H-1B Visa Lottery 2026: Improving Your Odds Of Success
Introduction
At the beginning of every H-1B Cap filing period, many H-1B employers and H-1B candidates have some essential queries – Will there be H-1B lottery this year? What are the odds of getting selected in the H-1B lottery?
A look at H-1B lottery Fiscal Year2026 which took place in 2025 and the H-1B lottery in the past years may be helpful in predicting what to expect in the upcoming H-1B Cap filing season.
H1B Lottery Trends – Insights To Improve Your Odds
Let us take a look at how the H-1B lottery selections took place over the years, and how to strategize H-1B Cap Fiscal Year2027 filings successfully.
DID YOU KNOW?
In 2025, USCIS implemented the beneficiary‑centric lottery, selecting registrations based on unique individuals rather than the actual number of filings while also introducing universal online filing for H‑1B cap petitions.
H-1B Cap Statistics In Recent Years
Fiscal Year
Total Registrations Received
Eligible Registrations*
Registrations Selected
Registration Start
Registration End
FY 2026
358,737
343,981
120,141
March 7, 2025
March 24, 2025
FY 2025
479,953
470,342
135,137
March 7, 2024
March 25, 2024
(extended from March 22, 2024)
FY 2024
780,884
758,994
188,400
March 1, 2023
March 17, 2023
FY 2023
483,927
474,421
127,600
March 1, 2022
March 18, 2022
FY 2022
308,613
301,447
131,924
March 9, 2021
March 25, 2021
* Eligible Registrations: Total registrations received minus invalid, duplicate, or withdrawn registrations.
1. H-1B Visa Lottery FY 2026
During the FY2026 H-1B Cap registration period between March 7 and March 24, 2025, USCIS received over 340,000 eligible registrations, including registrations under the advanced degree exemption.
On April 1, 2025, USCIS began accepting H-1B cap-subject petitions on behalf of registrations that were selected in the random selection process.
DID YOU KNOW?
Close to 1 out of every 3 H-1B cap registrations received by the USCIS during the H-1B cap registration period between March 7 and March 24, 2025, were selected in the H-1B lottery FY 2025.
FISCAL YEAR 2026
H-1B Cap Statistics
Registration and Selection Overview
360,000
270,000
180,000
90,000
358,737
Registrations Received
343,981
Eligible Registrations
120,141
Registrations Selected
2. H-1B Visa Lottery FY2025
During the FY2025 H-1B Cap registration period between March 6 and March 22, 2024, USCIS received over 470,000 eligible registrations including registrations under the advanced degree exemption.
On April 1, 2024, USCIS began accepting H-1B cap-subject petitions on behalf of registrations that were selected in the random selection process.
DID YOU KNOW?
Less than 1 out of every 3.5 H-1B cap registrations received by the USCIS during the H-1B cap registration period between March 6 and March 25, 2024 (extended from March 22, 2024 due to temporary system outage), were selected in the H-1B lottery FY2025.
FISCAL YEAR 2025
H-1B Cap Statistics
Registration and Selection Overview
600,000
450,000
300,000
150,000
479,953
Registrations Received
470,342
Eligible Registrations
135,137
Registrations Selected
3. H-1B Visa Lottery FY 2024
During the FY2024 H-1B Cap registration period between March 1 and March 17, 2023, USCIS received over 750,000 eligible registrations including registrations under the advanced degree exemption.
On April 1, 2023, USCIS began accepting H-1B cap-subject petitions on behalf of registrations that were selected in the random selection process.
DID YOU KNOW?
Less than 1 out of every 4.3 H-1B cap registrations received by the USCIS during the H-1B cap registration period between March 1 and March 17, 2023, were selected in the H-1B lottery FY 2024.
FISCAL YEAR 2024
H-1B Cap Statistics
Registration and Selection Overview
800,000
600,000
400,000
200,000
780,880
Registrations Received
758,994
Eligible Registrations
188,400
Registrations Selected
4. H-1B Visa Lottery FY 2023
During the FY2023 H-1B Cap registration period between March 1 and March 18, 2022, USCIS received over 474,000 eligible registrations including registrations under the advanced degree exemption.
On April 1, 2022, USCIS began accepting H-1B cap-subject petitions on behalf of registrations that were selected in the random selection process.
DID YOU KNOW?
Less than 1 out of every 3.7 H-1B cap registrations received by the USCIS during the H-1B cap registration period between March 1 and March 18, 2022, were selected in the H-1B lottery FY 2023.
FISCAL YEAR 2023
H-1B Cap Statistics
Registration and Selection Overview
600,000
450,000
300,000
150,000
483,927
Registrations Received
474,421
Eligible Registrations
127,600
Registrations Selected
5. H-1B Visa Lottery FY 2022
During the FY2022 H-1B Cap registration period between March 9 and March 25, 2021, USCIS received over 301,000 eligible registrations including registrations under the advanced degree exemption.
On April 1, 2021, USCIS began accepting H-1B cap-subject petitions on behalf of registrations that were selected in the random selection process.
DID YOU KNOW?
Less than 1 out of every 2.3 H-1B cap registrations received by the USCIS during the H-1B cap registration period between March 9 and March 25, 2021, were selected in the H-1B lottery 2022.
FISCAL YEAR 2022
H-1B Cap Statistics
Registration and Selection Overview
320,000
240,000
160,000
80,000
308,613
Registrations Received
301,447
Eligible Registrations
131,924
Registrations Selected
H1B VISA LOTTERY 2026 – WHAT TO EXPECT?
Despite the current immigration climate and economic headwinds, VisaPro fully expects that USCIS will certainly receive enough registrations to conduct another H-1B lottery in March 2026.
VisaPro attorneys helped clients’ secure near 100% approval with H-1B Cap filings in the past 10 years. This was possible with advanced planning and a unique strategy VisaPro methodically built for each candidate.
Knowledgeable, fast, courteous, efficient are all words that describe the services I received from VisaPro. They were very helpful in all phases of the H-1B visa process and they got it right the first time. I have tried other Visa services, but VisaPro is the best by far. VisaPro is the only way to go!"
Raymond Meyers, President, EBOZ, Inc