Introduction

The clock is ticking!

In the first week of March, 2026, USCIS is expected to begin accepting H-1B registrations for the Fiscal Year 2027 H-1B Cap that begins on October 1, 2026 and it will be here sooner than you realize.

Under USCIS’ H-1B Registration Rule, employers seeking to file an H-1B cap petition are required to submit an H-1B electronic registration for each worker during a registration period that is expected to open in the first week of March 2026, marking the beginning of the race for obtaining an H-1B before the quota or “cap” is reached.

H1B Cap – What happened in the recent past?

1. FY 2026

The H-1B Registration for the Regular and Master’s Cap was held between March 7, and March 24, 2024.

2. FY 2025

The H-1B Registration for the Regular and Master’s Cap was held between March 6, and March 25, 2024.

3. FY 2024

The H-1B Registration for the Regular and Master’s Cap was held between March 1, and March 17, 2023.

4. FY 2023

The H-1B Registration for the Regular and Master’s Cap was held March 1, and March 18, 2022.

5. FY 2022

The H-1B Registration for the Regular and Master’s Cap was held between March 9, and March 25, 2021.

The above trend reiterates the urgent need to accurately prepare and submit your H-1B Cap FY2027 registrations in March 2026.

VisaPro’s H-1B Visa FY2027 Timeline

To help you increase the chances of H-1B registration selection and petition approvals, we present a step-by-step guide for H-1B cap filings.

Step 1 – Early December to January

Identify your H-1B needs, discuss strategy with your VisaPro immigration lawyer and finalize the list of applicants.

IMPORTANT
When looking to hire an individual who has previously received an H-1B approval, it is important to determine whether this person has been previously counted towards the cap or not.

For example, if you are hiring someone who has worked for a university and thus may have qualified for cap-exemption, this person’s petition may need to be filed in the H-1B cap as they may not be previously counted.

Step 2 – Early January

Have potential employees with foreign degrees gather and request required transcripts and experience letters (if necessary) in order to be ready to obtain foreign credential evaluation.

IMPORTANT
For any person who graduated from a non-U.S. institution of higher learning, it is important to obtain a degree equivalency evaluation that will be submitted with the H-1B visa petition.

Degree evaluation services tend to be inundated with requests during the H-1B season, hence, waiting until the last minute could seriously affect your ability to obtain the evaluation in a timely manner.

Step 3 – Early February

Determine the prevailing wage; begin developing detailed job descriptions; begin gathering supporting documentation.

DID YOU KNOW?
In 2025, for the FY2026 H-1B Cap, USCIS received 343,981 eligible H-1B registrations during the initial H-1B registration period between March 7 and March 24, 2025.

Step 4 – March

Submit the H-1B registration, along with a $215 registration fee, for each applicant.

Step 5 – April 1 to June 15

File the Labor Condition Application (LCA) with the Department of Labor (DOL). Prepare all H-1B Forms, Support Letter and other required supporting documentation.

IMPORTANT
Before employers can file H-1B petition, they must first file for and obtain a certified Labor Condition Application from the U.S. Department of Labor.

Step 6 – April 1 to June 25

If you are submitting a paper filing, mail the petition to USCIS for delivery before June 30, 2025.

TIP
File H-1B petitions for more than one qualified person to improve your company’s chances of getting qualified workers selected in the lottery and get approved. It may be worth your investment to file for more individuals considering that you will not be able to hire new H-1B foreign nationals until October 1, 2027 if you miss this year’s H-1B Cap.

My Case Scenario
Kumar

Kumar is a software engineer who is working pursuant to OPT for a company that develops software to track goods throughout the supply chain process. His company wants to keep him for the next several years and needs to get him an H-1B. His current OPT ends in July 2026.

The employer needs to get H-1B petition filed timely so it can increase the chances of Kumar getting the H-1B, and Kumar can take advantage of the Cap Gap rules which would allow him to continue working through March 31, 2027 while the H-1B cap petition is pending, despite the OPT expiring.

My Case Scenario
Martha

Martha has a Ph.D. in molecular biology and has been conducting research in a lab at a University in New York City in H-1B status. She has just been offered a research position in a pharmaceutical company that wants to build on her research and expertise. Martha already has an H-1B so she doesn’t have to worry about the H-1B Cap, right?

Not necessarily – Martha was most likely not counted in the H-1B cap because she is working for a university, which is normally cap-exempt. The pharmaceutical company will most likely need submit an H-1B Registration for Martha in a timely manner to increase her chances of getting picked in the lottery and to be sure she gets an October 1, 2026 start date.

Conclusion

The competition for the coveted and few H-1B visas has been intensifying over the years and now companies must plan ahead to file the H-1B Cap 2027 petitions in a timely manner.

VisaPro attorneys helped clients’ secure near 100% approval with H-1B Cap filings in the past 5 years. This was possible with advanced planning and a unique strategy VisaPro methodically built for each candidate.

We like to help you integrate our success strategies into your FY 2027 H-1B Cap filing. That’s why we’re offering a FREE FY 2027 H-1B Filing Plan Consultation.

We’ll talk through your priorities and recommend strategies for March 2026 H-1B registrations based on our attorney’s prior success. Schedule A Free Consultation Today >>