On Friday, July 18, 2025, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has announced that it received a sufficient number of petitions to meet the congressionally mandated H-1B cap for fiscal year (FY) 2026:
- 65,000 under the regular cap, and
- 20,000 under the U.S. advanced degree exemption (also known as the master’s cap).
Unlike in recent years, when USCIS conducted a second round of selections in August to meet the annual quota, this year’s initial selection was sufficient to reach both caps. Therefore, no additional lottery round is expected for FY 2026.
Impact: With the cap met, employers should assess unselected registrants for alternative work authorization options and prepare to resubmit eligible candidates in next year’s lottery.
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