The U.S. H-1B visa lottery is getting a makeover, and it’s a big one. Starting with the fiscal year 2027 H-1B season, the government will no longer pick H-1B registrations purely at random. Instead, a new rule will weigh the lottery to favor jobs with higher salaries. That means that if an H-1B job pays a higher wage relative to its occupation and location, it will have better odds of being selected. That said, lower-wage and entry-level positions aren’t excluded entirely; everyone still gets a shot, just not an equal one.

In this blog, we break down what’s changing, what’s staying the same, who is most impacted, and what employers can do to prepare.

What’s Changing

Starting March 2026, the H-1B lottery will give more “lottery tickets” to registrations offering higher salaries as classified by official wage levels. Each H-1B registration must now include the position’s Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) code, work location, and the corresponding DOL wage level for the offered salary. Here’s how the weighting works:

• Level I (entry-level wage) – 1 chance in the lottery (one entry)
  
  
• Level II – 2 chances
  
  
• Level III – 3 chances
  
  
• Level IV (highest wage) – 4 chances

Now, a candidate paid at Level IV gets four entries in the lottery pool, versus only one entry for a Level I wage. USCIS will then run a random, computer-generated selection from that weighted pool. Higher wage levels = more entries = higher probability of selection. But it’s still a lottery; there’s no guaranteed selection, just better odds for higher-paid positions.

This wage-level weighting is meant to “favor the allocation of H-1B visas to higher-skilled and higher-paid” workers while still “maintaining the opportunity” for employers to hire at all wage levels. In practical terms, it encourages employers to offer more competitive salaries for H-1B jobs. 

Note: Employers will be required to attest to the wage level in the H-1B registration and later prove it when filing the petition. In fact, USCIS will demand evidence that the offered salary meets the claimed wage level at the time of petition filing, and may deny the petition if it doesn’t.

Strategies for Organization in 2026

If you’re an HR professional or a business owner planning to sponsor H-1B candidates,here are some practical suggestions to help you prepare for the new wage-weighted lottery:

• Reassess wage offers and job levels: Employers may want to review how proposed salaries for H-1B roles align with Department of Labor wage levels. Because wage level now influences how registrations are weighted, understanding where a position falls can be helpful for planning. In some cases, modest differences in compensation may place a role in a higher wage bracket, which can affect how it is categorized during registration.
  
  It may also be useful to account for routine annual wage updates, which often take effect around October 1 when new prevailing wage data and adjustments are published. Looking ahead to these expected changes can provide better visibility into how a role’s wage level may shift over time.
  
  Separately, reviewing how a position is described, including its responsibilities, required experience, and title, can help ensure the wage level used accurately reflects the role as it exists. In some situations, the nature of the role already supports a higher wage level, and clearer documentation can help align classification with reality.

• Understand how wage levels map to SOC codes and locations. Wage Levels I–IV are set by the Department of Labor and vary by both occupation and geographic location. Each role is associated with a specific Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) code and worksite location, and prevailing wage ranges are published for each combination.
  
  Reviewing publicly available prevailing wage data can help employers understand how salary ranges differ across wage levels for a given role and location. Tools such as the Department of Labor’s FLC Wage Data Center provide visibility into how Level I, II, III, and IV wages compare for the same occupation in different regions.
  
  For example, a software developer role in a high-cost market like San Francisco will generally have higher prevailing wage thresholds than the same role in a lower-cost area. Seeing these ranges in advance can help teams better understand how an offer aligns with a particular wage level.
  
  Because H-1B registration requires employers to identify both the wage level and the role’s SOC code and location, having familiarity with this data ahead of time can support more informed and consistent planning.

• Plan your H-1B strategy early (especially for entry-level or budget-constrained hires): For employers hiring international talent at earlier career stages or at lower compensation levels, early planning can provide more flexibility. This may include understanding how long a candidate may have other forms of work authorization available, how roles or compensation typically evolve over time, or whether location or role changes could affect future wage classifications.
  
  For nonprofits and smaller organizations with limited salary flexibility, starting the H-1B process well ahead of the registration window can help ensure that required information is ready and accurate when registration opens. Some organizations may also fall under cap-exempt categories, and in certain cases, other visa classifications are commonly used in the market for specific types of roles or candidates.

• Be accurate and honest in registrations: Under the updated process, the wage level and job details entered during H-1B registration are expected to be consistent with what is later submitted in the full petition, if the registration is selected. As part of the petition process, employers typically provide documentation supporting key elements of the role, including the offered wage and how it aligns with the relevant prevailing wage framework.
  
  If there are material differences between what was entered at registration and what is later filed, it can create added scrutiny or complications during adjudication. For that reason, many employers treat registration as a factual snapshot of the intended job offer and review entries for completeness and consistency before submitting.

• Stay informed and consult experts: As wage levels play a more visible role in the selection process, some organizations may see increased attention on how roles and compensation are documented. In response, immigration service providers and platforms are updating their workflows to account for these changes. Staying informed and preparing ahead of the registration period can help reduce last-minute uncertainty as the H-1B season approaches.

The move toward a wage-weighted H-1B lottery alters how companies approach hiring global talent. It’s no longer just about filing on time; it’s about planning roles, compensation, and timelines more thoughtfully. If you’d like to understand which of your employees may qualify for alternate employment visas and which strategies could strengthen their eligibility, connect with Casium. We offer free profile evaluation to help employers get clear, role-specific guidance for their teams. It’s the easiest way to plan ahead and make informed hiring decisions with confidence.