U.S. Immigration Alerts

FGI UPDATE: This Week’s Summary of U.S. Immigration News

Reminder: FY 2027 Cap Registration Began March 4; Ends March 19, 2026

The United States has begun the H-1B cap registration process for Fiscal Year (FY) 2027, allowing employers to register foreign national workers for potential H-1B sponsorship. The electronic registration window runs from March 4, 2026, to March 19, 2026, and employers must submit registrations through the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) online system.

Key Points

• Registration Period and Process Employers may submit H-1B cap registrations through the USCIS online portal from March 4, 2026, at noon Eastern Time until March 19, 2026, at noon Eastern Time. All registrations must be completed electronically during this window, and late submissions will not be accepted. 
• New Wage-Based Weighted Selection System For the FY 2027 cap season, the traditional random lottery is being replaced with a weighted selection system based on wage levels. Workers offered higher wages under the Department of Labor’s four-tier wage structure will receive more entries in the lottery, increasing their chances of selection. 
• Beneficiary-Centric Selection Continues USCIS will again use a beneficiary-centric system, meaning each foreign national is entered into the selection pool only once regardless of how many employers register them. Applicants must provide valid passport or travel document information, which serves as the unique identifier for the registration. 
• Annual Cap and Lottery Structure Demand for H-1B visas typically exceeds the annual quota of 85,000 visas, including 65,000 under the regular cap and 20,000 for individuals with U.S. master’s degrees. USCIS will conduct two selection rounds to meet these quotas once the registration period closes. 
• Petition Filing Timeline Employers whose registrations are selected in the lottery will be eligible to file H-1B petitions beginning April 1, 2026. The filing period will last at least 90 days, and selected beneficiaries would generally begin employment on October 1, 2026.

What US Employers Need to Know

• Accurate Wage Level Determination Is Essential Because the new weighted system relies on wage levels, employers must know the intended work location, SOC code, and other details necessary to determine the correct prevailing wage level for each role. This classification will directly influence the number of entries a beneficiary receives in the selection process.
• Passport Information Requirement Each registration must include valid passport or travel document details for the beneficiary at the time of submission. If multiple registrations are submitted under different documents, all entries for that individual could be invalidated. 
• Potential Additional Filing Costs In some circumstances, a $100,000 fee may apply at the petition stage for certain H-1B filings if change-of-status approval is not possible. Employers should review potential cost implications when planning sponsorship strategies.

Kristi Noem to be Replaced by Markwayne Mullin as Secretary of Homeland Security, Effective March 31, 2026

• President Donald Trump announced on Thursday, March 5, 2026, that he will nominate U.S. Senator Markwayne Mullin of Oklahoma to become the next Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), replacing Kristi Noem. The change follows growing controversy surrounding Noem’s leadership and her recent congressional testimony, and it represents one of the most significant personnel changes in Trump’s second administration. 
• Under the plan, Mullin would take over the role on March 31, 2026, while Noem moves to a newly created diplomatic-style position called “Special Envoy for the Shield of the Americas,” focused on regional security initiatives in the Western Hemisphere.
• Markwayne Mullin is a Republican senator from Oklahoma and a strong political ally of Trump. He previously served in the U.S. House of Representatives from 2013 to 2023 and is a member of the Cherokee Nation.