USCIS opens FY 2027 H-1B cap registration March 4–19; $215 fee per registration

USCIS announced the dates for the initial registration period for the FY 2027 H-1B cap. The online registration window opens at 12:00 p.m. Eastern on March 4, 2026 and closes at 12:00 p.m. Eastern on March 19, 2026.

During this period, prospective H-1B cap-subject petitioners and their representatives must register each beneficiary electronically through a USCIS online account and pay the $215 H-1B registration fee for each registration. If an employer does not already have a USCIS online account, it must create an organizational account.

USCIS says representatives may add company clients to their accounts at any time, but both representatives and employers must wait until March 4 to enter beneficiary information and submit registrations and the $215 fee. After the initial registration period ends, USCIS will conduct selections.

USCIS expects to send selection notifications by March 31, 2026 through users’ USCIS online accounts. A petitioner generally may only file an H-1B cap-subject petition (including for a beneficiary eligible for the advanced degree exemption) if that beneficiary’s registration was selected in the registration process.

For the official USCIS alert, see: https://www.uscis.gov/newsroom/alerts/fy-2027-h-1b-cap-initial-registration-period-opens-on-march-4