Summary:
The H-1B electronic registration system starts March 4, 2026. The upcoming wage-weighted selection rule turns cap season into a strategic moment for employers. Thoughtful legal guidance helps companies choose whom to register, align wage levels and roles with business goals, and keep every selected case strong from registration through approval ensuring the greatest chance at selection and ultimately H1-B visa approval. .
Each spring, the H-1B cap season condenses hiring plans into a narrow online registration window. Employers move quickly, yet every data point in that registration can affect a future petition.
USCIS now requires employers to use a myUSCIS online account and submit brief electronic registrations during a defined filing period of at least 14 days. A per-beneficiary registration fee, currently $215, applies to each cap-subject H-1B candidate. Treating it like simple form-filling leaves value on the table especially now that we need to insert Wage levels and SOC codes.
A law firm treats that window as a planning event. Counsel helps HR and talent leaders decide which roles truly need a cap-subject H-1B, how many candidates to put forward, and which individuals fit long-term workforce priorities.
What a Law Firm Adds to Electronic Registration
A strong immigration team approaches registration as portfolio design, not paperwork.
Counsel helps you decide which roles truly require cap-subject H-1B status and which candidates carry the greatest long-term impact. That assessment includes reviewing degree fields, job duties, and career paths so the employer invests registration slots in positions that can withstand H-1B scrutiny later.
On the process side, counsel builds a calendar that aligns internal approvals, Labor Condition Application filings, document collection, and registration submissions. Templates and checklists reduce data errors across HR, talent acquisition, and finance teams. That coordination gives every selected registration a better chance of turning into an approved petition on time.
The New Weighted Selection Rule: Strategy Around Wage Levels
On December 23, 2025, DHS issued a final rule that replaces a purely random H-1B cap selection with a wage-weighted system, effective February 27, 2026 and first used for the FY 2027 cap. Each unique beneficiary still enters a single selection pool, but the number of “entries” depends on the offered Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) wage level: Level I once, Level II twice, Level III three times, and Level IV four times.
The rule also requires employers to provide the SOC code, wage level, and area of intended employment in the registration, and then prove that information at the petition stage. USCIS may deny or revoke when those details shift in ways that appear to game the system.
A law firm helps you calibrate this environment. Counsel works with compensation teams to set defensible wage levels, align job descriptions with SOC codes, and evaluate whether adjustments to salary bands support both business goals and selection odds without creating downstream compliance issues.
Turn H-1B Season Into a Talent Advantage
For employers that want a deliberate approach to H-1B hiring, Pollak PLLC offers strategic advice on cap-season planning, electronic registration, and long-term workforce design. To discuss how the weighted selection rule and electronic registration affect your organization’s hiring plans, contact Pollak PLLC at (214) 305-2266.
H-1B Registration FAQ
What is the H-1B electronic registration process?
It is an online system where employers submit brief registrations for each prospective H-1B worker during a defined filing window, instead of filing full petitions for everyone. USCIS runs the cap selection from this pool, and only selected registrations may move forward to full petition filing.
How does the new weighted rule change selection?
Beginning with FY 2027, each unique beneficiary will be entered into the selection pool multiple times based on the offered OEWS wage level, with higher wage levels receiving more entries. Higher-paid roles gain better odds, although all wage levels retain access.
When should employers start planning for FY 2027 H-1B cap cases?
Employers benefit from starting at least several months before USCIS announces the registration window. That lead time allows internal teams and counsel to finalize job descriptions, determine wage levels, collect documents, and resolve SOC and LCA questions before registrations open.
