Level I1×
1 selection-pool entryThe baseline weight. A beneficiary remains eligible for random selection; Level I is not excluded from the pool.
FY2027 H-1B cap
How H-1B weighted selection uses wage levels
USCIS now weights cap-subject H-1B selection by the OEWS wage level an offered salary reaches for the job's occupation and area. Higher levels receive more entries, but every level remains in a random selection pool.
Final rule in effect
Effective
Feb 27, 2026
First season
FY2027
Level IV weight
4 entries
For FY2027 cap registrations submitted on or after February 27, 2026, USCIS enters a Level IV beneficiary four times, Level III three times, Level II twice, and Level I once in the weighted selection pool. Each unique beneficiary still counts only once toward the cap if selected.
Page updated: . Last verified: . Date retrieved: . VisaSignal explains public rules and filing data; it does not predict a beneficiary's selection or provide legal advice.
Selection weights
Level I–IV means one to four pool entries
The multiplier changes how many times a unique beneficiary enters a selection pool when USCIS must run a random selection. It is not a selection percentage or a guarantee.
Query: H-1B weighted selection
Level II2×
2 selection-pool entriesTwice the number of entries assigned to Level I before USCIS runs the computer-generated selection.
Level III3×
3 selection-pool entriesThree entries for the unique beneficiary, while the beneficiary still counts only once toward the numerical allocation.
Level IV4×
4 selection-pool entriesThe highest weight in the final rule: four entries, not a guaranteed selection or four separate cap numbers.
Salary-range rule
A salary range maps from its lowest offered wage
There is no national Level I, II, III, or IV salary range. The dollar thresholds change with the SOC occupation and area of intended employment.
Query: H-1B weighted selection salary range
The final rule tells a registrant to choose the highest OEWS level the proffered wage equals or exceeds. If the offer is expressed as a range, the lowest wage in the range controls. For example, the question is not whether the top of a $120,000–$150,000 range reaches Level IV; it is which level $120,000 reaches for the exact SOC code and work area on the registration date.
Match salary to SOC and area
Use the highest OEWS wage level that the proffered wage equals or exceeds for the position's SOC code and area of intended employment. There is no single national dollar range for a level.
Use the low end of a salary range
When the offered wage is expressed as a range, the final rule assigns the level that the lowest wage in that range equals or exceeds.
Use the lowest multi-worksite level
If the beneficiary will work in multiple locations—or multiple positions for an agent—the registration uses the lowest corresponding OEWS wage level.
Keep registration-date evidence
The selected OEWS level is locked to the wage data available when the registration is submitted, and the later petition must include evidence supporting that level.
Do not conflate the rules
Selection weight is not the same as required wage
The cap-selection level and the LCA wage determination answer related but different questions.
USCIS weighted-selection level
Compares the proffered wage with OEWS levels for the SOC code and intended work area to assign one to four selection-pool entries. The DHS final rule says this level may differ from the level used on the LCA.
DOL required-wage analysis
Separately asks whether the employer will pay at least the required wage under DOL rules. A higher selection weight does not replace the LCA, actual-wage, prevailing-wage, or other applicable wage obligations.
Primary sources
Verify the rule and the local wage thresholds
Use the final regulatory text for the selection mechanics and OFLC Wage Search for the occupation-and-area dollar levels. Save the wage evidence available on the registration date.
Source-backed
DHS H-1B weighted selection final rule (90 FR 60864)Final DHS/USCIS rule establishing the February 27, 2026 effective date, FY2027 implementation, Level I–IV weights, salary-range rule, and lowest-level integrity checks.Date retrieved: OFLC Wage Search (FLAG Online Wage Library successor)Official DOL lookup for OEWS wage levels by occupation and geographic area—the dollar thresholds used to map an offered wage to a selection level.Date retrieved:
Audit the VisaSignal layer
The official links above are the primary records. Review how VisaSignal normalizes those records and when its public imports last refreshed.
Continue researching
Move from selection weights into wage and filing evidence
Use these pages to separate selection mechanics, prevailing-wage levels, required-wage rules, and observed public LCA wage rows.
H-1B wage levels explainedUnderstand what Level 1-4 mean before using them as selection weights.H-1B required wage guideSeparate weighted cap selection from the DOL required-wage comparison.H-1B salary databaseCompare observed LCA wages by role and worksite without treating filing data as a selection forecast.LCA disclosure lookupInspect the public filing rows behind employer, SOC, worksite, offered-wage, and prevailing-wage research.
LCA and PERM rows are filing signals, not USCIS approvals, green-card approvals, legal advice, or outcome predictions.
FAQ
Common questions
How does H-1B weighted selection work for FY2027?
For registrations submitted on or after the February 27, 2026 effective date, USCIS assigns each unique beneficiary to an OEWS wage level and enters the beneficiary into a random selection pool one time at Level I, twice at Level II, three times at Level III, or four times at Level IV. The rule applies beginning with the FY2027 registration season.
What salary range qualifies for each H-1B selection weight?
There is no national dollar range for Level I, II, III, or IV. The registrant compares the offered wage with current OEWS wage levels for the specific SOC occupation and area of intended employment. If the offer is a salary range, the lowest wage in the range controls the level.
Does a Level IV salary guarantee H-1B selection?
No. Level IV gives the unique beneficiary four entries in the weighted pool when random selection is needed, but selection is still computer-generated and random. The beneficiary counts only once toward the cap allocation if selected.
Is the H-1B selection wage level always the same as the LCA wage level?
Not necessarily. DHS says the weighted-selection level is the highest OEWS level the proffered wage equals or exceeds for the SOC code and area, while the LCA level follows DOL prevailing-wage rules for the offered position. The two determinations can differ.
Which wage level applies for multiple employers or worksites?
For multiple worksites or positions, the registration uses the lowest corresponding OEWS wage level. If different employers submit registrations for the same beneficiary at different levels, USCIS assigns that unique beneficiary to the lowest level among all submitted registrations for weighted selection.