USCIS Reaches H-1B FY2027 Cap of 85,000, No Second Lottery

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services announced it received enough H-1B petitions to meet the 85,000 annual cap for fiscal year 2027, including 65,000 regular slots and 20,000 master’s cap exemptions. The agency reached the limit by June 30, 2026, the end of the filing period.

Because USCIS received a sufficient number of petitions during the initial selection period, it will not conduct a second lottery for the fiscal year. The agency typically holds a second lottery only if it does not receive enough petitions to fill the cap after the first round of selections.

Employers who submitted registrations in the initial lottery will receive notifications of selection status through their USCIS online accounts. Those not selected must wait until the next fiscal year to file new registrations.

The H-1B visa program allows U.S. companies to employ foreign workers in specialty occupations requiring at least a bachelor’s degree. The annual cap has been a recurring source of demand, often met within days or weeks of the filing window opening.