Data sourced from USCIS and the U.S. Department of State. Not legal advice.
The H-1B cap registration window opens March 4–19, 2026 for FY2027 — the first lottery under the new weighted selection system. Level I workers (recent graduates) face ~15% odds; Level IV senior positions see ~61% selection rates. Employers are filing more complex entries and preparing contingency plans.
March 2, 2026DHS Secretary Kristi Noem confirmed in a January 2026 letter (made public February 26) that the agency is re-evaluating OPT and STEM OPT, citing worker displacement, fraud, and national security concerns. A formal rulemaking (RIN 1653-AA97) is expected in the Spring Unified Agenda. F-1 students should monitor developments closely.
In a rare and significant advancement, the EB-2 India final action date moved forward by 11 months to September 15, 2013. USCIS confirmed use of the Dates for Filing chart for both employment- and family-based categories in March, allowing earlier I-485 filings.
Only a small fraction of U.S. businesses have paid the $100,000 H-1B employer fee mandated by Trump's presidential proclamation, according to Times of India reporting. The fee applies to new H-1B workers hired from outside the U.S. and is expected to sharply reduce entries from IT consulting firms.
As the FY2027 H-1B registration period begins, legal challenges to the $100,000 employer fee continue in federal courts. Employers face uncertainty about whether the fee will survive judicial review, complicating sponsorship decisions for the current cycle.
Beyond EB-2 India's 11-month leap, the March 2026 bulletin shows EB-1 India advancing 4 months to March 1, 2023, and EB-3 India moving forward 2 months to November 15, 2013. EB-2 is now current for All Other Countries.
Under the new DHS weighted selection rule, H-1B lottery odds range from ~15% for entry-level positions to ~61% for senior roles. Indian workers in early-career tech roles — historically the largest H-1B applicant group — face significantly reduced chances compared to prior years.
A federal judge struck down the Trump administration's policy of deporting immigrants to third countries to which they have no ties, ruling it violated due process and immigration law. The ruling has implications for Indian nationals facing removal proceedings.