The US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has announced that initial registration for the FY 2027 H-1B cap will run from 4 to 19 March 2026. In its 30 January press note, the agency also reminded employers of two headline changes that disproportionately affect Indian tech professionals:
1. Weighted Lottery: Under a final rule taking effect 27 February, each registration receives between one and four “draw entries” depending on the prevailing wage level offered. Level IV jobs get four entries, Level I just one. The aim is to tilt selections towards higher-paid, higher-skilled roles and curb mass low-wage filings.
2. $100,000 Petition Surcharge: If a registration is selected, the subsequent petition will attract a one-time US $100,000 fee, implemented by a Trump-era proclamation last September. This is on top of existing fraud-prevention and ACWIA levies, pushing total filing costs above US $106,000 for many employers.
![USCIS Opens FY 2027 H-1B Registration Window, Confirms $100,000 Petition Fee and Wage-Weighted Lottery]()
For India-based consultancies and US subsidiaries, the financial calculus is stark. Legal advisers estimate that the number of registrations may drop by 25-30 percent as employers prioritise senior roles and recalibrate salary budgets to secure additional lottery weight. Start-ups and SMEs without deep pockets face a difficult decision: pay the premium or shift hiring to Canada or Mexico.
Whether you’re a multinational IT giant or a bootstrapped start-up, VisaHQ can simplify the daunting paperwork that now accompanies every U.S. work-visa filing. From collating prevailing-wage evidence to arranging courier pickups and real-time status tracking, the VisaHQ India portal (https://www.visahq.com/india/) gives HR teams a single dashboard for H-1B and related U.S. visa categories—helping reduce costly errors and keeping you ahead of tight USCIS deadlines.
Compliance teams should create or upgrade USCIS organisational accounts before 4 March, audit wage-level mappings, and prepare business-case memos justifying premium salaries. Selected beneficiaries must file petitions within 90 days of notice and pay the surcharge before USCIS will accept the case.
Indian nationals typically account for 70 percent of H-1B beneficiaries; hence the rule changes carry significant implications for India’s IT-services, engineering and pharmaceutical sectors. Expect lobbying by industry bodies such as NASSCOM and US Chambers of Commerce, but HR should plan on the assumption that the rules will stand for the 2027 cycle.
1. Weighted Lottery: Under a final rule taking effect 27 February, each registration receives between one and four “draw entries” depending on the prevailing wage level offered. Level IV jobs get four entries, Level I just one. The aim is to tilt selections towards higher-paid, higher-skilled roles and curb mass low-wage filings.
2. $100,000 Petition Surcharge: If a registration is selected, the subsequent petition will attract a one-time US $100,000 fee, implemented by a Trump-era proclamation last September. This is on top of existing fraud-prevention and ACWIA levies, pushing total filing costs above US $106,000 for many employers.
For India-based consultancies and US subsidiaries, the financial calculus is stark. Legal advisers estimate that the number of registrations may drop by 25-30 percent as employers prioritise senior roles and recalibrate salary budgets to secure additional lottery weight. Start-ups and SMEs without deep pockets face a difficult decision: pay the premium or shift hiring to Canada or Mexico.
Whether you’re a multinational IT giant or a bootstrapped start-up, VisaHQ can simplify the daunting paperwork that now accompanies every U.S. work-visa filing. From collating prevailing-wage evidence to arranging courier pickups and real-time status tracking, the VisaHQ India portal (https://www.visahq.com/india/) gives HR teams a single dashboard for H-1B and related U.S. visa categories—helping reduce costly errors and keeping you ahead of tight USCIS deadlines.
Compliance teams should create or upgrade USCIS organisational accounts before 4 March, audit wage-level mappings, and prepare business-case memos justifying premium salaries. Selected beneficiaries must file petitions within 90 days of notice and pay the surcharge before USCIS will accept the case.
Indian nationals typically account for 70 percent of H-1B beneficiaries; hence the rule changes carry significant implications for India’s IT-services, engineering and pharmaceutical sectors. Expect lobbying by industry bodies such as NASSCOM and US Chambers of Commerce, but HR should plan on the assumption that the rules will stand for the 2027 cycle.
