As most of you know, USCIS started sending our H1B Lottery results for the Fiscal Year(FY) 2026 late last week. As mentioned in our H1B 2026 Lottery Results News Updates page, they did not make any official announcement on the same until now.
Today, USCIS made an official press release indicating that they have completed the H1B Visa 2026 Lottery first round and informed everyone. In this article, we will review the summary of the key points from the news release and outline next steps, including common FAQs.
Background: H1B Visa 2026 Lottery Results, Updates
As most of you know, USCIS made an announcement regarding the H1B Visa 2026 season, and they started accepting H1B registrations for the FY 2026 season starting on Friday, March 7th, 2025, at Noon EST and closed on Monday, March 24th, 2025, at Noon EST.
They mentioned that USCIS would release the H1B lottery results for the FY 2026 season by March 31st, 2025. But, similar to previous years, they released H1B 2026 lottery results on March 27th, 2025, but did not make any press release regarding the same.
USCIS kept sending the H1B Lottery Selection Notices since March 27th, 2025 until March 30th, 2025. You can read H1B Lottery Results out for FY 2026, Sample Selection Notice. Not many reported any updates on the selections from today, March 31st, 2025. Today they finally announced the official press release. Let’s look at the details below
Summary of USCIS Press Release: H1B 2026 Lottery Done, Results Sent
Below is the summary of the USCIS press release that was released today, March 31st, 2025:
- Received Enough Registrations: USCIS said that they had received enough number of H1B registrations to reach the H1B Visa cap quota for the Fiscal Year 2026, both for the regular cap(65,000) and master’s cap(20,000).
- H1B Lottery Completed, Informed all: USCIS conducted a random selection process, aka H1B Visa Lottery, and selected enough applicants to meet the H1B cap. They informed all of the employers/attorneys of the selected applicants in the lottery, indicating that they could file an H1B petition for their applicants.
- H1B Registrant’s Accounts Status: They say that all the employers or attorneys who submitted the H1B registrations would be able to see the H1B selection status online in their accounts.
- H1B Petition Filing Dates: USCIS says that Employers/Attorneys can submit H1B petitions for the selected applicants starting from April 1st, 2025. They have 90 days to submit the H1B petition, starting from April 1st, 2025, until June 30th, 2025.
- File with Valid Registration, Passport Info, Correct Location: Only applicants selected in the H1B Lottery can submit H1B petition by submitting the H1B registration selection notice along with the petition. They also need to submit the passport copy, which they used during the registration as proof. Also, the address of the H1B petition should be selected based on the filing location or online at my.uscis.gov
- Submit Documents for H1B Eligibility: USCIS says that getting selected in H1B lottery is the first step to submit H1B petition. Employers or Attorney must submit all the relevant documentation that indicates the eligibility of the H1B program so that the petition can be approved by USCIS. Common documents include H1B Labor Condition Application(LCA), I-129 form, education documents, etc. You can check H1B Petition Documents Checklist for USCIS.
USCIS has not given any data on how many H1B registrations were submitted during the H1B FY 2026 season. We would usually know this by mid April. Stay tuned.
‼️ If you have submitted H1B Registration for the H1B FY 2026 season, please add your case to the H1B Visa 2026 Case Tracker for community benefit. It is anonymous and used to track macro trends, which helps everyone to understand trends. ‼️
Next Steps after H1B Lottery?
- If you were selected in H1B Lottery, your employer would filed an H1B Labor Condition Application(LCA) with the US Department of Labor at FLAG.gov website
- They would ask the applicant to submit all the documents related to their education, passport, experience, taxes, etc. and create a H1B petition package and send it to USCIS. You can read H1B Petition Documents Checklist for USCIS for more.
- USCIS will accept the petition and give a receipt notice. You can check H1B case status online on USCIS website.
- USCIS will adjudicate the petition and inform the employer/ attorney.
You can read complete information at Next Steps after H1B Lottery – Process Flow Chart, FAQs.
Common FAQs
No one knows at this point. We do not have any information on how many were selected by USCIS and how many they received. We will know a little more once we have that data. Last year, for FY 2025, USCIS conducted an H1B Second Round Lottery.
We do not know the number at this point. USCIS usually releases this by mid-April 2025.
No, you cannot transfer an H1B registration selection notice to another employer. Only the current employer can file the H1B petition for you.
Unfortunately, there is no option left for you as you cannot transfer the H1B selection notice.
What are your thoughts on the H1B Registration Lottery results for FY 2026? Share your thoughts in comments section below.
Reference: USCIS Press Release for FY 2026 H1B
Hi Team,
A couple of questions here;
1. I got my B1 interview slot scheduled from my current employer in Sep 2025. Meanwhile, my H1B petition has been approved from future employer. Can I still book and go for H1B visa interview before B1 slot (Sep 2025)?
2. If I book a H1B slot before B1 interview, will the B1 slot still be available in the system?
Thanks.