On May 13, 2025, USCIS released the FY26 H-1B data, reporting on 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 number of unique employers this year for FY 2026 (approximately 57,600) was comparable to the number last year for FY 2025 (approximately 52,700).
- The number of eligible unique beneficiaries this year for FY 2026 (approximately 336,000) was significantly lower than the number last year for FY 2025 (approximately 423,000).
- The number of eligible registrations was also dramatically lower for FY 2026 (343,981) compared with FY 2025 (470,342) — a 26.9% reduction.
- Through a random selection process, USCIS selected 118,660 unique beneficiaries, resulting in 120,141 selected registrations in the initial selection for the FY 2026 H-1B cap
This chart shows registration and selection numbers for fiscal years 2021-26:
| Cap Fiscal Year | Total Registrations | Eligible Registrations* | Eligible Registrations for Beneficiaries with No Other Eligible Registrations | Eligible Registrations for Beneficiaries with Multiple Eligible Registrations | Selected Registrations |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 |
*The count of eligible registrations excludes duplicate registrations, those deleted by the prospective employer before the registration period closed, those denied for having invalid passport or travel document information, and those with failed payments.
Recent Changes to the H-1B Cap Process
For the FY 2025 and FY 2026, USCIS implemented the beneficiary-centric selection process under the final rule Improving the H-1B Registration Selection Process and Program Integrity.
Based on evidence from the FY 2023 and FY 2024 H-1B cap seasons, USCIS took on extensive fraud investigations, denied and revoked petitions accordingly, and continue to make law enforcement referrals for criminal prosecution. Similarly, USCIS is reviewing the FY 2025 data and will review the FY 2026 data for any attempts to gain an unfair advantage through the beneficiary-centric selection process. If applicable, we will deny or revoke any petitions and make law enforcement referrals for criminal prosecution accordingly.
Erickson Insights & Analysis
Erickson Immigration Group will continue to monitor developments and share updates as more news is available. Please contact your employer or EIG attorney if you have questions about anything we’re reporting above or case-specific questions.
