On July 17, 2026, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services announced that it has received enough H-1B petitions to reach the congressionally mandated 65,000 regular cap and the 20,000 U.S. advanced degree exemption, known as the master’s cap, for fiscal year 2027.
This closes the FY 2027 cap season. Employers whose registrations were selected in the March 2026 lottery, the first conducted under the new wage-weighted selection process, had from April 1 through June 30, 2026 to file their petitions. USCIS has confirmed that enough petitions came in to fill the annual limit, so a second selection round is not expected for FY 2027.
If your registration was not selected this year, there are still other paths to consider. Cap-exempt H-1B employment with universities, nonprofit research organizations, and affiliated entities can be filed at any time of year. Other work visa categories may also apply, including the L-1 for intracompany transferees, the O-1 for individuals of extraordinary ability, the TN for Canadian and Mexican professionals under the USMCA, the E-1 and E-2 for treaty traders and investors, the E-3 for Australian nationals, and the H-1B1 for nationals of Chile and Singapore. F-1 students may be able to continue working through OPT or the STEM OPT extension while planning their next filing. Employers should also start preparing for the FY 2028 registration period expected in March 2027, since the wage-weighted selection rules will again apply.
The best option depends on the worker’s background, the employer’s structure, and the timeline involved. The immigration and nationality lawyers at NPZ Law Group can review your situation and help you decide how to proceed.
If you or your family members have any questions about how Special Immigrant Juvenile Status or other immigration matters may affect you, or if you want to access additional information about immigration and nationality laws in the United States or Canada, please do not hesitate to contact the immigration and nationality lawyers at NPZ Law Group. You can reach us by emailing info@visaserve.com or by visiting our website at www.visaserve.com for more information.