USCIS Releases Data on FY 2026 H-1B CAP Selection Rates

USCIS Announces H-1B CAP Selection Numbers for FY 2026 

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has released the selection numbers for the FY 2026 H-1B CAP season. This year, USCIS received approximately 336,153 unique beneficiaries, ultimately selecting 118,660 unique beneficiaries, resulting in 120,141 selected registrations 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 decrease in the number of registrations submitted on behalf of beneficiaries with multiple registrations.  

Overall, 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 had approximately one registration submitted 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’ implementation of the beneficiary centric selection process in FY2025.   

This chart shows registration and selection numbers for fiscal years 2021-2026: 

In FY 2026, 35.3% of registered applicants were selected, reflecting an increase compared to previous cap years. The selection rate was 29% for unique beneficiaries in FY 2025 and 24.8% for eligible registrations in FY 2024.

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. 

CIP.PC. Predictions   

We do not anticipate hearing about a potential second lottery until mid-late summer at the earliest, as the filing window closes on June 30, 2025. In the event of a second lottery, USCIS will make an announcement, and no action would be required on behalf of the company or the sponsored beneficiary, as USCIS would pull from the existing pool of beneficiaries. 

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