U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has announced that the registration period for the fiscal year 2027 H-1B cap lottery will open at 12:00 p.m. Eastern Time on March 4 and will close at 12:00 p.m. Eastern Time on March 19. The registration fee for this year is $215 per registration.
New Weighted Selection Process
This year marks the first use of USCIS’s new weighted H-1B selection process. If the number of registrations exceeds the annual cap and a lottery is required, USCIS will implement a weighted selection system based on the wage level associated with the offered position. For example, before accounting for master’s cap eligibility, a registration tied to a Level 4 wage will have four times the probability of selection compared to a registration tied to a Level 1 wage.
$100,000 H-1B Fee Proclamation
In late 2025, a presidential proclamation introduced a $100,000 fee for certain new H-1B petitions filed on behalf of beneficiaries located outside the United States. This fee generally does not apply to individuals already in the United States in another lawful status who enter the H-1B lottery and seek a change of status. Employers considering sponsorship of candidates who require a visa to be issued abroad should carefully evaluate the potential for the $100,000 fee being imposed.
Next Steps
Employers planning to submit registrations for the upcoming H-1B lottery are encouraged to contact Ruder Ware’s Immigration and Workforce Mobility Team promptly to ensure the timely preparation and filing of registrations.
For any questions about this e-alert or its impact on your business, please contact our Immigration & Workforce Mobility team for assistance.
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