The H-1B lottery window for Fiscal Year 2027 is now closed. US Citizenship and Immigration Services stated on 17 July 2026 that it received sufficient petitions to meet the required cap of 85,000 H-1B visas for FY2027. This total covers the 65,000 regular cap and the 20,000 advanced-degree exemption known as the master’s cap. No further selections will occur. USCIS noted it had enough petitions to reach both the regular cap and the master’s cap for fiscal year 2027. For Indian professionals not selected this year, the next chance to enter the lottery opens in March 2027 for FY2028. Total registrations dropped 38.5 percent from the prior year, falling from 343,981 to 211,600. USCIS held the FY2027 lottery in March 2026 and notified selected registrants on 31 March. Employers had until 30 June to submit Form I-129 petitions. The July confirmation means enough valid petitions arrived to fill the full 85,000 visas. No additional selections will be made. In past years, a second lottery sometimes occurred when filings fell short, as in FY2025. This did not happen for FY2026 or FY2027. FY2027 introduced a weighted lottery system that gives extra entries to higher-salary applicants based on prevailing wage levels. Data showed 71.5 percent of selected applicants held US advanced degrees, up from 57 percent previously. Only 17.7 percent fell into the lowest wage category. The H-1B visa permits US employers to hire foreign nationals in specialty roles needing at least a bachelor’s degree. It lasts three years and may extend to six. Indian nationals receive roughly 70 to 75 percent of approvals each year. The new weighted system favors higher-wage offers, improving odds for those at OEWS Level 3 or 4 while reducing chances for lower-wage applicants. The drop in registrations may reflect employers skipping lower-wage candidates. Full nationality data for FY2027 selections remains pending.
