Foreign professionals eyeing a career in the US are already preparing for the 2026 H-1B visa season, with registrations open from March 7 to March 24, 2025. The US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) will continue using a beneficiary-centric selection process, aimed at preventing system manipulation by considering each beneficiary only once, regardless of multiple employer registrations.
Key changes for the 2026 H-1B process
- Registration period: March 7–24, 2025
- Registration fee: $215 per beneficiary
- Selection process: Random selection of unique beneficiaries, not registrations
- Notification deadline: March 31, 2025
This system overhaul has significantly reduced the number of registrations. In FY 2025, USCIS received 470,342 eligible registrations—down 38.6% from the 758,994 in FY 2024. The average registrations per beneficiary also dropped from 1.70 to 1.06, indicating reduced duplicate filings.
Step-by-step process for employers and applicants
- Employers register beneficiaries online via the USCIS portal.
- USCIS selects unique beneficiaries through its new system.
- Selected beneficiaries receive notifications via their USCIS accounts.
- Employers file H-1B cap-subject petitions for selected candidates.
India’s dominance in the H-1B landscape
The H-1B visa remains a critical pathway for Indian professionals. In FY 2023, Indian workers received 72.3% of all H-1B visas, while 28% of international student jobs in the US went to Indian graduates.
Currently, the US issues 65,000 H-1B visas annually under the general cap, plus 20,000 additional visas for advanced degree holders from US institutions.
Trump’s return: A policy shake-up ahead?
With Donald Trump back in the White House, international workers and students could see major shifts in immigration policies. His administration may tighten H-1B rules, impose new visa restrictions, and modify the Optional Practical Training (OPT) program, which allows students to work after graduation.
However, Trump has also proposed a Gold Card initiative, designed to help US companies retain top foreign talent from elite American universities—a move that could benefit high-skilled workers in critical industries.
As the 2026 H-1B visa process kicks off, foreign professionals and employers are bracing for both opportunities and challenges in the evolving US immigration landscape.
