H-1B visa 2026 registrations fall 27% as US tightens rules for immigrants

The number of H-1B visa registrations for the financial year 2026 dropped sharply compared to the previous year, according to new data from the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).

USCIS reported a 26.9 per cent decline in eligible registrations — from 470,342 for FY2025 to 343,981 for FY2026. The total number of individuals seeking new H-1B visas also fell. There were approximately 336,000 eligible unique beneficiaries this year, down from around 423,000 last year.