S5 Blog: H-1B While on CPT: Registration, Selection and Planning Ahead

 Quick answer. Your employer can register you while you're on CPT. Selection is now weighted by the wage your employer offers. If you're selected, keep your F-1 status and CPT valid, and don't travel abroad while the petition is pending.

What changed for FY 2027: wage-weighted selection (the 20,000 master's cap remains), a $215 registration fee, and a $100,000 fee on some petitions. That fee generally doesn't apply to a change of status from valid F-1 inside the US, but it can if your status wasn't maintained or you traveled while the petition was pending.

If you're selected: keep attending full-time and keep your CPT valid until H-1B starts, usually October 1. Don't leave your program, change employers or travel without a plan; a status gap can make the change of status unapprovable.

RFEs: USCIS may ask about your F-1 history and CPT. Keep your I-20s, transcripts, attendance records and pay records, and send any RFE to our senior consultant before responding.
Green card? Talk to our senior consultant before anything is filed.

Next step: if H-1B is in your plans, book a call with our senior consultant before January.
This article is general information as of October 21, 2026, not legal advice. H-1B rules and fees change each season.