H-1B Visa Registrations Drop 26.5% Amid USCIS Reforms and Fee Hike

The U.S. H-1B visa program has seen a major shift in 2025, as the number of eligible registrations for the FY2026 lottery cycle dropped significantly. According to data released by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), eligible entries declined to 343,981 in March 2025, a steep fall from 470,342 the previous year. This represents the lowest number of eligible registrations in four years, pointing to notable changes in how companies are now navigating the visa process.

Reforms Drive Down Registrations

The decline is largely attributed to recent U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) reforms aimed at eliminating system abuse. The updated rules, now in their second year, are designed to ensure fairness by giving “each worker an equal chance of selection, regardless of how many times different employers submit applications on their behalf.” This overhaul has been instrumental in reducing manipulation through duplicate entries.

In FY2025, duplicate registrations accounted for over 50% of the entries. This year, however, they made up just over 2% of eligible entries, clearly showing that the stricter framework is making a significant impact. Still, even among individuals with single registrations, numbers have gone down, contributing to a 26.5% overall reduction compared to last year.

Registration Fee Increase Also a Factor

The FY2026 H-1B selection cycle also introduced a major fee hike. The registration fee increased from $10 to $215 per applicant, marking the first time this higher fee structure was applied. While the number of entries has dropped, the total registrations still far exceed the annual cap of 85,000 visas allotted for specialized roles.

Growing Visa Scrutiny at Ports of Entry

Meanwhile, concerns have emerged around increasing immigration enforcement. Reports suggest that several H-1B visa holders returning from India were either denied re-entry or had their visas canceled at U.S. ports of entry. These incidents, which included both H-1B and B1 visa categories, highlight the rising difficulties faced even by workers who are fully compliant with visa regulations.

H-1B Program Still Critical to U.S. Tech Industry

The H-1B visa remains a cornerstone of the U.S. immigration system, especially for tech firms looking to hire skilled professionals from abroad. Initially restructured under the Trump administration, the program is now undergoing further revisions as authorities work to “balance national interest with workforce needs.”

Conclusion

The steep decline in eligible H‑1B registrations for FY 2026 underscores how quickly policy changes can reshape the U.S. skilled‑immigration landscape. USCIS’s revamped lottery rules have largely succeeded in eliminating duplicate submissions—dropping them from more than half of last year’s entries to just 2 percent—thereby restoring fairness but simultaneously shrinking the overall applicant pool by 26.5 percent.

The sharp increase in the registration fee to $215 has added another filter, signaling that future access to the program will carry a higher financial commitment. Yet even after these reductions, demand still outstrips the annual 85,000‑visa cap, attesting to the visa’s enduring importance for companies that rely on global talent.

At the same time, troubling reports of visa denials at U.S. ports of entry highlight mounting scrutiny that even compliant professionals must navigate. As legislators and regulators continue to fine‑tune the system, employers and foreign workers alike will need to adapt quickly to an evolving—and more costly—H‑1B environment.