Overview

• USCIS reported 358,737 total registrations for FY 2026, with 343,981 deemed eligible, reflecting a 27% decline from FY 2025.
• A new beneficiary-centric model, higher registration fees, and stricter anti-fraud measures contributed to the drop in eligible applications.
• The registration fee increased from $10 to $215, and a one-entry-per-beneficiary rule was enforced to prevent duplicate filings.
• Despite the decline, USCIS selected 120,141 applications, maintaining a 35% selection rate under the annual cap of 85,000 visas.
• Experts attribute the decline to economic factors, political uncertainty, and the impact of reforms designed to improve program integrity.