FY2026 H-1B application selections see a decrease of 27% compared to the previous year, with approximately 120k applications selected for adjudication.
Update on H-1B Visa Applications for Fiscal Year 2026
In a significant shift, the Trump administration has selected 120,141 H-1B visa applications for the upcoming 2026 financial year, according to new data from the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). This represents a substantial decrease in the number of applications compared to the previous fiscal year.
The total registrations and eligible applicants for H-1B visas dropped sharply this year, with USCIS receiving 358,737 registrations, of which 343,981 were deemed eligible. This is a 27% decrease compared to the 470,342 eligible registrations in FY 2025.
Only approximately 336,000 people submitted applications this year, a notable decrease from the 423,000 applications submitted last year. This drop could be due to decreased interest or stricter rules implementing by the USCIS.
Interestingly, most of the eligible applications, around 336,153, came from individuals who submitted only one registration. This is a significant shift from earlier years when multiple registrations were more common.
The lottery system used to select H-1B applications this year chosen about 35% of all eligible registrations. Compared to the 52,700 participants in FY 2025, around 57,600 employers took part in FY 2026. However, the number of unique applicants was significantly lower this year.
The average number of registrations per person also dropped, showing that most applicants had only one entry.
The H-1B visa remains popular in tech, finance, and education sectors, with companies like Amazon, Google, and Meta receiving thousands of visas each year. Despite tougher immigration policies under the Trump administration, the real impact on H-1B applications may not be fully realized until next year.
Even though Donald Trump has advocated for stricter immigration policies, reforms like increased scrutiny, stricter policies, and potential reforms to the H-1B lottery system could impact the visa application process moving forward. The administration is likely to continue prioritizing "Buy American, Hire American" principles, which may benefit larger companies while challenging smaller firms and IT outsourcing services in the future.
- Amidst the reduced H-1B visa applications for the financial year 2026, the tech, finance, and education sectors in India, particularly companies like Amazon, Google, and Meta, continue to show interest in the visa.
- While the Trump administration's stricter immigration policies may have contributed to the decrease in H-1B visa applications, the potential impact on these applications may not be fully realized until the next financial year.
- In light of the strictened H-1B visa application process and various reforms, such as increased scrutiny and changes to the lottery system, political and business analysts are closely watching how this will impact smaller firms and IT outsourcing services.
- In the general news, discussions of the future of education in India are gaining attention as the H-1B visa application numbers continue to decline, possibly leading to less participation from international students in the coming years.
