Too Late For H-1B Visa 2026? Here's What It Means For Thousands Of Indians?

US Visa:  The US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has officially announced that it has received enough petitions to meet the H-1B visa cap for fiscal year 2026. The cap includes 65,000 regular H-1B visas and an additional 20,000 under the master’s cap for individuals holding advanced degrees from US institutions.

This development means no new H-1B cap-subject petitions will be accepted for FY 2026. The next registration window will open in March 2026 for the FY 2027 cycle, with selected candidates eligible to begin work no earlier than October 1, 2026.

What This Means For Indian Applicants?

The announcement carries significant implications for Indian nationals, who consistently form the largest share of H-1B recipients. According to USCIS data, 343,981 eligible H-1B cap registrations were received for FY 2026, with 7,828 individuals submitting multiple registrations. Only 120,141 registrations were selected.

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This marks a sharp drop from FY 2025, which saw 470,342 eligible registrations.USCIS noted a 26.9% decline in eligible registrations year-over-year and a reduction in multiple entries, suggesting tighter screening to prevent system manipulation.For Indian professionals aiming to work in the US, this means that unlessalready selected in the recent lottery, they must wait until the next application cycle in 2026.

Which Petitions Are Still Accepted?

While the cap has been met, USCIS clarified that it will continue to accept cap-exempt petitions, including:

1. Extensions of stay for current H-1B workers

2. Changes in terms of employment

3. Transfers to new employers

4. Concurrent H-1B employment in additional positions

These categories apply only to individuals who have already been counted against the cap in previous years or hold valid H-1B status.

Who Is Eligible For H-1B Visa?

According to the US Department of Labor, the H-1B visa program allows employers to hire nonimmigrant workers in specialty occupations requiring the application of highly specialized knowledge and at least a bachelor’s degree or equivalent. Common fields include IT, engineering, finance, healthcare, and even fashion modeling of distinguished merit.

To qualify, employers must:

1. Demonstrate the role is a specialtyoccupation

2. Offer wages that meet or exceed the prevailing wage for the occupation and region

3. Attest that hiring an H-1B worker will not negatively affect similarly employed US workers

The intent of the H-1B program is to support industries facing skill shortages in the domestic workforce, but it has also faced criticism, particularly from American workers who claim the system enables outsourcing and wage undercutting.

What’s Next?

With the H-1B cap for FY 2026 officially reached, USCIS will not accept any new cap-subject petitions. However, filings that are exempt from the cap will continue. These include extensions for current H-1B holders, amendments to employment terms, employer transfers, and concurrent employment for those already counted under the cap.

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Employers such as universities, nonprofit research organizations, and certain government institutions—who qualify for cap exemption—can also continue to file petitions year-round. For those who missed out this year, the next window for H-1B cap registration will open in March 2026 for the FY 2027 cycle.