Immigration
USCIS Announces FY 2027 H-1B Registration Dates — What Employers Need to Know
By Buchanan Attorneys Khushbu Patel and Dilip Patel
The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has officially announced that the FY 2027 H-1B cap registration period will open on March 4, 2026, at 12 p.m. and close at on March 19, 2026, at 12 p.m. During this window, employers must electronically register each beneficiary through a USCIS online account and pay the $215 registration fee per beneficiary.
Selections will take place after the registration period closes, and USCIS intends to notify selected petitioners by March 31, 2026, through their online accounts.
What Employers Should Do Now
- Don’t have a USCIS online account? Petitioning employers must create an organizational account before registering beneficiaries.
- Are you working with an attorney or representative? Representatives may add company clients anytime, but beneficiary information and fee payments cannot be submitted until March 4.
- Important reminder: Employers may only file an H-1B cap-subject petition if the beneficiary’s registration is selected.
What’s New for FY 2027?
This year introduces a significant policy shift. Under a newly published Department of Homeland Security final rule, USCIS will implement a weighted selection system if registrations exceed the annual cap. The new process prioritizes higher-skilled and higher-paid beneficiaries.
Potential Additional Costs
A Presidential Proclamation issued on Sept. 19, 2025, may also impact employers – particularly for beneficiaries applying at a U.S. Consulate or port of entry, or those who have not maintained their status in the United States. While it does not change the electronic registration process, selected petitioners may be required to pay an additional $100,000 fee before filing the H-1B petition, depending on eligibility conditions.
For additional questions on the H-1B registration process and navigating important deadlines, it is important to contact a skilled immigration attorney.
Tampa Bay area welcomes Attorney Khushbu Patel
We are pleased to introduce Attorney Khushbu Patel to our readers. Khushbu is an experienced immigration attorney and has recently joined the Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney law firm to work with Dilip Patel, who writes our immigration articles. Khushbu brings with her a wealth of knowledge in immigration law and a passion for helping individuals and families navigate the complexities of the immigration process.
Khushbu was born and raised in Richmond, Va., where she developed a strong foundation in legal principles and a deep commitment to serving her community. She earned her law degree from a respected institution, Rutgers Law School, where she developed a keen understanding of the challenges faced by immigrants in the United States.
She married in April 2024 and recently moved to the Tampa area with her husband, who works in commercial contracting. Khushbu’s move to Tampa not only marks a new chapter in her personal journey but also allows her to contribute her expertise to the growing community in the region. Fluent in Gujarati, she is an active member of the BAPS Swaminarayan Mandir in Thonotosassa, Florida.
We are thrilled to welcome Khushbu to our readers and look forward to the invaluable information she will provide to them in the field of immigration law.