Getting an H1B Visa to work in the US is no longer a matter of skill but luck. Last year, for the H1B FY 2024 Season, they received a whopping 781K registrations. In fact, we had an H1B Lottery for the current H1B Visa Fiscal Year(FY) 2025 season.
In this article, we look at the end-to-end timeline for the H1B FY 2025 season, details on changes in regulations, and the latest news related to the current H1B season. We will continue to update this article as we have updated information.
Basics of H1B Visa, Fiscal Year(FY) 2025 Season
If you are new to the H1B Visa process, you might wonder what this visa type is, how it works, and what basics you need to know. Below are the details of the same
What is an H1B Visa?
US Congress created the H1B Visa category to employ high-skilled professionals in the US by companies with a presence in the US. H1B Visa falls under the temporary work visa program. It can be applied on behalf of any applicant with relevant skills & at least a bachelor’s degree to work in the US.
The US Congress set an annual quota of 85,000 for new H1B Visas. These new H1B visas filed are called cap-subject H1B visas. We will look at more details on the quota in the following sections. As the demand for H1B visas is very high, USCIS employs a random selection process called an H1B Visa Lottery to select applicants that meet the annual quota cap. We will look at more details on the H1B lottery in the next sections.
What is the H1B Visa Fiscal Year 2025 Season?
When you see the year 2025 next to the H1B visa, you can get confused: why do I see 2025 when we file registrations or petitions in the year 2024? The reason is new H1B Visas are issued per the USCIS Fiscal Year(FY), and quota is allocated for that fiscal year.
USCIS’s fiscal year differs from the standard calendar year as the start and end dates are not from January to December. USCIS Fiscal Year 2025 starts on October 1st, 2024, and ends on September 30th, 2025. So, technically, the Fiscal Year(FY) of 2025 of USCIS starts in the year 2024.
USCIS accepts H1B petitions for the next fiscal year about six months before the start of the fiscal year. Now, for the FY 2025 season, counting six months backward from October 2024, it would be April 1st, 2024. That’s the main reason for seeing the overall process listed in the timeline below for FY 2025, which starts in March 2024, and petitions are accepted from April 1st, 2024 for FY 2025 season.
The H1B Visa FY 2025 season (basically the entire duration from the start of submission of registrations to working in the US on H1B visa) is for employers planning to hire H1B workers to work in the US starting from October 1st, 2024.
If you are new to the H1B Process, jargon can be confusing. We suggest you read H1B Visa Basics – FAQs like Requirements, Quota, LCA, etc. to get a hold on the basics.
What is the H1B Visa 2025 Timeline? What are the Dates?
USCIS announced the official H1B Registration/ Lottery Process dates for the FY 2025 season on January 30th, 2024. Below are the official dates and timelines.
| H1B 2025 Process Steps | Dates | Activities performed during this period |
| Start Date to Create Registration Accounts | Start from the last week of February 2024 | Employers or H1B Sponsors create their H1B Registrant accounts. They need to use the registrant accounts to submit H1B registrations. |
| Start Date to Submit H1B Registrations | March 6th, 2024 | The start date from when Employers can login to the USCIS H1B Registration system and submit registrations for applicants that intend to hire on an H1B Visa |
| End Date to Submit H1B Registrations | March 25th, 2024 | End Date to Submit H1B Registrations. USCIS extended the deadline by three days to March 25th, 2024, to account for the outages and issues faced by employers. |
| H1B Registration Lottery Selection, Results | March 26th, 2024 to March 31st, 2024 | USCIS conducts random selection, aka H1B lottery, and informs results during these days. Update: USCIS announced the official news of H1B FY 2025 lottery results on April 1st, 2024. indicating that they have notified all the selected applicants. Check more at USCIS completes H1B FY 2025 lottery, all notified. |
| H1B Petition Filing Dates | April 1st, 2024 to June 30th, 2024 | Employers can file H1B petitions for selected applicants in the H1B Lottery during this period. An employer needs to prepare a full petition with LCA and all applicant’s details and send the package to USCIS |
| H1B Petition Processing by USCIS, Decisions | April 1st, 2024 onwards | USCIS processes the H1B petition filed by the employer from April 1st onwards, which can take anywhere from a few weeks to a few months. |
| H1B Visa Stamping at US Consulates | July 1st, 2024 onwards | If you are an applicant outside of the US, you need to get an H1B Visa Stamp in the passport to enter the US on H1B Visa. You apply for it at a US Consulate/Embassy. |
| Start Working on H1B Visa | October 1st, 2024 onwards | USCIS fiscal year 2025 starts on Oct 1st, 2024 and this is when the cap-subject applicants can start working. If your petition was approved and you got the visa, you can enter the US and work from Oct 1st, 2024. If you are already in the US, your status will change to H1B from this date |
We have summarized the above table with H1B visa 2025 timeline and dates in a simple flow chart image as shown below:
You can also read End to End H1B Process Guide from Lottery to Stamping to get an idea of the overall process.
Now that we know the timelines, let’s start with each of the aspects of the H1B 2025 season, starting with the H1B quota for FY 2025 season and how it works.
H1B Visa Quota for FY 2025: Regular Cap, Master’s Cap
The H1B Visa Quota is divided into two: the first one is the regular quota, and the second is the master’s quota. US Congress has set a limit of 85,000 on the number of H1B Visas that can be issued annually. That limit is called an ‘H1B quota cap’.
As of today, below are the annual quota caps set for each of them and how they look for the FY 2025 season:
- H1B Regular Quota: 65,000 visas
- H1B Master’s Quota: 20,000 visas (only applicants with a US Master’s degree from accredited schools are eligible for this quota)
Also, of the total 85,000 visa slots, there are about 6,800 visas that are set aside for the citizens of Singapore and Chile as part of their Free Trade Agreement. These 6,800 are called as categorized as H1B1. So, technically, the total count is less than 85,000 per year for the H1B quota. But, in general, the Singapore and Chile countries consume only a few hundred. To know more, you can read What is H1B Cap? Regular vs Masters Quota, H1B1
If you are looking for more information on how the H1B cap looked starting from 1990, you can also read H1B Visa Total Cap by Year from FY 1990 to 2024.
H1B 2025 Lottery Predictions, Total Registrations?
USCIS has conducted the H1B lottery every year, since fiscal year 2014 season. Technically, we had H1B lottery every year for the last 11 consecutive years. H1B FY 2024 season had the highest number of H1B registrations, with a whopping 781,000 registrations that were part of the H1B lottery.
Looking at the past data and historical trend, it is very likely we would have lottery situation for FY 2025 season as well. Due to the changes in the H1B lottery selection process, we expect to see a lower number of H1B registrations for the lottery this year. We have done a detail analysis on the same, check out H1B Visa 2025 Lottery Predictions, Analysis.
News Update: USCIS announced that there was an H1B Lottery conducted for the Fiscal Year 2025 registrations. They have not announced the details of the exact number of H1B registrations that were submitted this year yet. We continue to wait for the same.
If you have submitted H1B Registration for H1B FY 2025 season, please add your case to H1B Visa 2025 Case Tracker for community benefit. It is anonymous and used to track macro trends and helps you and everyone. You can also join the Telegram H1B 2025 Community
H1B 2025 Lottery Results: How to check? Results Date?
Below are the details about H1B 2025 lottery results, how to check them and when you can expect the results as well.
H1B 2025 Lottery Results Date?
Based on past historical dates, USCIS would likely announce H1B 2025 lottery results during the last week of March 2024 after the H1B registration submission deadline ends.
For FY 2024 season, the lottery results started to come in from March 24th and the official press release was done on March 27th. For FY 2025 season, as the dates for H1B registration are extended until March 25th, 2024, we can expect the H1B lottery results to be anywhere between March 26th, 2024, and March 31st, 2024.
Update: H1B Lottery results started to come in starting from March 27th, 2024 for the FY 2025 season. USCIS announced on April 1st, 2024, that they completed sending notifications to all the selected applicants. You can read more at H1B Lottery results for FY 2025 Season.
How to check H1B 2025 Lottery Results?
It is human tendency to check the results on their own without relying on others. Unfortunately, it does not work that way for H1B Lottery results. Even though the online system generates something called a “Beneficiary Confirmation Number”(16-digit alphanumeric number), it cannot be used to check the lottery results online.
The “Beneficiary Confirmation Number” starts with the fiscal year. For H1B FY 2025, it would look like 2025-xxxx-xxxx-xxxx. It is only used by the USCIS online system to conduct the lottery and it is an internal number.
Update: H1B 2025 Lottery Results are out. USCIS made the official announcement on April 1st, 2024, that they have notified everyone selected in the H1B Lottery. You can read the article USCIS News: H1B Results Announced, all notified.
The only option to check the H1B lottery result is to log in as the employer or attorney who submitted the H1B registration and then check the status. Employers get a notification indicating the change to the H1B registration; after that, they can log in and check the H1B registration status online.
When employers login to check the results, they would see the status of their submitted H1B registration with the lottery result status next to the beneficiary confirmation number. It looks like this in the below screenshot. You can read complete details at How to check H1B Lottery Results .
So, if you are an H1B applicant, you must contact your employer or attorney to know the H1B Lottery results for FY 2025 season.
Second Round H1B Lottery for FY 2025 Season Completed
USCIS announced on July 30th, 2024, that they would conduct a second-round lottery for the FY 2025 Season. They mentioned that they would only conduct the H1B lottery for selecting enough registrations to meet the regular cap only as they reached the US masters cap. You can read more at USCIS to Conduct Second Round H1B Lottery for FY 2025 Season.
Starting from August 2nd, 2024, we had second-round lottery results coming in batches. USCIS did not make any official announcement during this time. Many attorneys and community members confirmed about the results of the second round selections saying that they got selection notices for the second round. You can read all about it and news updates at H1B 2025 Second Round Lottery Results out, Sample Selection Notice.
Finally, on August 5th, 2024, USCIS made an official press release indicating that they completed the H1B Lottery second round for the FY 2025 Season and have notified all the applicants. Employers have 90 days to file the H1B petition for the selected applicants. You can read more at article: H1B Second Round Lottery Completed for FY 2025 Season, 14,534 Selected
Will we have a third-round H1B Lottery for the FY 2025 Season?
USCIS selected fewer registrations than the previous fiscal years for the second round lottery. To give you an idea, below are the numbers:
- For FY 2022, USCIS selected 27,717 registrations in the second round.
- There was no second-round H1B lottery for FY 2023.
- For FY 2024, USCIS selected 77,600 H1B registrations in the second round.
Also, USICS said they already met the Masters Cap. So, technically they are short by few for Regular cap quota. Looking at overall data, it seems to us that there may not be a third round lottery. But, having said that, if many who were selected in second round, do not file the H1B petitions, then we may end up in third round….Only time will tell. You may check H1B Cap Count Updates History for past data to understand more.
Common FAQs
Employers/Companies can submit H1B registrations starting from March 6th 2024, until March 25th, 2024 for FY 2025 season.
DHS has taken a section of the H1B Modernization Regulation and published a final rule that changes the Lottery selection process. The new selection is based on the unique beneficiary passport or travel document information. You can read more at New H1B Lottery Process for FY 2025
As per the selected notice from the H1B 2025 Lottery, employers can submit H1B petition anytime between April 1st, 2024 and June 30th, 2024. They have 90 days filing window.
Latest News Updates for H1B FY 2025 Season
Below are the news updates, both official and unofficial updates, regarding the H1B FY 2025 season. We continue to update the latest news updates here, both official and unofficial.
August 5th, 2024
USCIS made an official press release today indicating that they completed the second round H1B lottery for the FY 2025 Season and notified everyone. They selected 14,534 Registrations as part of this second round. You can read more at article: H1B Second Round Lottery Completed for FY 2025 Season, 14534 Selected
Below is the screenshot of the official USCIS Press release as well
August 2nd, 2024: Many Attorneys and Users are reporting that they are receiving the notification for their selections in the second round H1B lottery for the FY 2025 Season. We do not have any official update yet from USCIS. Below is a screenshot of the users reporting the same and samples. You can read more at H1B 2025 Second Round Lottery Results out, Sample Selection Notice
Jul 30th, 2024: USCIS release a press note today indicating that there would be second round H1B lottery. You can read more at USCIS to Conduct Second Round H1B Lottery for FY 2025 Season.
Below is the screenshot of the news from USCIS’s official press release
April 1st, 2024: Today, USCIS made an official press release indicating that they have reached the cap for FY 2025 and done the first round lottery selections. They confirmed that they sent the email notifications for all the ones selected. You can read full details at article USCIS News: H1B 2025 Lottery Done, All Notified, New Changes.
Below is the screenshot of the Official News release from USCIS website.
March 31st, 2024: As of today, there is no official news release from USCIS regarding the H1B Lottery results. Many attorneys confirmed that they have received H1B Lottery selection notices over the last few days. They say they have not seen any lottery selection notices today. They are guessing if sending out the H1B lottery results is done. You can H1B 2025 Lottery Results Daily Updates for official and unofficial updates by day.
March 28th, 2024 : Today, USCIS is sending out the notification emails for the selection notices. If an employer’s submitted H1B registrations were selected, they would get a notification from USCIS that looks like in the screenshot below.
Also, USCIS updated their twitter page saying that they started sending out selection notices notifications since yesterday and it will continue until April 1st, 2024. See below
👀Fiscal Year 2025 H-1B cap petitioners: random selections have been made and notifications are being sent to myUSCIS accounts beginning yesterday and continuing over the next few days prior to April 1.
— USCIS (@USCIS) March 28, 2024
March 27th, 2024 : We have many users and attorneys who confirmed that they have received H1B Selection Notices for the FY 2025 Season. We have shared all the updates and the sample selection notice in a separate article. You can read it at H1B 2025 Lottery Results are out, Sample Notice.
So far, we do not have any official update from USCIS on the same. All we have is community updates from attorneys and users. This is very normal as the results come in for few days and USCIS only makes an announcement after the full results are rolled out to users.
Below is sample screenshot showing results are out shard by community of attorneys and users.
March 26th, 2024: USCIS made a press release today announcing the closure of H1B registration period for FY 2025 season and also highlighted all the changes related to the H1B FY 2025 Season. You can read the summary at article: H1B Filing Location Changes, All FY 2025 Changes – Fees, Online Filing, Others.
Below is the screenshot of the Official press release on USCIS website
March 21st, 2024: USCIS announced a news alert today indicating the extension of the H1B registration period from March 22nd, 2024 until March 25th, 2024, Noon EST. The main reason for the extension is to address the outages experienced by some of the users during the registration period. The H1B lottery results will still be notified by March 31st, 2024.
See the below screenshot of the USCIS Press Release
February 28th, 2024: USCIS made a press release today confirming the dates of H1B registration that they announced in January, which is from March 6th, 2024 to March 22, 2024 Noon EST.
Today, they announced the rollout of the USCIS organizational accounts that help employers with large teams and their legal reps to collaborate and prepare the H1B registrations and petitions. See the below USCIS Press Release screenshot on the same.
January 30th, 2024: USCIS announced a press release giving the dates for H1B FY 2025 initial registration and more details on the changes to H1B lottery selecting process. Read the below articles
- New H1B Lottery Selection Process for FY 2025
- H1B 2025 Season – Registration Dates, Fee Changes, Online Filing
Official News at : USCIS News Alert
October 23rd, 2023: USCIS has proposed changes to the H1B Lottery process to combat fraud. It was published in Federal Register on October 23, 2023. As part of this regulation, they want to do H1B lottery based on unique passport number to avoid people using multiple offers and getting multiple entries in lottery to increase their odds of selection.
Do you have any questions regarding the H1B 2025 season? Ask your questions or add your inputs in the comments section below.
Hi
I have worked 3 years in US in H1B and returned back to india in 2019 due to extension denial. Am i eligible to apply H1B for remaining 3 years in cap exempt? also H1B recapture and cap exempt is both are same ?
vinoth,
If it was not denied for Fraud, then you should be fine to apply for H1B under cap exempt. Yes, both technically mean the same.
Thank you
How many applicants are Registered in this Fiscal Year 2025? Because there are more chances this year, as they are looking out for Duplications. Do we have any second round of Lottery?
Joel,
We do not have that data yet. Too early to say.
If some employer says that they would take $1500 after you being selected in the lottery. They mentioned the reason that they would return this amount when you land in US. The reason they shared to charge is because certain employee from their past experience leave to go with them to proceed because of various reason so they charge this security amount to cover that. Is that a legit ask or is that a scam? They also mentioned that they won’t cover the travel cost, US consulate cost as well.
Safdar,
Paying for H1B application/ petition is illegal. Your employer has to bear all the costs of application. You can read H1B Fee, Who Pays for What for more info
Hi Kumar,
There is no hope for Third lottery for FY 2024?
Ratan,
We are yet to hear from USCIS. Hard to say at this point, if something were to happen, it will be soon.