Overview

• The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) selected 120,141 H-1B visa applications for FY 2026, representing a 35% selection rate under the annual cap.
• Eligible registrations declined by 27% year-over-year to 343,981, attributed to increased fees and tighter scrutiny to combat fraud.
• The Biden administration raised registration fees from $10 to $215, prompting employers to reduce lottery entries and make more selective economic decisions.
• USCIS continued its beneficiary-centric model, limiting multiple filings per individual and creating a smaller, more compliant applicant pool.
• Despite the decline in overall registrations, the number of unique participating employers increased by 9% to approximately 57,600, while average filings per employer fell significantly.