Key Points
- USCIS received 336,153 unique H-1B beneficiaries and selected 118,660 for FY 2026.
- Total eligible registrations fell by nearly 27% compared to FY 2025.
- The average number of registrations per beneficiary dropped due to beneficiary-centric changes.
USCIS Announces H-1B CAP Selection Numbers for FY 2026
US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has released the FY 2026 H-1B CAP season selection numbers. This year, USCIS received approximately 336,153 unique beneficiaries, ultimately selecting 118,660 unique beneficiaries, resulting in 120,141 registrations chosen in the initial selection for the FY 2026 H-1B cap.
Comparison of FY 2026 and FY 2025 Beneficiary Numbers
FY 2026 H-1B cap season saw a significant drop in eligible unique beneficiaries and registrations compared to last year. USCIS recorded approximately 339,000 unique beneficiaries, down from 442,000 in FY 2025. Similarly, the number of eligible registrations was also dramatically lower for FY 2026 (343,981) compared with FY 2025 (470,342) — a 26.9% reduction. However, the number of unique employers remained relatively stable, with 57,600 in FY 2026 versus 52,700 in FY 2025.
Employer Participation in H-1B CAP
USCIS saw a significant decrease in the total number of registrations submitted and eligible beneficiaries for FY 2026 compared to FY 2025, including a decline in the number of registrations submitted on behalf of beneficiaries with multiple registrations.
USCIS saw an average of 1.01 registrations per beneficiary this year for FY 2026, compared to 1.06 for FY 2025. This means that, on average, each beneficiary only submitted approximately one registration on their behalf. This data indicates that there were far fewer attempts at multiple registrations for one person than in prior years, particularly due to the USCIS’s implementation of the beneficiary-centric selection process in FY 2025.
This chart shows registration and selection numbers for fiscal years 2021-2026:
Cap Fiscal Year
Total Registrations
Eligible Registrations*
Eligible Registrations for Beneficiaries with No Other Eligible Registrations
Eligible Registrations for Beneficiaries with Multiple Eligible Registrations
Selected Registrations
2021
274,237
269,424
241,299
28,125
124,415
2022
308,613
301,447
211,304
90,143
131,924
2023
483,927
474,421
309,241
165,180
127,600
2024
780,884
758,994
350,103
408,891
188,400
2025
479,953
470,342
423,028
47,314
135,137
2026
345,737
343,981
336,153
7,828
120,141
Approximately 35.3% of those registered in FY 2026 were selected, a higher selection rate than in prior cap years. Approximately 29% of unique beneficiaries were selected in FY 2025, and 24.8% of eligible registrations were selected in the FY 2024 cap season.
Will there be a second H-1B CAP lottery for FY 2026?
The last day to file an H-1B CAP case for FY 2026 is June 30, 2025. If USCIS fails to receive enough petitions from the selected beneficiaries to meet the annual 85,000 H-1B quota, it will hold a second lottery.
Looking Ahead
Employers must file H-1B CAP petitions by June 30, 2025. If USCIS does not receive enough petitions to meet the statutory cap of 85,000, it may conduct a second lottery. This shift toward fewer multiple registrations and higher selection rates could reshape employer strategies in future years. Stakeholders should monitor USCIS announcements closely to anticipate further procedural changes and ensure timely petition submissions.
Content in this publication is for informational purposes only and not intended as legal advice, nor should it be relied on as such. If you want guidance on how this information may impact your particular situation and are a client of the Corporate Immigration Partners, PC, consult your attorney. If you are not a CIP client, consult another qualified professional. This website does not create an attorney-client relationship with CIP.
