The US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has announced that the H-1B visa cap for Fiscal Year 2027 has been reached. The agency received enough petitions to fill the annual limit of 85,000 new H-1B visas.
The yearly cap includes 65,000 visas under the regular quota and 20,000 visas reserved for applicants with advanced degrees from US institutions, also known as the master’s cap.
This marks the first H-1B selection cycle under changes introduced by the Donald Trump administration. The revised system is expected to give greater priority to higher-paid and more experienced professionals, replacing the earlier lottery-based approach.
The H-1B visa allows US employers to hire foreign professionals in specialised fields such as information technology, engineering, healthcare, and finance. Indian professionals remain among the largest beneficiaries of the programme each year.
For Indian applicants who were not selected in this cycle, they may need to wait for the next H-1B filing season or explore other US work visa options if eligible. Employers and applicants are advised to follow future USCIS announcements for updates on immigration policies and visa procedures.