Weighted Selection Process for Registrants and Petitioners Seeking To File Cap-Subject H-1B Petitions
Agency: Homeland Security Department
Document #: 2025-23853
Published: December 29, 2025
Effective: February 27, 2026
Docket: CIS No. 2847-26
Who this affects
- H-1B specialty workers
- U.S. employers filing H-1B petitions
Inferred from the official title and Federal Register summary. Confirm on the official document — not legal advice.
Summary
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is amending its regulations governing the process by which U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) selects H-1B registrations for unique beneficiaries for filing of H-1B cap-subject petitions (or H-1B petitions for any year in which the registration requirement is suspended). Through this rule, DHS is implementing a weighted selection process that will generally favor the allocation of H-1B visas to higher-skilled and higher-paid aliens, while maintaining the opportunity for employers to secure H-1B workers at all wage levels, to better serve the congressional intent for the H-1B program. This rule will be effective in time for the FY 2027 registration season.
