H-1B visa second lottery: US hits FY2026 H-1B visa cap; only exempt petitions to be accepted now
USCIS also confirmed a significant drop in the number of registrations this year. The agency received 343,981 eligible registrations for FY2026—down 26.9% from 470,342 the previous year. There was also a sharp decline in multiple registrations per beneficiary, falling to 7,828 from 47,314 in FY2025. The average number of registrations per beneficiary decreased to 1.01 this year from 1.06 last year. About 57,600 unique employers participated in this cycle, slightly up from 52,700 in FY2025. The number of eligible unique beneficiaries also dropped sharply to approximately 339,000 from 442,000 last year. This chart shows registration and selection numbers for fiscal years 2021-26: Cap Fiscal Year Total Registrations Eligible Registrations* Eligible Registrations for Beneficiaries with No Other Eligible Registrations Eligible Registrations for Beneficiaries with Multiple Eligible Registrations Selected Registrations 2021 274,237 269,424 241,299 28,125 124,415 2022 308,613 301,447 211,304 90,143 131,924 2023 483,927 474,421 309,241 165,180 127,600 2024 780,884 758,994 350,103 408,891 188,400 2025 479,953 470,342 423,028 47,314 135,137 2026 358,737 343,981 336,153 7,828 120,141 * The number of eligible registrations does not include duplicate entries, registrations withdrawn by the employer before the deadline, those rejected due to invalid passport or travel document details, or submissions with unsuccessful payment transactions. Those under cap-exempt categories can still apply However, USCIS clarified that it will still process petitions that fall under cap-exempt categories. These include petitions for current H-1B workers who have already been counted under previous years' caps and retain their cap number.Petitions will continue to be accepted in the following cases: To extend the stay of an H-1B worker in the US
To change the terms of their employment
To allow a worker to change employers
To enable concurrent employment in an additional H-1B role
Electronic registration, fraud checks, and attestation rules To submit a petition for a cap-subject H-1B visa, employers must first complete an electronic registration and pay a non-refundable fee per applicant. Each registration must include accurate passport or travel document details. This process aims to reduce paperwork and streamline selection. USCIS reiterated that any duplicate registration, invalid passport entry, or false attestation disqualifies the registration. Every petitioner must attest that the job offer is legitimate and that no collusion exists with other entities to increase selection chances. Registrants who violate these rules risk denial, revocation, or even criminal referral.'If we find that this attestation was not true and correct, we will find the registration to not be properly submitted,' USCIS said. The agency has carried out investigations based on past violations and will continue to do so for FY2025 and FY2026.The H-1B program allows US companies to hire foreign workers in specialised roles such as IT, engineering, healthcare, and finance. The current cap cycle does not affect those already counted under previous years' caps. USCIS will continue accepting petitions for these workers in cases of extensions, employer changes, or concurrent roles.
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Time of India
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Business Standard
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