A new trend has emerged in this year’s H-1B visa selection process for 2027. The strike rate for US companies filing registrations to hire foreign workers has increased compared to previous years.
According to preliminary results shared with Bloomberg Law by immigration firms, US businesses this year saw selection rates for highly talented foreign workers soar to previously unheard-of levels in the annual H-1B visa season 2027, following years of declining odds.
Immigration firms in the United States record high selection rates for its clients, who are US companies preparing to file petitions for foreign workers under the H-1B visa program. The 2027 H-1B visa petition filing season has commenced and ends on June 30.
So, what’s happening on the ground? The boost to lottery winnings signals that Trump administration employment-based immigration policies are upending the tech-heavy visa program not just by favoring the highest-paid workers, but by sharply reducing the pool of prospective H-1B workers, too, wrote Andrew Kreighbaum, Bloomberg Law, in his recent report.
What are immigration firms saying? Several leading immigration firms and legal service providers reported selection rates of well over 50% in several circumstances, up from one out of every three selection opportunities in previous years. Kelli Duehning, partner, BAL, a commercial immigration law firm, told Kreighbaum that in the case of some clients, the selection rates topped 60%.
What has changed the landscape of the H-1B work visa program is the introduction of a $100,000 petition fee.
According to Bloomberg Law, the $100,000 petition fee had already stifled practically all overseas hiring through the program for universities and hospitals. The high exorbitant fee might have also led IT firms, which accounted for four out of every ten new H-1B employees in recent years, to opt out of hiring from abroad.
What is the $100,000 H-1B petition fee?
Starting September 21, all US employers were mandated to pay a $100,000 fee with all new H-1B petitions, while hiring foreign workers. At the time when this new H-1B rule was introduced, FE Online did a story on how existing H-1B holders in the US could become hot recruits for US firms. Kreighbaum’s report also points towards this advantage, saying, “But it was a boon to workers already in the US whose companies opted to enter them in the annual visa lottery.”
As investments in artificial intelligence increase, firms are prioritizing fewer senior hires, according to Xiao Wang, CEO of Boundless Immigration, as reported by Bloomberg Law. Wang noted that many companies are adopting a “wait and see” approach to sponsoring foreign workers following recent policy changes, resulting in fewer entries for this year’s lottery.
For Boundless customers who entered workers, there were the highest selection rates in a decade, particularly at top wage levels, indicating a clearer strategy for successfully navigating the H-1B lottery and retaining valuable foreign workers, according to Wang.
Wage-Based Selection Impact
The other big new rule was the introduction of the wage-based selection process with a four-level wage system for H-1B positions, based on the worker’s experience and job requirements. Registrations for unique beneficiaries or petitions assigned wage level IV or those with higher wages are entered into the selection pool four times, increasing their chance of selection.
DHS estimated that the probability of being selected to file H-1B cap-subject petitions under the new weighted selection by wage level would be 15.29%, 30.58%, 45.87% and 61.16% for level I, level II, level III, and level IV, respectively.
Alejandra Zapatero from Erickson Immigration Group explained to Bloomberg Law that the weighted selection framework did not just impact the number of companies sponsoring workers, but also influenced the method of selection. The firm’s largest clients experienced selection rates between 44% and 71%, with rates exceeding 75% for individuals holding master’s degrees at the highest wage level, indicating the framework met its objectives.
Big Picture
H-1B registration has become more disciplined, with employers now prioritizing specialized roles and higher wage levels due to increased registration fees and stricter anti-fraud measures, moving away from indiscriminate filings.
USCIS has not yet released the data related to the 2027 H-1B initial registration period that closed on March 19. In H-1B season 2026, there were 343,981 eligible registrations, of which 120,141 were selected for filing petitions. How the 2027 H-1B season pans out remains to be seen.
Disclaimer: This article is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute legal, immigration, or tax advice. Immigration laws and government policies are subject to frequent change without notice. While we strive to provide accurate updates, readers are strongly advised to verify the latest requirements with the official embassy, consulate, or government portal of the respective country.