Set the H-1B wage level and SOC code for more entries and I-129 match

The deadline is the registration window

The FY2027 registration period opened March 4, 2026, and closed March 19, 2026, with a $215 fee.

Once a registration is selected, the wage level you chose is already doing work. Treat it as a filing decision before you submit.

USCIS, the federal immigration agency, reported 211,600 properly submitted FY2027 H-1B registrations, down about 38% from 343,981 the prior year.

USCIS announced on July 17, 2026 that it had received enough H-1B petitions to fill the 65,000 regular cap and the 20,000 U.S. advanced-degree exemption.

Because the 85,000 total cap slots were filled, USCIS will not run a second FY2027 registration selection.

An immigration consultancy reported that 71.5% of the selected FY2027 H-1B group had U.S. advanced degrees, versus 57% the prior year.

The FY2027 result makes the wage level a registration decision.

A smaller pool does not make the wage level optional; the entry count becomes more visible.

The sponsor that treats the wage level as a placeholder will feel the mismatch later, when the petition must prove the same level.

The registration is where the odds are set. The petition is where the odds are defended.

A $215 registration can carry the difference between one entry and four.

Run the wage-level test before you submit

Under the H-1B wage-weighted lottery, the salary you offer can change the number of entries.

The test is simple, but it has to be done before the registration is submitted. The registration is the first legal statement about the position. The petition will be checked against it.

The SOC code is the first choice. If the code is wrong, the wage level is built on the wrong job.

The worksite matters because the wage level is location-based. A remote role still needs a location that supports the claimed level.

Run the test in this order.

1. Confirm the SOC code that matches the actual duties, not the job title. If the role spans multiple functions, choose the code that covers the primary duty. Done looks like a single code that survives a duty-by-duty review.
2. Pull the OEWS wage level, the federal wage-survey level, for that SOC code and worksite. Use the worksite location that controls the wage data. Done looks like a level and a salary floor.
3. Match the offered salary to the level it meets or exceeds. The registration gets one entry at Level I, two at Level II, three at Level III, and four at Level IV. Done looks like the salary sits at or above the claimed level.
4. Record the entry count in the registration worksheet. Keep the worksheet with the registration confirmation. Done looks like a number next to the wage level.
5. Check the salary budget for the full petition period. If the budget only supports the lower level, do not claim a higher one for entries. Done looks like a compensation approval that matches the claimed level.
6. Prepare the petition evidence file before selection. Done looks like a file that can show the same code, level, and duties after selection.

Build the I-129 file to match the registration

The February 27, 2026 I-129 petition form requires the position details to match the registration SOC code.

It also requires evidence supporting the selected wage level.

The registration data and the petition data must align.

The common miss is choosing a higher wage level for entries, then filing an I-129 with duties that read lower.

The evidence file should answer key questions: what the role actually does, why the salary supports the claimed level, and why the registration data matches the petition data.

Use the job description, the org chart, the salary budget, and the duty memo. Each item should point to the same level.

If the job description says the role is routine, do not claim a level that depends on complex, independent judgment.

If the salary is near the floor for the claimed level, add the budget approval and the pay history. The file should show the level is real, not aspirational.

Keep the registration worksheet, the wage-level source, and the duty memo together. Done looks like a file that can be reviewed without reopening the registration.

Store the file where the next petition preparer can find it without asking for the registration.