120,000 H-1B applications selected for FY2026; 27% down from FY2025
What's the story
The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has announced that 120,141 H-1B visa applications have been selected for the fiscal year 2026.
This number is a significant drop from previous years, with a 27% decrease in eligible registrations compared to FY 2025.
The total number of registrations received by USCIS this year was 358,737, out of which only 343,981 were deemed eligible.
Registration trends
Single registrations dominate H-1B applications
The majority of eligible applications, about 336,153, were submitted with single registrations. This is a stark contrast to previous years, where multiple registrations were more common.
The lottery system picked around 35% of all eligible registrations this year.
Despite the drop in applications, participation from employers remained steady, with approximately 57,600 involved in FY 2026 compared to 52,700 in FY 2025.
Industry demand
H-1B visa's popularity in tech and finance sectors
The H-1B visa continues to be popular in the technology, finance, and education sectors.
In FY 2024 alone, major companies such as Amazon, Google, and Meta received thousands of these visas.
The yearly cap for new H-1B visas is 65,000, with an additional 20,000 for US master's degree holders or higher.
Industry response
H-1B visa numbers remain high despite tech layoffs
Despite mass tech layoffs and voter backlash, demand for H-1B visas remains high.
US Tech Workers, a group critical of the H-1B scheme, expressed their views on the social media platform X.
They said: "H-1B visa numbers for FY 2026: Despite mass tech layoffs and voter backlash—especially after the Christmas H-1B uproar—the Trump team stays hands-off: 120,141 NEW H-1Bs selected for FY2026."