A Complete Guide to H1B Visa Lottery Results, [2025]

Key Takeaways:

1. In 2025, the H-1B registration window ran from March 7 to March 24, with selected candidates being notified starting March 31. Selection allows your employer to file the complete petition, but does not guarantee visa approval.

2. The US Master’s Cap continues to provide an advantage for applicants with a US master’s degree or higher. Those not selected in the regular lottery get a second chance in the additional 20,000-slot master’s cap lottery.

3. Employers of selected applicants have 90 days from notification to submit the complete I-129 petition. Missing this deadline or submitting incomplete documentation will result in the voiding of the lottery selection.

4. For FY 2026, USCIS reported around 343,981 eligible registrations and implemented stricter beneficiary-centric rules to reduce duplicate entries and ensure a fairer selection process for all applicants.

Are you pinning your hopes on an H-1B visa to build your career in the United States? Then, understanding the H-1B visa lottery process is the first and most crucial step. Every year, hundreds of thousands of skilled foreign professionals submit registrations and compete for a limited number of H-1B visas, making the lottery one of the most anticipated and nerve-wracking moments of the immigration journey. Since applications are accepted only once a year, knowing exactly how the lottery works, what the results mean, and what steps to take next can make all the difference between success and having to start over next year.

As someone who has closely tracked the latest USCIS announcements and industry updates, I can share first-hand insights into the H-1B lottery results for 2025. Whether you’re an applicant waiting for results or simply planning, this guide will help you understand the process clearly and prepare for what comes next.

What is the H1B Visa Lottery?

The H-1B visa lottery is a system used by the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) to randomly select individuals eligible to proceed with an H-1B visa application from a large pool of registrants. Each year, the number of visas is capped at 65,000 under the regular cap and an additional 20,000 for candidates holding a US master’s degree or higher. Because the demand far exceeds the supply, the lottery ensures fairness in the selection process.

Once the lottery is completed, USCIS announces the results through its online portal. For FY 2026 (the lottery was conducted in 2025), the registration window ran from March 7 to March 24, and selected candidates began receiving notifications around March 31, 2025. If selected, applicants’ employers have 90 days from April 1 to file the complete I-129 petition with all supporting documents.

Every year, hundreds of thousands of hopefuls from across the globe register for the H-1B visa lottery, but only a fraction are picked. For 2025, USCIS received approximately 343,981 eligible registrations and implemented new beneficiary-centric rules to prevent duplicate entries and ensure a fairer system.

So, how exactly are entries selected? And what happens if you don’t make it through the lottery? Let’s dive deeper into the H-1B visa lottery process.

How Does the H1B Visa Lottery Work?

The H-1B visa lottery is not based on a first-come, first-served system. Registrations are submitted during a set window, and USCIS conducts a random selection to determine which applicants can proceed with filing their H-1B petitions. For FY 2026 (the lottery was undertaken in 2025), the registration window ran from March 7 to March 24, and selected candidates were notified starting March 31, 2025.

H1B Visa Lottery Quota FY 2025

H-1B applications are categorized by cap type, often indicated during registration for USCIS processing.

Regular Cap: Also known as the H-1B1 cap, this category has 65,000 visas available annually. For 2025, USCIS received more than enough registrations to fill these slots, reflecting the continued high demand for H-1B visas.

US Master’s Cap: An additional 20,000 visas are reserved for applicants holding a U.S. master’s degree or higher. Those applicants first enter the regular lottery. If not selected, they are given a second chance in the master’s cap lottery, providing extra opportunities for highly skilled candidates.

C/S Cap: Applications from Treaty country nationals are marked separately as C/S cases.

Once the registration window closed in March 2025, USCIS carries out the H-1B visa lottery to select which registrations will be invited to the next stage. A primary slot of applications gets chosen in the regular lottery itself. However, those applying for a US master’s degree on-site are often considered twice as often. Applications marked as a US Master’s Degree are first considered for the regular lottery, which has 65,000 visa slots. Those who fail to make it in the regular lottery are given a second chance to grab a spot in an extra 20,000 slot through a second lottery.

Successful registrations are then notified starting March 31, 2025, and are invited to submit their H-1B visa petition. Applicants are expected to file petitions within the prescribed deadline, which is typically 90 days from the date of notification. Employers had 90 days to file the complete I-129 petition with supporting documents.

For registrants who were not selected in the first round, USCIS advises them to reapply for the second round. Since the H-1B visa program is highly competitive, with more applicants than visas available each year, persistence can increase the chances of being selected in subsequent rounds of the lottery.

If you are aiming for an H-1B visa in 2025, the first step is to familiarize yourself with the H-1B lottery process and prepare your application.

H-1B Visa Lottery Application Process

The application process for an H-1B visa consists of three stages: registration, lottery selection, and filing the petition. Registration involves submitting your information, including personal details, work experience, employer identification number, and educational background, through an online portal.

You must also submit documents such as your passport number and relevant degree certificates at this stage. This is a mandatory step, and applicants who fail to register with USCIS are not eligible for the Visa.

The lottery selection process is conducted electronically by the Department of State. It randomly selects a certain number of applications from the pool of registered applicants based on the prevailing annual quotas. Successful registrations are then notified by USCIS and invited to submit their petition.

This stage requires the applicant to provide additional documents and information, like a job offer letter, salary details, and other supporting documents. If approved, the petition is forwarded to US Citizenship & Immigration Services (USCIS) for further processing.

The last phase involves verifying all necessary paperwork and following due procedure before granting the Visa. After being given, the H1B visa is valid for three years and can be renewed for an additional six years. It might be extended beyond that period in some instances, such as those involving green card applications.

Registration Process for the H1B Visa Lottery

The USCIS holds the H-1B lottery randomly after the closing date. The timelines for the H1B visa lottery begin with filing the H1B registration and end with the applicant’s employment with the H1B sponsoring employer. The following are the steps and specified dates for the H-1B Visa FY 2025.

Step-1: Online USCIS Account

• Employers must submit one registration per beneficiary they support through the online H-1B registration site.
• You must open an online account on USCIS before February 21, 2023.

Step 2: Registration & Fee Payment

• The registration system will open on March 1, 2025, at 12:00 p.m. EST.
• Your employer must submit the registrant’s details, and a $10 processing fee must be paid through the registration portal.
• The employer, not the beneficiary, should pay the $10 filing cost.

Step-3: Registration Closed

• On March 18, the H-1B registration submission period came to a close.
• Post that, registrations will not be accepted.

Step-4: Lottery Result Announcement

The lottery results will be declared on March 31. Petitions for chosen applicants are to be filed from April 1, 2025.

Step-5: Petition Window

The petition window stays open for 90 days from the date the H1B visa lottery results are declared.

Step-6: Submit Organization Information

Under the lottery process, which has remained unchanged since last year, employers or their approved agents (immigration lawyers) must provide specific, primary data about their organization and the specified H-1B cap worker.

H-1B Lottery Results Date (Quick Recap)

The following is a list of important dates to keep in mind.

February 22: Petitioners and registrants can begin creating H-1B registrant accounts at noon Eastern.

March 1: H-1B registration period opens for the 2025 H-1 B lottery at noon Eastern.

March 18: The H-1B registration period closes at noon Eastern Time.

March 31: H1B lottery 2025 results. By this date, USCIS intends to notify selected registrants.

April 1: The earliest date that FY 2025 H-1B cap-subject petitions must be filed.

H1B Processing Time: Regular, Premium, Expedited

Given the high demand for the H-1 B visa, USCIS has designed three different processing paths, depending on the application’s urgency and the service center’s location.

Regular Processing Time

• The regular processing time for an H1B visa ranges from 1 to 6 months.
• Depending on the location of the service center, processing times may vary.
• For example, the average H1B visa processing time taken by the Nebraska and California Service Centers is 2.5 to 4.5 months. The Vermont Service Center typically takes 12 to 15 months to process an H1B visa.

Premium Processing Time

• Employers who wish to expedite their case can do so by paying an additional processing fee of $1,225, along with Form I-907, which is attached to the petition.
• Premium processing guarantees an H1B visa within 15 days of petition submission.
• In the event of any lapses, USCIS is obligated to refund the additional fees.

Expedited Processing Time

The cases that fall under the following categories are treated with priority and utmost urgency. The responsibility of submitting relevant documents that substantiate the claim for urgency lies with the employer.

• If the US employer is bearing severe financial losses due to the delay of H1B visa processing for the applicant’s petition.
• In case of an emergency.
• In light of humanitarian reasons and causes.
• If the petition belongs to a U.S. nonprofit organization and impacts US cultural and social interests.
• The petition is from the US government and holds national interest.
• If the petition is of intrinsic interest to USCIS.

H1B Visa Lottery Application Fees

The H1B visa lottery application fees are relatively low. A $10 registration fee is required for each beneficiary in the case of an employer-sponsored visa application. This fee must be paid before submitting the registration form and cannot be refunded, even if the application is rejected or not selected in the lottery. However, the total H1B fee can range from $1,720 USD to $8,970 USD. The following are the various types of expenses involved in the procedure for an H1 B Visa.

• H1B Registration Fee: $10 to be paid by the employer 
• Base filing Fee: $460 to be paid by the employer
• AICWA Fee: $750 or $1,500 to be paid by the employer.
• Employer Fraud Prevention & Detection Fee: $500, payable by the employer.
• Employer Fee: If applicable, it will be based on Public Law 114-113. $4,000 to be paid by the employer
• Premium processing fee (Optional): $2,500, payable by the employer or applicant.
• Immigration Attorney Fee: The fee may vary from $500 to $ 3,000. To be paid by the employer

H-1B Electronic Registration Process

In 2020, USCIS initiated an electronic registration process for the H-1B Visa cap. As a result, aspiring petitioners willing to file H-1B cap-subject petitions, including those for beneficiaries eligible for the advanced degree cap, were required to register electronically and pay a filing fee of $10 for each beneficiary.

Since its inception, the electronic registration process has been widely acclaimed by applicants, as it has streamlined processing and reduced paperwork. Additionally, the ERP (Electronic Registration Process) has proven to be economically viable for employers seeking to file H-1B cap-subject petitions.

Under this process, prospective petitioners, along with their authorized representatives (employers or immigration attorneys), who seek to employ H-1B workers subject to the cap, complete a registration process that requires basic information about the petitioner and each requested worker. To submit an electronic application, applicants must first create an online account with USCIS.

During the initial registration period, which remains open for a minimum of 14 days every fiscal year, the selection process is based on electronically submitted registrations. After that, only those with selected registrations move on to file H-1B cap-subject petitions.

Helpful Read: Buying House on H1B Visa

H-1B Cap Registration Process Update

• USCIS receives thousands of applications each year. Thus, when selecting the application, it considers specific parameters, such as historical data related to approvals, revocations, denials, and other applicable factors, to calculate the number of petitions required to meet the H-1B cap for the given year. 
• To obtain an accurate number, it also considers the number of registrations that need to be shortlisted to achieve the projected number of petitions required to meet the limit. This calculation also incorporates those applicants who still need to file the petition despite being selected.
• Often, when the number of filings is low from the initial selection, USCIS conducts a second round of selection to reach the projected cap on visa limits. For example, in the year 2022, USCIS received 308,613 H-1B registrations and initially selected 87,500. However, due to low filing volume, a second round lottery was conducted in July 2022 for an additional 27,717 registrations. A third selection took place in November 2022, with a further 16,753 registrations. This totaled 131,970 selected registrations for fiscal year 2022.

For 2023, USCIS received 483,927 H-1B registrations and has shortlisted 127,600 registrations. Those selected can expect a selection notice in their USCIS online account. The statement usually includes the details about the filing of the petition.

Background H1B Lottery FY 2025 Season

Congress initiated the H1B Visa category to ensure the employment of high-skilled professionals in the US. As a result, US employers were able to attract the most skilled people from across the globe with the help of an H-1 B visa.

The procedure for an H1B Visa can be initiated only by a US-based employer on behalf of any prospective applicant. The applicant must possess relevant skills and a bachelor’s degree to work in the US.

Over the years, the demand for H-1 B visas has skyrocketed, prompting USCIS to conduct a random selection process known as the H-1 B lottery. The number of applicants selected depends on the annual capping.

Understanding USCIS Fiscal Year(FY) 2025: 

The fiscal year differs significantly from the calendar year. Unlike the calendar year, the Fiscal year does not start in January and Ends in December. Instead, the USCIS Fiscal Year 2023 began on October 1, 2022, and will end on September 30, 2023.

H1B Fiscal Year(FY) 2025 season:

The USCIS fiscal year differs from the calendar year. FY 2025 began on October 1, 2024, and will end on September 30, 2025. H-1B petitions for the next fiscal year are accepted starting six months before the fiscal year begins, which in this case was March 7, 2025, for FY 2026.

H1B Visa Lottery 2023(First Round)

Courtesy:RedBus2US.com

For the Fiscal Year 2023, USCIS accepted 483,927 H1B registrations from March 1, 2022, to March 18, 2022. The H1B lottery results were announced on March 25, 2022. 127,600 applicants were selected during the first round of lottery 2023, exceeding last year’s selection by 40,100. 

• H1B FY 2023 Number of selected registrations (First Round) = 127,600
• H1B FY 2022 Number of selected registrations in (First Round) = 87,500

H1B Visa Second Lottery 2023

USCIS will hold a second or third round of the H-1 B lottery for FY 2025. US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) will not proceed with a second H-1B cap lottery. Though USCIS has made no formal announcement in this regard, one cannot help but notice that USCIS has marked all unselected H-1B cap registrations as “Not Selected.” 

This implies that USCIS received a sufficient number of H-1B cap petitions for the year 2025 to fill the H-1B quota for Fiscal Year (FY) 2023 in the first lottery selection conducted in March 2022. Also, it is essential to note that after being marked as “Not Selected,” that particular registration will not be eligible to file an H-1B petition in the given Fiscal Year. 

The next opportunity to sponsor an application to USCIS for the H-1B cap lottery will reopen in March 2023 for the fiscal year 2024 H-1B cap.

Read More: H1B Mortgage Guide

How to Check H1B Lottery Results, 2023?

1. To check your H1B lottery results for 2025, log in to the USCIS site and go to the “My Case Status” page.

• Type your case number. Then click on “Check Status.”
• If your case number has been selected, it will show, “The petition has been selected in the lottery.”
• Check Your I-797 Form.
• Use an H1B Tracker.
• See if USCIS has Processed Your Fee Check.
• Look for Your Receipt Number.
• You can also call the USCIS Customer Service Center at 1-800-375-5283.

What are the Odds of Being Selected for the H1 B Lottery?

Out of every 5.6 H-1B cap registrations received by the USCIS during the H-1B cap registration period from March 1 to March 18, 2022, fewer than one registrant was selected in the H-1B lottery 2023.

H-1B Visa Lottery: Procedure Post Selection

If your luck shines upon you and you get selected in the lottery. USCIS will notify you and ask you to file an H1B Cap Petition. The following items are required to file the petition.

• Labour Condition certificate from your employer.
• Application ETA-9035 (LCA) to the United States Department of Labour for certification.
• Employer’s agreement to pay you a similar amount to that of other employees in that position.
• Employer’s agreement to provide you with working conditions that will not negatively impact colleagues.
• There was no ongoing strike or shutdown when the Labour Condition Application was being filed.
• Once the certification has been given, your employer has to submit a Non-immigrant Worker Petition form I-129, supporting documentation, and a certified LCA to the relevant USCIS service center.
• Upon approval of the Non-immigrant Worker Petition, you may apply for the visa through the Online Non-immigrant Visa Application system form DS-160.
• You will need to attend an interview at your local US Embassy or Consulate to obtain your Visa.

What Happens if You are Selected for the H-1B Lottery?

The H-1B visa lottery is a process for selecting individuals for the H-1B visa program. If you are selected in the lottery, it means that USCIS has accepted your application, and you will be allowed to file an I-129 H-1B petition. Once your petition is approved, you will be required to attend a visa interview at a US consulate or embassy. H1B Visa holders will have the right to reside and work in the US for up to three years, after which they can extend it for up to six years.

H1B Visa Lottery-Filling Tips.

• The lottery takes place only once every fiscal year, so applicants and their sponsors (employers and immigration lawyers) would like to make a watertight case for you. Therefore, to optimize your chances of selection, it is prudent to keep the following points in mind to ensure you don’t inadvertently sabotage your chances.
• Ensure that all your forms are in place. Cross-check the information and supporting documents.
• Registrants or their authorized representatives must pay a $10 non-refundable H-1B registration fee to each beneficiary. This fee must be paid before a registration for a particular beneficiary can be submitted.
• Wait to submit your H-1 B petition until after the opening date of the submission window in April.
• Submit the petition at the earliest opportunity at the designated window.
• You must have the required degree or specialist experience to meet the eligibility criteria for the job.
• Ensure that the job qualifies for an H-1 B visa.
• Please send only one registration for each position or employer. If an employer makes multiple registrations or duplicate entries for the same beneficiary in H-1 B petitions, their application will be rejected.
• Only submit registrations for a job starting 6 months after the Visa start date.
• The selection procedure for H-1 B visas will be based on the prevailing wage, so employers must ensure they offer the highest permissible salary in that area.

By ensuring these points, you can avoid unwarranted delays and rejections.

H-1B Visa Requirements

H-1B visa requirements are quite stringent and must be met by anyone wishing to work in the US on an H-1 B visa. To qualify for an H1B visa,

• Applicants must have a valid job offer from a US employer that is willing to sponsor them.
• At least a bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience, and proof of their ability to perform the offered job.
• In addition, applicants must demonstrate that they have the necessary skills, knowledge, and experience to successfully perform the job duties specified by their employer for the visa application to be considered.
• Applicants must also provide evidence of their English language proficiency and may need to undergo a criminal background check, depending on the job requirements.
• Furthermore, having the required documents and certifications necessary for a particular profession may also be essential for an H1B visa application. For example, suppose a person is applying for a visa to work as a doctor. In that case, they must have a valid medical license from their current country of residence, as well as certification from the US Department of Education and/or a specialized professional licensing board.
• Lastly, all H1B visa applicants must pay an application fee to cover the administrative costs associated with processing and reviewing their visa application. The fee is determined by the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), which is responsible for adjudicating visa applications. It is crucial to note that the payment must be made before any application will be considered.

Conclusion

In conclusion, it is crucial to take all necessary steps to ensure a successful H1B visa application. To avoid unnecessary delays or rejections, employers and applicants should be aware of the various requirements, fees, and regulations associated with applying for an H-1 B visa. It is also essential for employers to ensure that they are offering the highest prevailing wage in a particular area, thereby increasing their chances of success in the H1B visa selection process. By following these tips, both employers and applicants can ensure a smooth and successful H-1 B application process.

Frequently Asked Questions

About the author:

Debjit Saha is the Co-Founder and Chief Technology Officer of HomeAbroad. With a passion for technology and a deep understanding of US immigration laws, he strives to empower individuals in their journey to the United States. He is also a Certified Immigration Expert.

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