The H-1B visa registration for the 2026 fiscal year will be open from March 7 to March 24, as announced by the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).

This visa is essential for IT professionals and tech firms that hire thousands of skilled workers each year. It allows US companies to employ foreign professionals in specialized fields such as technology, engineering, and science.

Registration information

During the registration period, petitioners and their representatives must use a USCIS online account to electronically register each beneficiary and pay a $215 fee.

For FY 2026, the H-1B cap will follow the beneficiary-centric selection process introduced in FY 2025. This approach selects registrations based on unique beneficiaries rather than multiple entries. If USCIS receives enough unique registrations by March 24, a random selection will be conducted. Applicants will receive notifications through their USCIS online accounts by March 31.

Key changes for representatives and registrants

Representatives can add clients to their accounts at any time, but beneficiary information and payment can only be submitted starting March 7. Registering early offers no advantage, as selections are made after the registration period closes.

Registration process and account rules

Employers and representatives must register using a USCIS online account. If they previously had H-1B registrant accounts for FY 2021–FY 2024 but did not participate in FY 2025, their accounts will automatically be converted to organizational accounts on their next login. First-time registrants can create an account anytime. The Organizational Accounts FAQ page will be updated with FY 2026 information and step-by-step guides before the registration period opens.

Credit card limit increase for FY 2026

To manage the high volume of registrations, the US Department of Treasury has temporarily raised the daily credit card transaction limit from $24,999.99 to $99,999.99 for the FY 2026 H-1B cap season. Transactions exceeding this limit can be processed through Automated Clearing House (ACH). Employers using ACH should check with their banks to ensure no ACH blocks on their accounts.

Enhancements for organisational accounts

For FY 2026, several improvements have been made to organizational and representative accounts for H-1B filing, including:

• Paralegals can now work with multiple legal representatives and prepare H-1B registrations, Form I-129 petitions, and premium processing requests for different attorneys within a single paralegal account.
• An easier way for legal representatives to add paralegals to company clients.
• Pre-population of certain Form I-129 fields from selected H-1B registrations.
• The ability to prepare and upload a spreadsheet of H-1B beneficiary data to pre-populate information in registrations.

These enhancements will be available before the registration period begins.