EB-3 vs H-1B 2026: H-1B FY2027 Registrations Plunge 38.5% to 211,600

USCIS has released the official H-1B registration figures for FY2027, showing a dramatic and continued decline in applicant volume. Only 211,600 unique registrations were submitted for FY2027, compared to 343,981 in FY2026 — a drop of approximately 38.5% in a single year. The multi-year trend underscores just how sharply interest in the H-1B lottery has contracted. From a peak of roughly 759,000 registrations in FY2024, the numbers have fallen each consecutive cycle: ~470,000 in FY2025, ~344,000 in FY2026, and now ~212,000 in FY2027 — a cumulative decline of about 72% from the high-water mark. With the annual H-1B cap fixed at 85,000 visas (65,000 regular cap plus 20,000 U.S. advanced degree exemption), a smaller registrant pool directly improves individual selection probability. Applicants who did register for FY2027 face meaningfully better odds than those who entered in FY2024. For EB-3 applicants and those weighing immigration pathways, this shift is worth monitoring. As H-1B lottery odds fluctuate with registration volume, some workers may reassess whether employer-sponsored green card routes like EB-3 offer a more predictable path to permanent residence than repeated H-1B lottery attempts. The data was shared on Reddit r/USCIS and is consistent with public USCIS reporting. No official explanation for the declining registration trend has been issued.