US to open FY 2027 H-1B registration on March 4: New rules and $100,000 fee for some employers | What you should know

USCIS said the initial registration period for the FY 2027 H-1B cap will open on March 4 at noon Eastern Time and close on March 19 at noon Eastern Time. (Representational Image)

USCIS announced FY 2027 H-1B visa cap details: registration runs March 4-19, $215 fee per beneficiary, mandatory online process, and new selection rules favoring higher-skilled, higher-paid applicants. A possible $100,000 fee may apply under a Trump proclamation.

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The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services has announced the timeline and key changes for the H-1B visa cap for fiscal year 2027, outlining when registrations will open, how selections will be made, and what employers should prepare for.

Registration window and fees

USCIS said the initial registration period for the FY 2027 H-1B cap will open on March 4 at noon Eastern Time and close on March 19 at noon Eastern Time. During this window, employers seeking to file cap-subject H-1B petitions must register each beneficiary electronically using a USCIS online account.

A $215 registration fee must be paid for every beneficiary entered into the system. The agency said it plans to notify selected registrants by March 31, with results delivered through the online accounts of employers and their representatives.

Online registration is mandatory

USCIS reiterated that all H-1B cap registrations must be submitted through its electronic registration system. Employers that do not already have a USCIS account will need to create an organisational account before submitting registrations.

Attorneys and authorised representatives can add employer clients at any time, but beneficiary information and the registration fee can only be submitted once the registration window opens on March 4. After the registration period closes, USCIS will run the selection process and notify petitioners whose beneficiaries have been chosen.

New selection rules for FY 2027

For the FY 2027 cap season, the Department of Homeland Security has revised the way H-1B registrations are selected. USCIS said the updated process is designed to prioritise higher-skilled and higher-paid applicants.

According to the agency, the goal is to protect the wages, working conditions and job opportunities of American workers. If the number of registrations exceeds the annual visa cap, USCIS will conduct a weighted selection from properly submitted registrations rather than a purely random lottery.

Possible additional $100,000 fee

USCIS also pointed to a September 2025 proclamation by Donald Trump, titled “Restriction on Entry of Certain Nonimmigrant Workers.”

While the proclamation does not change the electronic registration process, it may have financial implications later. Employers with selected registrations who are eligible to file an H-1B petition could be required to pay an additional $100,000 fee before submitting the petition, depending on their eligibility under the proclamation.

About the H-1B programme

The H-1B visa programme allows US employers to temporarily hire foreign professionals in specialty occupations that typically require a bachelor’s degree or higher. Demand for H-1B visas has consistently exceeded the annual cap, making the registration and selection process highly competitive.

With higher registration fees, revised selection rules and the possibility of a substantial additional charge, the FY 2027 H-1B season is expected to be one of the most closely watched in recent years.