In a notice published January 30, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services confirmed that the FY 2027 H-1B cap registration portal will open at noon Eastern on March 4 and close at noon on March 19. The agency also finalized a new "weighted" selection methodology that will favor higher-paid positions—a sharp break from the purely random lottery used since 2008.
Under the final rule, each unique beneficiary will be entered once but assigned additional "weight" if the offered salary significantly exceeds the prevailing wage for the occupation and location. DHS says the change will curb fraud and better align the program with congressional intent to import “specialty-occupation” talent, but critics fear it will disadvantage start-ups and non-profits with tighter pay bands.
Adding to employer angst is a potential US $100,000 supplemental fee announced in President Trump’s September 2025 proclamation. The fee—payable only if a registration is selected—applies to petitions processed at U.S. consulates rather than via change-of-status inside the country. Large outsourcers and consulting firms that rely heavily on consular processing could see costs skyrocket.
![USCIS Sets FY-2027 H-1B Cap Registration for March 4–19 and Introduces Weighted Lottery, Possible $100K Fee]()
The base registration fee itself jumps from US $10 to US $215 per beneficiary, reflecting USCIS’s broader fee overhaul. Selection notices are expected by March 31, giving employers scant time to assemble full petition packages before the April 1 filing start.
Action items for mobility leaders include: auditing wage levels to gauge lottery odds under the new system; budgeting for the higher fees and possible $100K surcharge; educating business units about stricter passport and travel-document requirements; and updating workload forecasts for downstream processes such as LCA posting, compliance training and onboarding.
Because the rule is final, legal challenges are unlikely to delay implementation. Employers that miss the registration window will have to wait until FY 2028—an unpalatable prospect in an already tight labor market for STEM skills.
Under the final rule, each unique beneficiary will be entered once but assigned additional "weight" if the offered salary significantly exceeds the prevailing wage for the occupation and location. DHS says the change will curb fraud and better align the program with congressional intent to import “specialty-occupation” talent, but critics fear it will disadvantage start-ups and non-profits with tighter pay bands.
Adding to employer angst is a potential US $100,000 supplemental fee announced in President Trump’s September 2025 proclamation. The fee—payable only if a registration is selected—applies to petitions processed at U.S. consulates rather than via change-of-status inside the country. Large outsourcers and consulting firms that rely heavily on consular processing could see costs skyrocket.
The base registration fee itself jumps from US $10 to US $215 per beneficiary, reflecting USCIS’s broader fee overhaul. Selection notices are expected by March 31, giving employers scant time to assemble full petition packages before the April 1 filing start.
Action items for mobility leaders include: auditing wage levels to gauge lottery odds under the new system; budgeting for the higher fees and possible $100K surcharge; educating business units about stricter passport and travel-document requirements; and updating workload forecasts for downstream processes such as LCA posting, compliance training and onboarding.
Because the rule is final, legal challenges are unlikely to delay implementation. Employers that miss the registration window will have to wait until FY 2028—an unpalatable prospect in an already tight labor market for STEM skills.
Source: VisaVerge
