The US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has completed the initial selection process for the FY2027 H-1B visa cap. The agency will start processing applications from selected candidates who reached this stage on April 1, 2026.

The agency received sufficient registrations to satisfy the yearly limit, which included the advanced degree exemption; this development marked an important milestone in the intense H-1B visa application process.

H-1B visa lottery process

USCIS confirmed that it has notified employers whose candidates were selected in the lottery. The employers now have permission to submit their H-1B cap-subject petitions during the designated filing period.

The agency states that only petitioners who have selected beneficiaries may submit applications this year. The applicants who did not win the lottery will be unable to submit petitions for FY2027.

The USCIS announced that H-1B visa cap petitions can be submitted starting April 1, 2026, when valid registration exists. The filing period will last for 90 days at minimum, which allows employers to finish their submissions.

The agency confirmed that all H-1B visa applications through its system need to use the new Form I-129, which the agency introduced in February 2026, and present supporting documents that include passport information together with job details which match the original registration.

The USCIS confirmed that winning the lottery does not provide automatic approval to applicants. Employers must still prove eligibility, including wage levels and job qualifications, during the petition stage.

The process costs more because certain petitions need an additional fee which results from a presidential proclamation that affects specific nonimmigrant workers.fee,