FY2028 H-1B cap season timeline

What the rule requires

The registration rule, 8 CFR 214.2(h)(8)(iii)(A)(3), sets three conditions:

• The initial registration period lasts at least 14 calendar days.
• It starts at least 14 calendar days before the earliest date on which cap petitions may be filed for that fiscal year.
• USCIS announces the start of the period at least 30 calendar days in advance.

Timeline: FY2027 and FY2028

FY2027 as the reference season

USCIS announced the FY2027 window on January 30, 2026. Registration opened at noon Eastern on March 4, 2026. The January alert gave the close as noon Eastern on March 19, 2026, while the USCIS registration page gives 5:00 p.m. Eastern on March 19.

On March 31, 2026, USCIS announced that it had received enough registrations for unique beneficiaries to reach the FY2027 limits. Selected employers could file petitions starting April 1, 2026, within a filing period of at least 90 days shown on each selection notice, and USCIS accepted only the 02/27/26 edition of Form I-129. The USCIS registration page now states that it has received enough petitions to reach both caps for FY2027.

What is announced for FY2028

USCIS's H-1B Cap Season page, last updated November 9, 2026, still describes FY2027 and announces nothing for FY2028. The registration page gives the fee "for the FY 2027 H-1B cap" and does not mention FY2028.

The weighted selection rule remains in effect. USCIS describes it as starting in FY2027, with more entries for higher wage levels.

Registration fee

The fee is $215 for each registration under 8 CFR 106.2(c)(11), and the USCIS fee schedule lists $215 per beneficiary. Each registration is for one beneficiary, the fee is paid before the registration is submitted, and USCIS describes it as non-refundable. The proposed $103,265 fee would apply to petitions, not registrations; see the fee status page.

What a registration contains

Registration is done through a USCIS online account; an employer without one creates an organizational account. According to the rule and USCIS, each registration includes:

• the beneficiary's valid passport or travel document information, including the document number, country of issuance and expiration date, with each beneficiary registered under only one passport or travel document;
• the highest OEWS wage level that the offered wage equals or exceeds for the job's SOC code in the area of intended employment;
• the SOC code, and the area of intended employment that served as the basis for that level.

The registrant also attests, under penalty of perjury, that the information is complete, true and correct; that the registration reflects a bona fide job offer; that the offered salary is at or above the wage level selected for that SOC code and area; and that it has not worked with another registrant or other party to unfairly increase the chance of selection. The wage level guide explains how the level is found.

Which wage table covers a March 2027 registration

OFLC's wage year 2026-27 table applies from July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2027, so, unless a DOL final rule changes the levels first, it is the table that applies in March 2027. DHS describes the evidence for the registered level as a printout from DOL's OFLC Wage Search as of the date the registration was submitted.

DOL proposed in March 2026 to change how the four levels are computed (91 FR 15454). As of November 11, 2026, the Federal Register lists only the proposal. If a DOL final rule took effect before the registration date, it would change the thresholds OFLC publishes for that date.

October 1, 2027 start date

USCIS requires a cap petition to request an employment start date of October 1 or later in the applicable fiscal year, and no more than six months after USCIS receives the petition. The federal fiscal year begins on October 1, so FY2028 starts on October 1, 2027. For FY2027, USCIS required a start date no earlier than October 1, 2026.

Cap-exempt employers

Employers that are exempt from the cap do not register in the lottery. The statute exempts workers employed by an institution of higher education or a related or affiliated nonprofit entity, and by a nonprofit or governmental research organization. USCIS gives petitions filed by U.S. institutions of higher education as an example. Only cap-subject petitions, including those for the advanced degree exemption, require a selected registration.

This page is general information, not legal advice, and an immigration attorney can advise on a specific case.

Sources

• Weighted Selection Process for Registrants and Petitioners Seeking To File Cap-Subject H-1B Petitions, final rule, full text U.S. Department of Homeland Security, 90 FR 60864, December 29, 2025; 8 CFR 214.2(h)(8)(iii)(A)(3) and (A)(4)(i), preamble p. 60904 on evidence of the level
• H-1B Cap Season USCIS, last updated November 9, 2026; FY2027 content, no FY2028 dates, weighted selection, caps, start date and filing rules, cap-exempt example
• H-1B Electronic Registration Process USCIS, last updated September 21, 2026; FY2027 close time, fee, passport information, attestations, FY2027 caps reached
• FY 2027 H-1B Cap Initial Registration Period Opens on March 4 USCIS alert, release date January 30, 2026; window times, online account, selection notification plan
• FY 2027 H-1B Initial Registration Selection Process Completed USCIS alert, release date March 31, 2026; filing from April 1, 2026, filing period of at least 90 days, Form I-129 edition
• 8 CFR 106.2, Fees eCFR, as of November 9, 2026; paragraph (c)(11), $215 per registration
• Fee Schedule, Form G-1055 USCIS, edition 10/26/26; H-1B Registration Tool, $215 per beneficiary
• OFLC Technical Release Notes for the OEWS Update, Wage Year 2026-27 U.S. Department of Labor, OFLC, effective July 1, 2026, included in the 2026-2027 Wage Files; wage year July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2027
• Improving Wage Protections for the Temporary and Permanent Employment of Certain Foreign Nationals in the United States, proposed rule U.S. Department of Labor, 91 FR 15454, March 27, 2026
• Federal Register search: RIN 1205-AC30 searched November 11, 2026; only the proposed rule
• 8 U.S.C. 1184, Admission of nonimmigrants U.S. Code, GovInfo; subsection (g)(1)(A)(vii) regular cap, (g)(5)(A)-(C) exemptions
• 31 U.S.C. 1102, Fiscal year U.S. Code, GovInfo; fiscal year begins October 1

Related guides

• How the H-1B weighted lottery works The H-1B lottery now gives more entries to higher wage levels. This guide covers how the level is set, the two draws, the first weighted season and estimated FY2028 odds by level.
• How to find your H-1B wage level How the OFLC prevailing wage level for an H-1B registration is found from the job's SOC code, the work area and the offered wage, with a worked example and the special cases.
• Status of the H-1B $100,000 payment and the proposed $103,265 fee A status page on the $100,000 H-1B payment under Proclamations 10973 and 11069, the court orders and pending appeals, and the proposed $103,265 fee on cap-subject petitions.