H1B Lottery Results 2025: Timeline, Selection Process & What to Expect

The H-1B lottery results for each fiscal year are a nerve-wracking milestone for thousands of skilled workers and tech employers. If you or your startup sponsored an H-1B petition, you’re probably anxious to know if you “won” the lottery. In this post, we break down when and how H-1B visa lottery results are released, what the 2025 and 2026 lottery timelines look like, and what to do whether you’re selected or not. We’ll also answer common questions (like “What does a submitted status mean?”) and provide real-world examples to help you plan your next steps.

H-1B Lottery Overview: The H-1B cap lottery is an electronic random selection that United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) conducts when there are more registrations than the annual H-1B visa quota (85,000 visas, including 20,000 reserved for U.S. advanced degree holders). For the FY 2025 and FY 2026 seasons, demand has been extremely high. USCIS introduced a new beneficiary-centric lottery rule starting with FY 2025 to curb duplicate entries and give each candidate an equal chance. Under this rule, each unique beneficiary is only entered once, even if multiple employers register the same person.

When Are H-1B Lottery Results Announced?

H-1B Lottery Results 2025: For the Fiscal Year (FY) 2025 cap (which corresponds to visas starting October 1, 2024), the initial registration lottery was conducted in late March 2024. USCIS began notifying employers and attorneys of selection results by March 27, 2024​. Selections concluded by March 31, 2024, and USCIS announced on April 1, 2024 that enough registrations were received to meet the FY 2025 cap​. In the initial round, 114,000 unique beneficiaries were selected (about 120,600 registrations accounting for some with both regular and master’s cap)​. Because not all those selected ultimately filed petitions, USCIS later ran a second lottery in July 2024, selecting an additional 13,000+ candidates to reach the cap​uscis.gov. By December 2024, USCIS confirmed the FY 2025 H-1B cap was fully met​uscis.gov.

Real-world scenario: Priya, a software engineer at a San Francisco startup, registered for the FY 2025 H-1B lottery in March 2024. On March 29, she saw her USCIS online account status change to “Selected” - she had won the lottery! 🎉 Her employer had until June 30, 2024 to file the actual H-1B petition. Her H-1B status could begin October 1, 2024. Meanwhile, her friend Arjun was not selected in the initial round - his status remained “Submitted.” However, in August 2024, Arjun got a surprise email that his registration was selected in a second-round lottery. He quickly worked with Gale to file his H-1B petition within the given 90-day window.

H-1B Lottery Results 2026: For the FY 2026 cap (visas starting October 1, 2025), the initial registration period ran March 7-24, 2025. USCIS announced on March 31, 2025 that it had received enough electronic registrations for unique beneficiaries to reach the FY 2026 cap and that the initial selection process was completed​. Employers and attorneys were notified via their USCIS online accounts by March 31 if any beneficiaries were selected​. All H-1B lottery results for 2026 were released by the end of March 2025. The exact number of registrations submitted for FY 2026 has not yet been disclosed by USCIS (as of April 2025)​. However, immigration experts note that the annual quota of 85,000 visas was met, and selection notices indicated a filing period from April 1 to June 30, 2025. If not enough petitions are filed (or approved) from the initial selections, USCIS may conduct another lottery round later in 2025 to meet the cap​.

Key dates for H-1B Lottery:

• March 1-~20: H-1B registration period (exact dates vary; FY 2026 was Mar 7-24, 2025).
• Late March: Random lottery conducted after registrations close.
• By March 31: Initial lottery results announced.
• April 1 - June 30: Filing window for selected petitions (90 days to submit full H-1B petition).
• Summer (if needed): Possible second lottery if cap not reached (e.g., occurred in July 2024 for FY 2025).
• Sept 30: End of fiscal year. All cap visas allocated by this date.
• Oct 1: Start of the new fiscal year - earliest H-1B employment start date for selected petitions.

Most applicants will know by April 1 if they were selected in the H-1B lottery. USCIS updates the registration status on the online portal. If selected, the status reads “Selected.” If not selected in the initial round, the status continues to show “Submitted” (see below) until the end of the fiscal year or until any additional lottery is held. All registrants are notified one way or another - if you haven’t seen a “Selected” notice by early April, you likely were not selected initially.

How to Check H-1B Lottery Results

Electronic Registration Portal: Since 2020, H-1B cap registration is done online. Checking your lottery result is straightforward: you or your attorney (whoever submitted the registration) must log in to the MyUSCIS online account used for the H-1B registration. Each registered beneficiary will have a status. The possible statuses are: Selected, Submitted, Denied, or Invalidated-Failed Payment​. For most people, it will be either Selected or Submitted. USCIS does not send an email to the employee for selection; the notifications go to the registrant’s USCIS account (typically your employer or attorney). So, ask your employer or immigration lawyer to check the account and provide you a copy of the selection notice if you’re picked. The selection notice will have a Confirmation Number for the registration and details on the filing deadline.

Selection Notice: If you are selected, congratulations! 🎉 USCIS will issue an official Selection Notice specifying that your registration was chosen for the FY cap. This notice authorizes your employer to file a cap-subject H-1B petition on your behalf within the filing period (usually 90 days). The notice will include your name, confirmation number, and a filing deadline (e.g., “You may file your H-1B petition between April 1, 2025 and June 30, 2025”). Important: Being selected in the lottery is not an approval; it’s simply an opportunity to apply. You must still submit a complete H-1B petition with supporting documents and get it approved by USCIS before you can start work.

Checking for Results: If you haven’t heard anything by the first week of April, and your employer’s account still shows your case as “Submitted,” it likely means you weren’t selected in the initial draw. However, keep the confirmation handy and monitor through the summer, because USCIS may do another random selection (as happened in 2024). For example, in FY 2025 they ran a second lottery in July, and suddenly some people’s statuses changed from Submitted to Selected in mid-July. So until the fiscal year ends (Sept 30), a “Submitted” case could still be picked if an additional round occurs.

Pro tip: USCIS sometimes formally announces whether a second draw will happen. In 2024, USCIS stated by summer that a second lottery would be conducted​. Keep an eye on USCIS news releases or our Gale blog for any such announcements. If a second round occurs and you are picked, you’ll see the status change to “Selected” and get a new selection notice.

FAQ: “Submitted” Status vs “Selected” - What Do They Mean?

A common point of confusion is the meaning of a Submitted status in the USCIS portal:

• Selected: Congratulations, your registration was chosen in the lottery! This status will include a notice of selection. Only about 15-30% of registrations typically get selected (the odds vary by year; for FY 2025 about 135k were selected out of ~480k unique entries). If selected, you should work with your employer and an H-1B attorney to file the petition before the deadline. (See our H-1B petition filing guide - placeholder link - for next steps after selection.)
• Submitted: This means your registration was not selected yet, but it is still in the pool. All unselected cases remain labeled “Submitted” until the end of the H-1B cap season. You have not won the lottery in the initial round. However, “Submitted” cases could be selected in a later lottery round if USCIS decides more petitions are needed. If the fiscal year ends with no additional lottery, USCIS will eventually update remaining Submitted cases to “Not Selected.” For FY 2025, USCIS updated all leftovers to “Not Selected” by the end of September 2024. In plain terms, “Submitted” = not selected (in the first round), but still eligible for later selection. As an example, if USCIS shows “Submitted” by April 1, don’t lose hope completely - keep the case alive until at least August in case of a second drawing.​
• Not Selected: This is the final outcome for registrations that never got picked. USCIS usually sets this status only after the cap season is over or they’re certain no further lotteries will be held. If you see “Not Selected,” it unfortunately means the end of the road for that year’s H-1B cap. You would need to try again next year or consider alternatives.
• Denied/Invalidated: These are uncommon statuses. Denied could occur if, for example, the same employer submitted duplicate registrations for the same person (violating the rules), or payment didn’t go through. Invalidated-Failed Payment means the registration fee wasn’t successfully paid, so the entry was void. (If you used a reputable attorney or service, you shouldn’t encounter these.)

People Also Ask:

• “What does it mean if my H-1B lottery status says submitted for 2025?” - It means you were not selected in the initial lottery round. Your registration is still valid for this fiscal year in case USCIS does another selection. Keep monitoring through July/August. If no second lottery happens, the status will change to “Not Selected” by the end of the fiscal year.
• “How will I be notified of H-1B lottery results?” - USCIS will notify the employer or attorney who submitted your registration via the online account. There is no email or snail mail sent directly to the beneficiary for lottery selection. Usually, your company’s immigration lawyer will forward you the good news if you’re picked. You can also ask for a screenshot of the status. If selected, you’ll get a formal PDF notice from USCIS in the account.
• “When are the 2025 H-1B lottery results date?” - The initial FY 2025 H-1B lottery results were announced by March 31, 2024​. For FY 2026, it was March 31, 2025. Generally, March 31 is the date by which lottery outcomes are known each year (give or take a day). Mark your calendar for late March. By April 1, you should know if you won the H-1B lottery or not (initial round).

H-1B Lottery 2025 vs 2026: What’s Different?

While the overall process remained the same, there are a few nuances between the FY 2025 and FY 2026 lotteries worth noting:

• New Anti-Fraud Measures: FY 2025 (lottery held March 2024) was the first year of the new “one registration per person” rule. This significantly reduced the total number of registrations. For FY 2024, there had been an alarming 780,884 H-1B registrations (many of which were multiple entries for the same individuals)​. USCIS cracked down on that by requiring a passport number and disallowing duplicate entrants. As a result, FY 2025 saw 470,000 eligible registrations (down 38% from the year prior)​. The number of unique beneficiaries was ~442k, similar to the previous year’s 446k​, but without the multiple filings per person issue (average 1.06 registrations per beneficiary in 2025 vs 1.7 in 2024​). This means the lottery is fairer now, and each person has a single entry and chance.
• Selection Rates: In FY 2024 (Mar 2023 lottery), because of the duplicate problem, USCIS initially selected fewer (about 110k) expecting many petitions; then they ended up doing multiple lotteries (three rounds) to reach the cap​. In FY 2025 (Mar 2024 lottery with new rules), USCIS selected 127,500+ total (initial + second round)​. This represented roughly a 30% chance of selection for each unique entrant. For FY 2026, we await data, but early reports suggest fewer duplicate entries and a higher selection rate - some sources estimate around 40% selection chances for FY 2026 due to improved integrity of the system. (This is speculative; official numbers pending). The bottom line: the lottery is still highly competitive, but your odds might be improving slightly under the new system.
• Timeline: Both years followed the typical timeline. One notable thing for FY 2026: USCIS hiked the H-1B registration fee to $215 (from $10 previously) as part of its funding adjustments. This fee increase did not impact the timeline but is worth noting for employers budgeting for many registrations.

If You’re Selected: Next Steps

Being selected in the lottery is step 1. Next, an H-1B petition must be filed by a qualifying employer during the filing window. Here’s what to do if you were selected:

Gather Documents: Work with your employer and attorney to prepare the full Form I-129 petition package. Typical documents include your educational credentials, employment offer letter, job description to show it’s a specialty occupation, company support letters, etc. Everything must be in order to prove eligibility for H-1B status.

File Before Deadline: The deadline will be on your selection notice (usually June 30 if selected in March). Do not miss this deadline! If you don’t file the petition in time, your selection is void. We recommend filing well before the last day. Many employers file in April itself. If you need premium processing (15-day expedited decision), that can be requested when filing or after.

USCIS Processing: Once filed, USCIS will issue a receipt number. Processing times vary (2-6 months on average if not premium). During this time, USCIS may issue a Request for Evidence (RFE) if they need clarifications (commonly about job duties or your degree). Your attorney should handle any RFE response with strong evidence. According to USCIS data, H-1B petition approval rates have been high in recent years (over 97% approval in FY 2023)​, but an experienced H-1B attorney is crucial to navigate RFEs and ensure a smooth approval.

Approval & Start Work: If approved with a change of status (and you’re in the U.S.), you can start H-1B employment as early as October 1. If you are abroad, you’ll need to go for H-1B visa stamping at a U.S. consulate with the approval notice, then enter the U.S. in H-1B status. (See also Gale’s H-1B Petition Filing Checklist - placeholder internal link.)

Cap-Gap for F-1 Students: If you’re an F-1 student on OPT and you win the H-1B lottery, you may be eligible for “cap-gap” extension. That allows you to continue working between OPT expiration and October 1 start date, as long as your H-1B petition is pending or approved, filed before OPT expires​. This is a huge relief for many international students transitioning to H-1B.

If You’re Not Selected: Alternatives

Not being selected in the H-1B lottery can be disheartening, but it’s not the end of your U.S. immigration journey. Here are some alternatives and next steps if you didn’t make the cut:

• Try Again Next Year: There is no limit to how many years you can attempt the H-1B lottery. Many individuals apply multiple years. If possible, maintain a status (like F-1 student or other work visa) that allows you to stay or come back to the U.S. and try again. We often see candidates succeed on a second or third try when luck improves.
• Cap-Exempt Employment: Some employers are H-1B cap-exempt, meaning they are not subject to the lottery. These include universities and affiliated nonprofits, nonprofit research organizations, and government research institutions​. If working for such an entity is an option (even temporarily), you could secure an H-1B without a lottery. For example, if you take a job at a university lab (cap-exempt H-1B) and later transition to a private company, that new employer can often transfer your H-1B without a lottery because you’ve already been counted under the cap. (See Gale’s post on Cap-Exempt H-1B Options - placeholder link.)
• Alternative Visa Categories: Consider other work visas:
  • L-1 Visa: If you work for a multinational company with overseas offices, an L-1 intracompany transfer might be possible. For instance, some folks not selected for H-1B relocate to a foreign office for 1 year and become eligible for an L-1 visa to return to the U.S. (We cover this in the Blog on L-1 to green card transitions.)
  • O-1 Visa: This is for individuals with extraordinary ability in their field (tech, arts, sciences, business). It’s hard to qualify, but for top talent with awards or publications, O-1 is a prestigious work visa with no annual cap.
  • TN Visa: If you are a citizen of Canada or Mexico, the TN visa under NAFTA (USMCA) is a great option for certain professional occupations. No lottery can be obtained quickly.
  • E-3 Visa: For Australian citizens, similar to H-1B but no lottery (cap exists but never reached).
  • H-1B1: For citizens of Chile or Singapore, a separate quota of H-1B1 visas is available (no random lottery, usually enough supply).
• STEM OPT Extension: If you’re a recent grad on F-1 OPT and your field is STEM-eligible, ensure you use the additional 24-month STEM extension. This can buy you up to 3 years of work authorization (12-month OPT + 24 STEM) during which you have multiple shots at the H-1B lottery. Many F-1 students plan their graduation timing and OPT to maximize H-1B attempts. (Related: Maintaining Status After OPT - placeholder link.)
• Different Paths to Green Card: Some individuals explore direct green card options if the H-1B doesn’t pan out. For example, EB-5 investor visa (if you have substantial capital to invest) or family-based green cards if you have a U.S. citizen spouse. Those are outside the scope of this article but worth discussing with an immigration attorney if applicable.
• Stay Connected and Prepared: Use the time to bolster your resume or credentials. If reapplying in the lottery, maybe a higher degree or new achievement could also open doors to visas like O-1 or strengthen future H-1B petitions (for instance, a higher role might command a higher wage level, making for a stronger H-1B case).

Example: After two unsuccessful H-1B lottery attempts, Arjun (from our earlier scenario) decided to enroll in a Ph.D. program in the U.S., both to further his education and maintain status. During his Ph.D., he continued building expertise. Upon graduating, he secured a university research job on an H-1B (cap-exempt). A year later, a private AI startup was able to hire him by filing an H-1B transfer (which was not subject to the cap since Arjun already held H-1B status). In the end, he achieved his industry job goal through a cap-exempt “back door” route.

Q&A: H-1B Lottery Common Questions

Q: How will I know if there’s a second H-1B lottery for 2025 or 2026? A: USCIS will make an announcement if they plan a second (or third) round of selections. In 2024, they announced on July 27, 2024, that a second lottery was conducted for FY 2025​. If you’re still in “Submitted” status by mid-summer, stay alert. Typically by August, if no news, the odds of another lottery decrease. You can also follow our Gale blog or the USCIS H-1B Cap Season page for updates. We recommend maintaining contact with your employer and immigration counsel through the summer in case you get unexpectedly selected in a later round.

Q: We got an H-1B selection - can we change the beneficiary’s employer now? A: No, the selection is tied to the employer (registrant) who submitted the lottery entry. An H-1B cap selection notice is not transferable to a different company. The petition must be filed by the same employer for the same beneficiary named in the registration. If the beneficiary wants to switch jobs, the new employer would have needed its own registration (and selection) or the person must wait until after the H-1B is approved and then do a standard H-1B transfer. There is one exception: if a foreign worker had multiple companies file separate registrations for them (which is allowed if bona fide different job offers), they might get selected under one. But they can only proceed with that petition through that winning employer. They can’t take that selection and give it to another employer.

Q: What if my H-1B was selected but my F-1 OPT expires before October 1? A: If you are an F-1 student benefiting from a cap-gap extension (because your employer filed an H-1B change of status petition on time), your work authorization is automatically extended. The “cap-gap” bridges the time from OPT expiration (which often is in June) until H-1B starts (Oct 1) so you can keep working legally. If, however, your OPT ends and you were not selected or your H-1B petition hasn’t been filed, you would need to stop working and possibly depart the U.S. or find another status. Always consult with your DSO and attorney in this situation.

Q: Does being selected in the lottery guarantee a visa? A: No - selection is just the first step. You still need to file a strong H-1B petition and get it approved. Most well-prepared petitions get approved (especially with experienced legal help - Gale boasts a 99%+ approval rate for cap-subject H-1Bs - placeholder stats). But issues can arise: insufficient job specialization, not meeting the prevailing wage, or the infamous “Level 1 wage” RFEs. If a petition is denied, that lottery spot is lost (though USCIS might reuse it in a later lottery if timing allows). In FY 2022, H-1B denial rates hit an all-time low of just 2%​, compared to nearly 15% a few years prior. So odds of approval are in your favor. Still, don’t take chances - work with a qualified H-1B visa attorney (see here on how to choose the best one) to maximize your success.

Q: My case wasn’t selected. Can I sue or force USCIS to select me? A: Unfortunately, no. The lottery is a random selection process defined by regulation. There have been lawsuits in the past challenging aspects of the H-1B lottery (especially when USCIS changed rules or if there were suspicions of gaming the system), but as an individual, you cannot force an approval or selection. Some have suggested that the lottery be replaced with a merit-based selection or higher fees to self-regulate demand, but for now, the random lottery is the law. Your best bet is to try the alternatives mentioned above, and try again next year. Keep in mind, the randomness means you could get lucky on a future attempt even if you didn’t this time.

Conclusion & Next Steps

The H-1B lottery results for 2025 and 2026 underscore the intense demand for high-skilled visas in the tech and startup world. Knowing the timeline and what to expect can ease some of the anxiety. By March 31 each year, you’ll know if you’re selected. If you are, move fast to file a winning petition. If you’re not, consider it a delayed opportunity and explore alternative paths in the interim.

For personalized advice, it’s best to consult with an immigration attorney. Gale has helped countless startup founders and engineers navigate the H-1B process, including contingency plans when the lottery doesn’t go one’s way. We stay on top of USCIS updates and will guide you whether it’s preparing an H-1B petition, finding cap-exempt strategies, or transitioning to other visas like L-1 or O-1.

Ready to find the best path for your situation? Schedule a consultation with Gale to plan your next steps. Our experienced attorneys will provide honest, strategic advice to achieve your U.S. immigration goals.