USCIS has announced the H-1B CAP lottery registration period for FY2026. The registration period will be from March 7^th to March 24^th; USCIS will issue selection notifications by March 31^st, allowing petitioners to file H-1B CAP cases beginning on April 1^st.

During the H-1B CAP Registration, petitioners and their representatives may register beneficiaries electronically for the H-1B lottery. The lottery is beneficiary-centric; a beneficiary may only be registered once. The registration is $215 per registration and requires a USCIS online account.

For a position to qualify for an H-1B, the role must be in a specialty occupation, meaning that at minimum, a bachelor’s degree in a specific body of knowledge or equivalent is required for the position, and the beneficiary must have a related bachelor’s degree or equivalent in the field of study or a related field.