Demand for H-1B continues unabated, with USCIS receiving 3.4L registrations against a quota of 85K

The demand for H-1B visas remains high, far outstripping the annual quota of 85,000 (which includes Masters’ Cap of 20,000).

US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) received 3,43,981 eligible H-1B cap registrations for the 2026 fiscal (ending Sept 30, 2026) of which 7,828 were for beneficiaries with multiple registrations. The registration period was open from March 7 up to March 24. Eligible registrations for the 2025 fiscal were 4,70,342, of which 47,314 were for beneficiaries with multiple registrations. Indian beneficiaries (those sponsored for visa) typically account for almost 60% new registrations.

The number of eligible registrations have fallen by 27% over the past year, with the number of beneficiaries with multiple registrations (those having more than one job offer) declining 83%. However, this is not due to lack of appetite for H-1B workers. USCIS says, “We believe the decreased numbers indicate fraud investigations and beneficiary-centric selection process have been effective integrity measures.”

The beneficiary-centric registration system was introduced for 2025 fiscal to combat gaming the system where some companies submitted multiple registrations on behalf of the same beneficiary — greater the number of registrations submitted on behalf of an individual, higher the chances of being selected in a lottery. Now, each beneficiary is entered into the H-1B cap lottery selection process once, regardless of how many registrations were submitted on his/her behalf.

On the possibility of a second lottery in fiscal 2026, experts said a clearer picture will emerge in July or later, after the visa applications are filed for the selected beneficiaries.

If the annual quota falls short, a second lottery is conducted from the existing registration-pool itself.