Preparing for the FY2027 H-1B Season: What You Need to Know
H-1B season for FY2027 promises to be the most challenging one yet due to uncertainty resulting from proposed regulations, presidential proclamations, and executive orders. There are several potentially significant legal hurdles that impact H-1B visas subject to the cap: USCIS’ “beneficiary-centric” selection process, the 2025 H-1B Modernization Final Rule, and the Presidential Proclamation (Sept. 19, 2025). In addition, the administration has proposed and initiated rulemaking to replace the current random H-1B lottery with a weighted selection process. Panelists will provide an up-to-date overview of what immigration attorneys need to know heading into H-1B season.
Featured Topics
- Issues with electronic registration (“handshake”), pay.gov, and receipt of selection notices online
- Changes to the registration process and consequences of entering data incorrectly
- When does the $100,000 H-1B fee apply, how is it paid, and who will qualify for exceptions?
- Status of the weighted lottery system and potential strategies for success
- Responding to employer-client questions regarding cap gap, odds of selection, and more
- Unexpected second and third round selections: contingency planning
AILA Membership Benefit – Access to Free Seminar Recordings (CLE Credit Available for $35)
Enjoy access to free seminar recordings as an AILA Member. AILA encourages live attendance for those wishing to ask the speaker questions. CLE credit is included with purchase for live participants.
Recordings will be available approximately two weeks after the live event date. AILA members can access these seminars, with no CLE credit, for free. Recordings are CLE eligible in most jurisdictions and a $35 administration fee is required to obtain CLE credit.
Contact us at cle@aila.org or visit AILA’s Web Seminar Recordings page for more information about receiving CLE credit for a web seminar recording.
| Product Details | |
| Event Date | February 5, 2026 |
| Format | Web Seminar |
| Length | 90 minutes |
| CLE Eligible | Yes. Live attendance must be recorded in My CLE by Thursday, February 12, 2026. This deadline does not apply to the OnDemand format. |
| Digital Library | Digital goods (MP3, PDF, ZIP, etc.) are available for download for two years after purchase. |
Eligible participants can receive up to 1.8 CLE credit hours. AILA will administer CLE credit only to individuals who register and log into the web seminar. AILA cannot verify your attendance and participation in this program unless you register directly for the web seminar and use your name to log in to participate in the program. Therefore, persons who log in or listen in on the web seminar as part of a group will not be able to obtain CLE credit.
Please note that your jurisdiction may limit the amount of distance learning credit you can earn. To view details on your jurisdiction's credit restrictions and CLE requirements, visit the CLE Center.
AILA has filed for CLE and specialized credit in all jurisdictions with mandatory CLE requirements. For details about specific approvals, contact us at cle@aila.org.
- AILA applies for accreditation upon attorneys’ request after participation for the following states: AR, DE, IA, ID, KS, KY, LA, ME, MN, MS, OR, TN and WY. Programs are typically approved.
- Florida and Rhode Island - Attorneys must apply on their own for approval of seminars in FL and RI. Programs are typically approved.
- The OnDemand Recording format does not qualify for CLE credit in the following jurisdictions: MO and PR. Please note that your jurisdiction may limit OnDemand credit based on the date of the original presentation. View the OnDemand Downloadable Expiration Chart for more details.
To receive CLE credit for the live event, attorneys must record web seminar attendance and the CLE code provided by February 12, 2026 via My CLE.
Contact us at cle@aila.org or visit AILA’s Web Seminar Recordings page for more information about receiving CLE credit for a seminar recording.
Bennett Savitz (DL), Boston, MA
Bennett Savitz founded Savitz Law Offices in 2000. He has practiced immigration law exclusively since 1994, is a past Chair of the AILA New England Chapter and has served on several local and national AILA committees. He graduated cum laude from UCSD in 1990. He received his MA in International Relations and his JD from Boston University in 1993. He currently teaches Business Immigration Law at New England Law School.
Colleen F. Molner, Charlotte, NC
Colleen F. Molner is a Partner at Garfinkel Immigration Law Firm, where she supervises and manages the Healthcare Specialty Practice Group. She has extensive experience guiding employers through the H-1B visa process as well as other complex nonimmigrant and immigrant applications. Colleen earned a prestigious Charlotte Business Journal 40 Under 40 Award this year and has been regularly honored by Lexology Index (FKA Who’s Who Legal), Business North Carolina Legal Elite and more.
Justin Rauster Russo, Atlanta, GA
Shaun Staller, Philadelphia, PA
