ImmigrationClock explains · Work visas
How the H-1B cap works
65,000 plus 20,000, a registration in spring, and an October 1 start.
The facts
- Congress set the regular H-1B cap at 65,000 per fiscal year, with an additional 20,000 for beneficiaries who hold a master's degree or higher from a U.S. institution.
- Employers register each beneficiary electronically during a registration period USCIS announces every year; in recent years it has opened in March. If registrations exceed the cap, USCIS runs a selection (weighted by the offered wage level from the fiscal year 2027 season) and invites the selected employers to file petitions.
- Cap-subject H-1B employment can begin no earlier than October 1, the first day of the federal fiscal year.
- Some employers are exempt from the cap, including institutions of higher education and certain nonprofit or government research organizations. Petitions to extend or amend existing H-1B employment are not counted against it.
- ImmigrationClock tracks the registration window and the October 1 start on its key dates page, and links USCIS's own cap-season page for the current year's instructions.
Why it matters
The cap is the reason "H-1B season" exists. A reader who knows which petitions are capped, and when the window opens, can tell a real deadline from a headline.
Sources
Every sentence above was written by a person from these sources and last checked against them on Sep 2, 2026.
Related on ImmigrationClock
Recent changes this helps read
- Fee for Certain H-1B PetitionsProposed rule, not in force · Aug 25, 2026 · Federal Register
- DHS Proposes Additional H-1B FeeAnnouncement · Aug 24, 2026 · USCIS newsroom
- USCIS Reaches Fiscal Year 2027 H-1B CapDeadline · Jul 17, 2026 · USCIS newsroom
- FY 2027 H-1B Initial Registration Selection Process CompletedAnnouncement · Mar 31, 2026 · USCIS newsroom
- FY 2027 H-1B Cap Initial Registration Period Opens on March 4Deadline · Jan 30, 2026 · USCIS newsroom
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Methodology & sources
Explainers describe how the system works. They are not advice about any individual case, and they never tell anyone what to do. See all explainers for the rest of the set. Read the full methodology →