If you are an international student in the US who is graduating soon or a seasoned professional outside the US, and plan to work in the US in 2026, you may be considering applying for an H1B visa in 2026 for the H1B FY 2027 season.
In this article, we give you the background of the H1B Visa FY 2027 season, the timelines for the same, what to expect in terms of lottery, the fees, and the latest news related to the same. We continue to update this article as we have new updates.
Background: H1B Visa Fiscal Year(FY) 2027 Season
If you are new the overall H1B visa process, it may be confusing to you when you see the year 2027 next to the H1B Visa season, when would be applying for the same in the year 2026. Let’s clarify this by look at USCIS fiscal year and what it means.
Start and end of USCIS Fiscal Year: The USCIS’s fiscal year differs from the typical calendar year, which runs from January 1st to December 31st. The USCIS Fiscal Year starts on October 1 of the current year and ends on September 30 of the following year.
USCIS Fiscal Year 2027, H1B Visa Fiscal Year 2027: In the context of the USCIS Fiscal Year 2027, the same starts on October 1st, 2026, and ends on September 30th, 2027. As USCIS is the agency that accepts H1B applications, the same applies to the H1B Visa program as well. That’s the reason the H1B Visa FY 2027 starts on October 1st, 2026 and ends on September 30th, 2027.
Acceptance of H1B Petitions by USCIS: The USCIS accepts H1B petitions for the next fiscal year approximately six months prior to the start of the fiscal year. So, for the FY 2027 season, counting six months backward from October 2026, it would be April 1st, 2026.
For companies/employers to be able to file H1B Visa petitions from April 1st, 2026, they must have selected applicants in the H1B Lottery before that April 1st filing date. Hence, the process for H1B FY 2027 begins slightly before April 2026. This is where you see timelines starting from February and March 2026.
Now, let’s look at a detailed timeline of the H1B visa 2027 season.
If you are new to the H1B Visa, to understand its requirements and common jargon you must read the article H1B Visa Basics. It will help you get up to speed on the jargon.
What are the H1B Visa 2027 Timelines? What are the Dates?
On January 30th, 2026, USCIS announced official dates for the FY 2027 season in a press release. The table below lists the official H1B 2027 season dates.
| H1B 2027 Process Steps | Esitmated Dates | Activities performed during this period |
| Create H1B Registration Accounts | Anytime in February 2026 | Employers or H1B Sponsors create their H1B Registrant accounts. They need to use their registrant accounts to submit H1B registrations in the USCIS online system. |
| Start Date to Submit H1B Registrations | March 4th, 2026, Noon EST | The start date is when Employers can log in to the USCIS H1B Registration system and submit registrations for applicants who intend to hire on an H1B Visa (Last year, it was on March 7th) |
| End Date to Submit H1B Registrations | March 19th, 2026 Noon EST | The last date by which you can submit the H1B Registrations for the H1B 2027 season. |
| H1B Registration Lottery Selection, Results | by March 31st, 2026. | USCIS conducts random selection, aka the H1B lottery, and informs the results during these days. It is usually announced by the last day of March 2026. They usually come in slightly early, but the official announcement comes on March 31st or April 1st. |
| H1B Petition Filing Dates | April 1st, 2026 to June 30th, 2026. | Employers can file H1B petitions for selected applicants in the first round of the H1B Lottery during this period. An employer needs to prepare a complete petition with H1B LCA and all applicant’s details and send the package to USCIS. |
| H1B Petition Processing by USCIS, Decisions | April first week, 2026 onwards | USCIS processes the H1B petition filed by the employer from April 1st onwards, which can take anywhere from a few days to a few months. |
| H1B Lottery Second Round | July to August 2026 | If there happens to be a second round lottery, similar to H1B FY 2025 season, it will be anytime between July and August 2026. There was no second round lottery during FY 2026 season. |
| H1B Visa Stamping at US Consulates | July 1st, 2026 onwards | If you are an applicant outside of the US, you need to get an H1B Visa Stamp in the passport to enter the US on H1B Visa. You apply for it at a US Consulate/Embassy. |
| Start Working on H1B Visa | October 1st, 2026 onwards | USCIS fiscal year 2027 starts on Oct 1st, 2026 and this is when the cap-subject applicants can start working. If your petition was approved and you got the visa, you can enter the US and work from Oct 1st, 2026. If you are already in the US, your status will change to H1B from this date |
Below is a flow chart that summarizes the H1B visa 2027 timelines and dates.
You can also read the H1B Process Guide end-to-end from Lottery to Stamping to understand the overall process.
Let’s look at the other areas related to the H1B 2027 season.
What is the H1B Quota for FY 2027 Regular Cap and Master’s Cap?
The US Congress established the H1B Visa quota cap at 85,000 many years ago, and it has remained unchanged since 2005. When we talk about the H1B Cap, we are talking about the limit in terms of numbers.
There are no changes to the H1B quota cap for the FY 2027 season as of now. Below are the annual quota caps set for each of the regular and master’s quotas for the FY 2027 season:
- H1B Regular Quota: 65,000 Visas (anyone who meets basic requirements can apply)
- H1B Master’s Quota: 20,000 Visas (You need a US Master’s degree from accredited schools are eligible for this quota)
Of the 85,000 H1B cap quota, 6,800 visas are set aside for the citizens of Singapore(5,400) and Chile(1,400) as part of their Free Trade Agreement. These 6,800 are categorized as H1B1.
Although 6,800 visas are set aside for the H1B1, very few are used each year. To learn more, you can read What is H1B Cap? Regular vs Masters Quota, H1B1. If you are looking for more information on how the H1B cap looked starting from 1990, you can also read H1B Visa Total Cap by Year from FY 1990 to 2027.
H1B 2027 Lottery Predictions – How many H1B Registrations?
H1B Visa is one of the most sought visas by tech professionals in the US and its demand is crazy and continues to get worse every year. USCIS has conducted the H1B visa lottery every year since the fiscal year 2014 season. Technically, we had an H1B lottery every year for the last 13 consecutive years. You can check the History of H1B Cap Reach Dates by Year
Despite the changes to the H1B Lottery system during the H1B FY 2026 season, USCIS received about 358K H1B Registrations during the FY 2026 season. We are very likey to have lottery for the next fiscal year too.
We will do predictions for the FY 2027 closer to the start date, stay tuned for the updates. In the mean time, you may look at previous years’ predictions article: H1B Visa 2026 Lottery Predictions, Analysis.
What documents should be submitted to employers for H1B 2027?
Documents for H1B Registration/Lottery:
- To submit the H1B Registration with USCIS, the employer only need basic information that appears in the passport such as first name, last name, date of birth and passport number. Employer only needs a copy of the Passport of the applicant. There is no need to give your original passport.
- For the FY 2027 season, due to the changes in the H1B Lottery selection process, employers now need to also submit three more things: the SOC Code of the H1B Job, the Wage Level of the Job, and the H1B Job Location.
Documents for H1B Petition with USCIS: If the applicant is selected in the H1B lottery, then the employer will submit a petition with USCIS. For that, they need a lot of documents, as listed below. Again, no need to submit originals, only copies are sufficient.
- Copy of all educational certificates.
- Copy of Passport (all pages)
- If your degree is from a US University, Transcripts and Degree award certificate.
- If your degree was from a US University, the copy of your I-20
- If you are currently living in US, copy of I-94 ( electronic or physical copy)
- Your latest Resume.
- If you have lived in the US and paid taxes, copy of previous W2 tax forms.
- If you have lived in the US, copy of your driving license or state ID
- If you have lived in the US and have an SSN, a copy of your Social Security Card.
- If you have done an education evaluation, a copy of the education evaluations too.
- Work experience certificates (if any )
- If you have any evaluation reports from work, copy of them too.
- If you are an F1 Student in the US:
- OPT and STEM OPT Card(if applicable)
- Latest I-20 with OPT authorization on it
- Pay stubs during your work on OPT.
You can read full details at the article: H1B Documents Checklist for USCIS – Registration, Petition
H1B Visa 2027 Changes by the Trump Administration
Below is the list of major changes that are applicable for the H1B FY 2027 season
- Changes to the H1B Lottery Selection Process from random selection to wage level based weighted selection process. You can read the full details at: H1B Weighted Selection Process Final Rule – How it works?
- If an applicant is selected in H1B lottery and they are outside of the US, then they would be subject to pay an additional $100,000 Fee as part of the proclamation signed by President Trump. You can read more at : Everything about Trump’s H1B $100K Fee Proclamation
How much is the H1B Fee for FY 2027: Registration, Petition?
The H1B Visa fee for FY 2027 is the same as the current FY 2026 season. The table below shows the various components of the H1B fee and the applicable fee:
| H1B Fee for FY 2027 | Fee in USD |
| H1B Registration Fee | $215 This went up from April 1st, 2024. |
| Base filing fee | $460 ( less than 25 employees) or $780 (more than 25 employees) $730 (if filing petition online) |
| ACWIA Fee | $750 (less than 25 employees) or $1,500(26 or more full time employees) |
| Fraud prevention & detection fee | $500 |
| Fee-based on Public Law 114-113 | $4000 (50 or more employees & 50% employees on H1B, L1 visa) |
| Asylum Program Fee | $300 (less than 25 employees) or $600(more than 25 employees) |
| Premium processing fee (Optional) | $2,965 |
| Immigration Attorney Fee | Varies from $500 to $3000 (only if the company does not have in-house attorney) |
In total, if you add up everything, the H1B fee for FY 2027 can vary from $2385 USD to $7755 USD + the Attorney fee( if any).
📌 For more info, read Guide to H1B Fee – Who Pays for What?
One important thing to note is that fees other than the H1B Registration Fee are only applicable if you get selected in the lottery and your company is willing to file the H1B petition with USCIS. If you are not selected for the H1B Lottery, the company only spends USD 215.
For discussions regarding H1B season, you may Join the H1B Visa Telegram Group
Common FAQs
You can submit H1B registrations for the FY 2027 season starting from March 4th, 2026 Noon EST until March 19th, 2026 Noon EST.
Since the introduction of the beneficiary-centric H1B lottery selection, there is no specific advantage to having multiple H1B registrations in the lottery pool based on genuine job offers.
Latest News Updates for the H1B FY 2027 Season
Below are the latest news updates, official and unofficial, regarding the H1B FY 2027 season.
January 2026
USCIS announced the H1B Registration Dates for the FY 2027 season. The H1B season for FY 2027 starts on March 4th. You can read more at H1B Season Starts on March 4th – All Details, what is new?
Below is the screenshot of the press release. You can read more at USCIS website
August 2025
The Trump administration has submitted a regulation to change the H1B Lottery process for the upcoming season. The Office of Management and Budget has approved the regulation. We are yet to see the official text of the regulation. You can read more at : H1B Lottery Process Change – Weighted Selection.
Below is the screenshot of the official update and regulation details on Reginfo.gov
Do you have any questions regarding the H1B 2027 season? Ask your questions or add your inputs in the comments section below.
