Additionally, employers were mandated to pay a fee of $100,000 for each H-1B petition, which led to a more selective approach in candidate sponsorship.

Sharp Decline in H-1B Registrations

This year saw a notable decrease in H-1B registrations following various regulatory adjustments. USCIS data indicates that approximately 211,600 registrations were submitted for FY 2027, a significant drop from the 343,981 registrations for FY 2026. This reduction raised expectations that fewer employers would file petitions, potentially leaving some visa slots unfilled and prompting another lottery.

Introduction of Wage-Based Lottery System

For FY 2027, USCIS transitioned from a random lottery to a wage-based selection process, enhancing the chances of higher-paying job offers being selected. Coupled with the new $100,000 petition fee, these modifications led many employers to submit fewer applications compared to previous years. Immigration analysts had predicted that some selected employers might withdraw their applications rather than incur the high costs associated with the petitions. However, USCIS has now confirmed that the number of petitions filed was adequate to meet the annual quota, thus negating the need for any further lottery rounds for FY 2027.