How many H-1B applications are filed each year? People ask this every season, usually when deciding how worried to be about the lottery. USCIS publishes real numbers, and they tell a clear story, though the most recent year is not in the table yet.
As of October 31, 2026, here is what the official data shows, and what it does not.
- FY 2026 had 358,737 total registrations and 343,981 eligible registrations.
- USCIS selected 120,141 registrations for FY 2026.
- Eligible registrations fell 26.9% from 470,342 in FY 2025.
- FY 2024 was the peak in USCIS's table, with 780,884 total registrations.
- USCIS reports about 339,000 eligible unique beneficiaries for FY 2026.
- USCIS reached the FY 2027 cap, but its table does not yet show FY 2027 counts.
What does USCIS report?
These are the figures from USCIS's own table, for FY 2021 through FY 2026 (USCIS, H-1B Electronic Registration Process):
| Cap year | Total registrations | Eligible registrations | Eligible, single registration | Eligible, multiple registrations | Selected |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | 358,737 | 343,981 | 336,153 | 7,828 | 120,141 |
Note the wording. These are registrations for the cap lottery. They are not petitions filed, and they are not people granted H-1B status.
What about FY 2027?
We did not find a count. USCIS's table stops at FY 2026, and its update for the most recent year says only that it "has received enough petitions to reach the congressionally mandated 65,000 H-1B visa regular cap and the 20,000 H-1B visa U.S. advanced degree exemption, known as the master's cap, for FY 2027" (USCIS, H-1B Electronic Registration Process). The cap notice is dated July 17, 2026 (USCIS, Reaches FY 2027 Cap).
If you see a precise FY 2027 number online, look for its source. It may come from a news report or a commercial estimate rather than the USCIS table, and it may not be directly comparable.
Why have the numbers changed so much?
USCIS points to two things. It says for FY 2026 "we saw a significant decrease in the total number of registrations submitted and eligible beneficiaries compared to FY 2025, including a decrease in the number of registrations submitted on behalf of beneficiaries with multiple registrations."
The table shows it clearly. In FY 2024, multiple registrations made up 408,891 of the eligible total. By FY 2026, that had fallen to 7,828. USCIS also says "there was an average of 1.01 registrations per beneficiary this year for FY 2026, compared to 1.06 for FY 2025." It reports:
- "The number of unique employers for FY 2026 (approximately 57,600) was comparable to the number for FY 2025 (approximately 52,700)."
- "The number of eligible unique beneficiaries for FY 2026 (approximately 339,000) was significantly lower than the number for FY 2025 (approximately 442,000)."
- "The number of eligible registrations was also dramatically lower for FY 2026 (343,981) compared with FY 2025 (470,342)," which it calls a 26.9% reduction.
The selection itself also changed. USCIS now selects by unique beneficiary, not by each registration. We could not find USCIS assigning the entire fall to any one cause, so treat explanations from elsewhere as opinions.
What are the odds?
The averages are a starting point, not your answer. Using the table, 120,141 selections out of 343,981 eligible registrations is about 35% for FY 2026. That is our arithmetic, not a USCIS figure.
Two warnings apply. First, the master's cap has its own second step, so people with U.S. advanced degrees have had better odds than people without one. Second, FY 2027 changed the rules. "When random selection is required because USCIS receives more registrations than projected to be needed to meet the numerical allocations, USCIS will conduct a weighted selection," and "registrations for unique beneficiaries or petitions assigned wage level IV are entered into the selection pool 4 times" (USCIS, H-1B Cap Season).
So there is no longer one lottery rate. A level I registration and a level IV registration have different chances, even in the same year. Our guide to the weighted H-1B lottery explains the mechanics.
Why does USCIS select more than 85,000?
Because it expects some selected registrations not to turn into approved petitions. The cap is 65,000 plus 20,000, but USCIS selected 120,141 for FY 2026. Selection is an invitation to file, not an approval. A registration can be selected, yet the employer might not file, or a petition might be denied.
The status page helps explain the rest. "Selected to file an H-1B cap petition" is one status. Others are "Submitted," "Not Selected," "Denied" and "Invalidated failed payment." A registration "remains eligible, unless subsequently invalidated, for selection in any" later round, so being unselected in the first round is not always final for the year.
What is the difference between a registration, a petition and an H-1B worker?
These three numbers are often mixed up, and they are very different.
| Term | What it means |
|---|---|
| Registration | An employer's entry into the cap selection for one person, with a $215 fee for FY 2027 |
| Selected registration | Permission to file a cap petition for that person |
| Petition | The Form I-129 filed after selection, with its own decision |
| H-1B worker | Someone actually in the status, which also includes earlier years and cap-exempt workers |
So headlines that compare registrations to the 85,000 cap are not comparing like with like. The table measures demand for the cap lottery only. Many H-1B workers in the United States today never appear in a given year's registration figure, because they were selected in an earlier year or their employer is exempt. If you want the view by employer, the USCIS H-1B Employer Data Hub reports approvals by company.
What can a worker do with this data?
Use it for planning, not prediction.
- Do not build a plan that depends on one lottery. Our guide on what to do if you lose the H-1B lottery covers alternatives.
- Ask your employer about wage level early. It now matters directly for selection. Our guide to preparing for FY 2028 covers that.
- Look at cap-exempt options. "Petitions filed by U.S. institutions of higher education are cap exempt," which removes the lottery altogether.
- Consider status options that are not capped. O-1 and certain other categories have their own requirements.
When will the next season open?
USCIS has not published dates for FY 2028 on the pages we checked. For FY 2027 the timeline was: registration "opens at noon Eastern" on March 4, closes on March 19, selection notices by March 31, and petitions from April 1. Those dates are a guide to the usual pattern, not a promise for next year. Rules can also change: DHS has proposed a further fee for cap-subject petitions, and that proposal is not final (91 FR 54817).
What this means for you
- Use the USCIS table as your baseline, and check it again when FY 2027 data appears.
- Treat the 35% figure as an average for an older, unweighted year.
- Ask about your wage level; it now shapes your odds.
- Do not rely on a single employer or lottery for your long-term plan.
Where to start
If you would rather not rely on a lottery, our free evaluation at /evaluate/ checks whether EB-1A or the NIW fits your profile, and Frank, our AI assistant at /frank, helps you build the evidence. Petitions are reviewed and filed by our partner law firm, Lai & Turner.
Sources
All checked October 31, 2026.
- USCIS, H-1B Electronic Registration Process. Historical table; FY 2026 analysis; statuses; FY 2027 dates.
- USCIS, Reaches FY 2027 Cap. Cap reached notice.
- USCIS, H-1B Cap Season. Cap numbers; weighted selection; exemptions.
- 91 FR 54817 (Aug. 25, 2026). Proposed fee.
Frequently asked questions
How many H-1B applications were filed for 2027?
As of October 31, 2026, we did not find an official FY 2027 registration count on USCIS's H-1B pages, whose historical table ends at FY 2026. USCIS has said it received enough petitions to reach the 65,000 regular cap and the 20,000 master's cap for FY 2027. Numbers you see elsewhere may be estimates, so check their source.
How many H-1B registrations were there for FY 2026?
USCIS lists 358,737 total registrations and 343,981 eligible registrations for FY 2026. It selected 120,141. It also estimates about 339,000 eligible unique beneficiaries and about 57,600 unique employers, with an average of 1.01 registrations per beneficiary, compared with 1.06 in FY 2025. The eligible count fell 26.9% from the prior year.
What are the chances of getting selected in the H-1B lottery?
The chance is no longer the same for everyone. In FY 2026, 120,141 selections against 343,981 eligible registrations is about 35%, by our arithmetic. Since FY 2027, selection is weighted by wage level when random selection is needed, with level IV entered four times and level I once, so simple averages can mislead. Your own odds depend on the wage level.
Why did H-1B registrations drop after FY 2024?
USCIS now selects by unique beneficiary, so extra registrations for the same person no longer add chances. Its table shows a sharp fall in multiple registrations, from 408,891 in FY 2024 to 7,828 in FY 2026. Other factors may also matter, and we did not find USCIS attributing the whole drop to a single cause, so treat outside explanations with care.
Why are more than 85,000 registrations selected?
Because not every selection becomes an approved cap petition. Some employers do not file, and some petitions are denied or withdrawn. USCIS selects more than the 85,000 cap numbers to reach the limit, and it can run further rounds if needed. FY 2026 had 120,141 selected registrations against 85,000 available numbers.
Green Card Guide AI is not a law firm and this article is not legal advice. It describes evidence-building strategy in general terms; your attorney determines what belongs in your petition and how it's argued.
