Introduction to H-1B Visa Registrations

The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) seal is displayed on a mobile phone screen. H-1B cap registrations declined this year, but U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services still rejected almost two-thirds of applications due to the low annual H-1B limit. Higher immigration fees and other factors contributed to the drop in registrations for FY 2026. An H-1B visa is often the only practical way a high-skilled foreign national, including an international student, can work long term in the United States. The H-1B visa category remains the most restrictive in the U.S. immigration system.

USCIS Results Show Impact Of Immigration Fees And Annual Limit

USCIS released H-1B cap results for FY 2026 that showed a decline in registrations. The immigration service makes selections by lottery in any year the agency receives more H-1B electronic registrations than permitted by the annual limit. The H-1B annual limit is 65,000 plus a 20,000 exemption for individuals with an advanced degree from a U.S. university. For the past two decades, employers have exhausted the quota every year.

For FY 2026, USCIS received 343,981 eligible registrations, a decline of 27% from 470,342 for FY 2025. Higher immigration fees likely contributed to the drop in H-1B registrations. A Biden administration fee rule raised the cost of filing an H-1B registration for FY 2026 from $10 to $215.

Factors Contributing to the Decline in Registrations

“With the higher fee this year, employers had to make a more informed economic decision about how many employees to enter into the lottery,” said Kevin Miner of Fragomen. “That being said, we continued to see very high demand, and regardless of the decrease in registrations, many people who need H-1B status still were not selected.” The number of unique employers increased, going from approximately 52,700 for FY 2025 to 57,600 for FY 2026, a rise of 9%. However, H-1B registrations filed per employer declined. For FY 2026, employers filed an average of 6.0 eligible registrations, a decline of 33% from 8.9 eligible registrations per employer for FY 2025, according to a National Foundation for American Policy analysis.

Immigration Restrictions Continue To Limit The Ability To Hire Foreign-Born Talent

Despite the lower number of H-1B registrations, nearly two-thirds were rejected due to the annual limit of 85,000. USCIS selected 120,141 registrations out of 343,981, or 35%. That means the agency rejected 65% of registrations because of the numerical limit. USCIS selects more than 85,000 registrations to account for denials and withdrawn or abandoned applications.

Only 85,000 new H-1B visa holders will begin work in FY 2026 for cases that count against the annual limit. That means only 25% of the 343,981 eligible registrations will result in new H-1B workers for companies in FY 2026, up from 20% in FY 2025. Still, according to an NFAP analysis, the H-1B visa category remains the most restrictive. In FY 2024, the State Department approved 89% of J-1 visas for exchange visitors and 96% of H-2A visas for agricultural workers.

Impact on Employers and Foreign-Born Talent

A European teenager is three times more likely to get a visa to work at a summer amusement park than a graduate student is to receive H-1B status to work for a U.S. company on artificial intelligence. In recent months, the State Department has revoked or threatened to revoke thousands of visas for international students.

“There are still a lot of individuals who have been entered into the lottery multiple times that have not been selected, so employers need to continue to look at their foreign national population, including recent hires who might have two or three years of Optional Practical Training still available to them, and get lottery entries in next March to maximize the chances of being selected,” said Kevin Miner.

Research by economist Britta Glennon concluded that immigration laws restricting H-1B visas result not in more employment for U.S. workers but more jobs leaving the United States. According to attorney Vic Goel, “The overall shortage of H-1B visas continues to pressure employers to explore alternatives, whether through other visa categories or offshoring.”

Conclusion

The decline in H-1B registrations for FY 2026 can be attributed to various factors, including higher immigration fees and the annual limit. Despite the decrease in registrations, the H-1B visa category remains the most restrictive, with nearly two-thirds of applications being rejected due to the numerical limit. Employers and foreign-born talent continue to face challenges in the U.S. immigration system, with many individuals being forced to explore alternative options or face rejection.

FAQs

1. What is the H-1B visa annual limit?
   The H-1B visa annual limit is 65,000 plus a 20,000 exemption for individuals with an advanced degree from a U.S. university.
2. How many H-1B registrations were received by USCIS for FY 2026?
   USCIS received 343,981 eligible registrations for FY 2026.
3. What is the percentage of H-1B registrations that were rejected due to the numerical limit?
   65% of H-1B registrations were rejected due to the numerical limit.
4. How many new H-1B visa holders will begin work in FY 2026?
   Only 85,000 new H-1B visa holders will begin work in FY 2026 for cases that count against the annual limit.
5. What is the impact of immigration laws restricting H-1B visas on U.S. employment?
   Research by economist Britta Glennon concluded that immigration laws restricting H-1B visas result not in more employment for U.S. workers but more jobs leaving the United States.

Introduction to Breach Readiness

Cybersecurity strategy has undergone a fundamental shift—from aspiring to build impenetrable defenses to accepting that breaches are inevitable. In today’s environment, the defining question is no longer if you’ll be breached, but when—and whether your business can keep running when it happens.

Rethinking the Security Mandate

The traditional security model—fortify the perimeter, stop the intrusion—no longer holds. Perimeters have dissolved with the rise of cloud adoption, remote work, and interconnected systems. Attackers no longer need to “break in” when they can just log in with stolen credentials.

Breach readiness reflects a new security mandate: contain threats swiftly, prevent their spread, and sustain critical operations even during an active attack. It’s about designing security not just to protect the business, but to preserve the business when protection fails.

As Sunil Muralidhar, VP of marketing and partnerships at ColorTokens put it on a recent episode of the TechSpective Podcast, “The goal of a business at the end of the day is to make money… Now cybersecurity, the role of the CISO, for example, is to align with that goal—what do you need to do as a cybersecurity function to ensure business continues despite a breach.”

Containment Is the New Perimeter

Once attackers gain access, they typically aim for lateral movement—hopping from system to system, performing reconnaissance, escalating privileges, and seeking out high-value assets. The longer they go undetected, the greater the damage.

Breach readiness prioritizes limiting the blast radius. The objective isn’t to eliminate every threat, but to prevent one compromised user or device from becoming a launchpad for widespread damage. That requires designing internal controls with the assumption that compromise is already underway.

This shift in mindset parallels other domains. Submarines are divided into sealed compartments because flooding is expected, not unthinkable. Hospitals protect critical systems like EMRs or imaging equipment over endpoints with lower operational impact. The same logic must now be applied to digital infrastructure.

Zero Trust and the Business Continuity Equation

Zero trust has reemerged as a foundational approach to enabling breach readiness, especially as digital environments grow more fragmented and complex. But zero trust isn’t a product or single action—it’s a strategy built on the assumption of compromise.

Muralidhar explained, “Breach readiness basically means continuing your digital operations… in an adverse environment. And in order to do that, the cyber leader needs to have visibility, understand the business, and know which applications and systems matter most.”

That means shifting from blanket security policies to risk-based prioritization. In sectors like healthcare, for instance, securing Epic or Cerner servers may matter more for continuity than a nurse’s workstation. In manufacturing, keeping OT systems online may take precedence over administrative tools.

This kind of risk-informed approach is essential for maintaining operations while under attack.

Cyber Resilience: A Strategic Differentiator

Breach readiness is a strategic differentiator for companies today. It supports brand trust, regulatory compliance, and operational uptime. More importantly, it enables organizations to absorb shocks without catastrophic failure.

Cyber resilience and breach readiness are increasingly linked in boardroom discussions. Gartner predicts that by 2026, 70% of CEOs will mandate a culture of organizational resilience to survive coinciding threats from cyberattacks, severe weather, and geopolitical unrest.

Forward-thinking CISOs are already aligning with that vision—translating risk into business terms, prioritizing continuity, and advocating for architectural investments that ensure the enterprise can take a hit and keep running.

The Breach-Ready Future

The question isn’t whether attackers will target your business—it’s how far they’ll get and how fast you can shut them down. Breach readiness is about controlling the clock and the blast radius.

It’s a commitment to designing systems, policies, and controls that assume compromise—yet protect operations, data, and customers even under pressure.

That’s not defeatist thinking. It’s reality-based resilience. And in today’s high-stakes cyber environment, it’s the only strategy that guarantees the business survives to fight another day.

Conclusion

In conclusion, breach readiness is a critical component of any organization’s cybersecurity strategy. By acknowledging that breaches are inevitable and taking proactive steps to contain and mitigate them, businesses can minimize the impact of an attack and ensure continuity of operations. This requires a shift in mindset, from focusing solely on prevention to prioritizing resilience and breach readiness.

FAQs

• Q: What is breach readiness?
  • A: Breach readiness refers to the proactive discipline of preparing for compromise without letting it compromise continuity. It involves designing security measures to contain threats swiftly, prevent their spread, and sustain critical operations even during an active attack.
• Q: Why is the traditional security model no longer effective?
  • A: The traditional security model is no longer effective because perimeters have dissolved with the rise of cloud adoption, remote work, and interconnected systems, making it easier for attackers to gain access without needing to "break in."
• Q: What is the role of zero trust in breach readiness?
  • A: Zero trust is a foundational approach to enabling breach readiness, built on the assumption of compromise. It involves shifting from blanket security policies to risk-based prioritization, understanding which applications and systems matter most to the business.
• Q: How does breach readiness support business continuity?
  • A: Breach readiness supports business continuity by prioritizing the protection of critical operations and data, ensuring that the business can continue to function even during an active attack. This is achieved through risk-informed approaches, such as securing high-value assets and systems that are crucial for operational continuity.

Technology for social change is revolutionizing the way we address global challenges, and social enterprises are at the forefront of this movement. By harnessing the power of technology, these organizations are creating innovative solutions to some of the world’s most pressing problems. From healthcare and education to environmental sustainability and economic development, social enterprises are leveraging tech to drive positive impact and improve lives.

The Rise of Social Enterprises

Social enterprises are businesses that prioritize social and environmental impact alongside financial returns. These organizations are driven by a mission to create positive change and address specific social or environmental challenges. With the rise of social entrepreneurship, we are seeing a new generation of leaders who are using business as a force for good. They are leveraging technology to scale their impact, reach new audiences, and create sustainable solutions to complex problems.

Key Characteristics of Social Enterprises

Social enterprises are characterized by their commitment to social and environmental impact, innovative approaches to problem-solving, and sustainable business models. They often use technology to amplify their impact, whether through digital platforms, mobile apps, or data analytics. By leveraging technology, social enterprises can reach more people, reduce costs, and improve the effectiveness of their programs.

The Role of Technology in Social Impact

Technology is a key enabler of social impact, providing social enterprises with the tools and platforms they need to scale their work and reach new audiences. From mobile health apps to online education platforms, technology is being used to address some of the world’s most pressing challenges. Social enterprises are leveraging technology to collect data, analyze trends, and develop targeted solutions to specific social and environmental problems.

Examples of Tech for Social Good

There are many examples of social enterprises using technology to drive social impact. For instance, mobile health apps are being used to diagnose and treat diseases in remote communities, while online platforms are providing access to education and job training for marginalized groups. Additionally, data analytics is being used to track climate change, identify areas of high conservation value, and develop targeted conservation strategies.

Impact of Social Enterprises on Society

Social enterprises are having a profound impact on society, from improving health and education outcomes to promoting environmental sustainability and economic development. By leveraging technology, these organizations are able to reach more people, reduce costs, and improve the effectiveness of their programs. Social enterprises are also creating new opportunities for employment, entrepreneurship, and social mobility, particularly in marginalized communities.

Measuring Social Impact

Measuring social impact is critical to understanding the effectiveness of social enterprises and identifying areas for improvement. Social enterprises use a range of metrics to measure their impact, from outcome-based metrics such as health outcomes or educational attainment, to process-based metrics such as website traffic or social media engagement. By tracking their impact, social enterprises can refine their strategies, optimize their programs, and scale their impact over time.

Challenges and Opportunities

While social enterprises are making a significant impact, they also face a range of challenges, from funding and scalability to regulation and talent acquisition. However, these challenges also present opportunities for innovation and growth, as social enterprises leverage technology to overcome obstacles and achieve their goals. By embracing digital technologies, social enterprises can reduce costs, improve efficiency, and increase their impact.

Future of Social Enterprises

The future of social enterprises is exciting and uncertain, as these organizations continue to innovate and evolve in response to changing social and environmental challenges. As technology continues to advance, we can expect to see even more innovative solutions to social and environmental problems, from artificial intelligence and blockchain to the Internet of Things and virtual reality. By leveraging these technologies, social enterprises will be able to drive even greater impact and create a more sustainable, equitable, and just world.

Conclusion

In conclusion, social enterprises are leveraging technology to drive social impact and improve lives. From healthcare and education to environmental sustainability and economic development, these organizations are creating innovative solutions to some of the world’s most pressing challenges. By harnessing the power of technology, social enterprises are able to scale their impact, reach new audiences, and create sustainable solutions to complex problems. As the social enterprise sector continues to grow and evolve, we can expect to see even more innovative solutions to social and environmental challenges, and a brighter future for all.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a social enterprise?

A social enterprise is a business that prioritizes social and environmental impact alongside financial returns. These organizations are driven by a mission to create positive change and address specific social or environmental challenges.

How do social enterprises use technology?

Social enterprises use technology to amplify their impact, whether through digital platforms, mobile apps, or data analytics. By leveraging technology, social enterprises can reach more people, reduce costs, and improve the effectiveness of their programs.

What are some examples of social enterprises using technology for social good?

There are many examples of social enterprises using technology to drive social impact, from mobile health apps to online education platforms. Additionally, data analytics is being used to track climate change, identify areas of high conservation value, and develop targeted conservation strategies.

How can I get involved in the social enterprise sector?

There are many ways to get involved in the social enterprise sector, from volunteering or interning with a social enterprise to starting your own social enterprise. You can also support social enterprises by donating to their causes or purchasing their products and services.

What is the future of social enterprises?

The future of social enterprises is exciting and uncertain, as these organizations continue to innovate and evolve in response to changing social and environmental challenges. As technology continues to advance, we can expect to see even more innovative solutions to social and environmental problems, and a brighter future for all.