Understanding the H1B Visa Lottery & Cap for 2025

Every year, far more people apply for an H1B visa than there are spots available. Because of this huge demand, USCIS runs an H1B visa lottery to fairly decide who gets the chance to move forward and submit a full petition.

But this isn’t just a lucky draw. The H1B lottery comes with specific rules, deadlines, and eligibility requirements that both employers and workers need to fully understand. One mistake and your opportunity could slip away.

Join Visa Library and learn how the H1B visa lottery 2025 works, the H1B visa cap​, and what you can do to increase your chances of getting selected and successfully filing your petition.

What Is the H1B Visa Lottery and Its Cap?

The H1B visa lottery is the system the US government uses to randomly select foreign workers for the H1B visa when applications exceed the yearly limit. Every fiscal year, there’s a cap (maximum number) on how many H1B visas can be issued. For 2025–2026, that number is 85,000.

These 85,000 visas are split into two groups:

• 65,000 under the regular cap: This is for most foreign workers with at least a bachelor’s degree.
• 20,000 under the Master’s cap: This is for applicants who have a US master’s degree or higher from an eligible school.

Note: There are also 6,800 visas reserved out of the 65,000 regular cap for applicants from Chile and Singapore under special trade agreements.

H1B Application Deadline 2025–2026

The H1B visa lottery date and deadline for the 2025–2026 fiscal year follow a strict timeline set by USCIS. All employers who want to hire H1B workers under the cap must stick to these dates to stay eligible.

Here’s the full timeline:

Important Notes:

• The registration fee is $215 per beneficiary and must be paid before submission.
• USCIS now uses a beneficiary-centric selection system, meaning each person can only be registered once, even if multiple employers try to sponsor them.
• There’s no advantage to registering early; all selections happen after registration closes.

H-1B Visa Fees for the 2025–2026 Lottery Cap

Getting an H-1B visa comes with several fees Here’s a breakdown of the minimum required costs:

Notes:

• Premium processing is optional and can be paid by either party if both agree.
• The Asylum Program Fee and Public Law 114-113 Fee only apply to specific employers based on size and staffing structure.

H1B Visa Lottery Cap Eligibility

The H-1B isn’t for just any job. To be considered for the H1B visa lottery cap, your job requires specialized knowledge and usually a college degree. There are 3 types:

1. The Job Must Be a Specialty Occupation

This means the role must require at least a bachelor’s degree in a specific field. Jobs in IT, engineering, finance, healthcare, architecture, and education are common H-1B roles.

2. You Must Have the Right Degree

• If your degree is from a US college or university, it must be from an accredited institution.
• If your degree is from outside the US, it needs to be evaluated to confirm it’s equivalent to a US degree.

3. You Must Have Experience If You Don’t Have a Degree

You may still qualify if you don’t have a formal degree. In some cases, three years of full-time work experience in a related field can be counted as one year of university education. For example, 12 years of relevant experience could be used in place of a 4-year degree if properly documented.

How Does the H1B Visa Lottery Work?

The H1B visa lottery process sounds complicated, especially if it’s your first time. It has 3 main stages: registration, lottery, and petition. You’ll need a US job offer first, and then your employer will take it from there. Let’s see how to apply for H1B visa lottery​:

H-1B Electronic Registration

H1B lottery 2025 registration is the very first step. Your employer (or their legal rep) creates a USCIS account and registers you online. For the 2025–2026 season, here are the important dates:

Documents Required for H1B Visa Lottery Registration

Your employer or attorney creates a USCIS online account, logs into the H-1B registration system, and enters basic info about the company and beneficiary, including:

• Beneficiary’s Passport Info
  • Full name (as in passport)
  • Date of birth
  • Country of birth and citizenship
  • Passport number
• Valid Passport or Travel Document
  • Must be current and valid through the petition period
  • One unique passport per registration (you can’t use multiple)
• Employer Details
  • Legal name of the company
  • EIN (Employer Identification Number)
  • Company address and contact info
  • Authorized signatory name and title
• Job Info
  • Job title and brief description
  • Whether it qualifies for the Master’s Cap (if applicable)
• Payment Info
  • $215 registration fee per beneficiary (paid by employer)

2025 Update: Employers now have more flexibility to start your job up to 90 days before your current status ends instead of only starting on October 1. This gives both you and your employer some breathing room.

H-1B Lottery Selection Phase

Once registration closes, USCIS holds the lottery. If the number of entries is more than the number of available visas (which it always is), USCIS runs a random selection.

• 65,000 visas for the regular cap
• 20,000 extra visas for those with a US master’s degree or higher

If you’re picked, your employer will see your status change to “Selected” in their USCIS account. If not, it will stay as “Submitted”.

How to See the H1B Visa Lottery Results?

To see your H1B visa lottery results, your employer or their attorney must log in to their USCIS online account (where they submitted your registration). Here are all the status types and what they mean:

Note: If USCIS needs more registrations later in the year, they’ll pull additional entries from the “Submitted” pool. After October 1, all unselected “Submitted” entries will be updated to “Not Selected.”

Full H-1B Petition Phase

If you’re selected, congrats! Now, the real paperwork begins. Your employer has 90 days to file a full H-1B petition (Form I-129) with USCIS.

2025 Update: As of April 1, 2025, you must use the new Form I-129 (edition date: 01/17/25). If you send the old one, USCIS will reject it. The petition must include:

• Details of the job offer
• Proof of your qualifications (degrees, transcripts, evaluations)
• Certified Labor Condition Application (LCA) from the Department of Labor
• Filing fees (which we broke down earlier)

Sometimes, USCIS will ask for extra documents; this is called an RFE (Request for Evidence). It’s common and not the end of the world; just respond carefully and quickly. But if your petition is approved, your H1B visa lottery application​ status becomes active on October 1, and you can officially start working in the US under the H-1B program.

Can You Improve Your H-1B Lottery Chances?

The H1B visa lottery is random, so you can’t “hack” it, but you can make sure your registration doesn’t get rejected before it’s even considered. To give yourself the best shot:

• Fill out the registration correctly. Double-check names, dates, passport numbers, and all required fields.
• Make sure the full $215 registration fee is paid on time and for each beneficiary.
• Make sure your job offer qualifies as a “specialty occupation.”
• Make sure you qualify with the right degree or enough work experience.
• Apply only once per job offer. Multiple or duplicate filings for the same person by the same company will be automatically rejected. If you have multiple job offers from different employers, you can register with each one separately.
• Don’t apply for jobs that start more than 6 months after October 1. That’s outside the allowed window.
• File your full petition early, as soon as USCIS allows it (if selected in the lottery).

What Happens After the 2025 H1B Visa Lottery Selection?

So, you’ve made it through the H1B visa lottery registration phase, but what happens next? Whether you’re selected or not, it’s important to understand each possible outcome and what your employer should do if you are selected.

If You’re Selected in the H-1B Lottery

Congrats! If your registration is marked as “Selected,” it means your employer now has the green light to file a full H-1B petition. Here’s what happens:

1. USCIS updates the employer’s online account with your selection notice.
2. Your employer will submit a Labor Condition Application (LCA) – Form ETA-9035 to the Department of Labor. They must promise to pay you at least the prevailing wage, provide fair working conditions, and confirm there’s no strike or lockout at the job site.
3. Your employer will file Form I-129 with USCIS along with the certified LCA plus proof of your job offer, qualifications, fees, and other supporting documents.
4. You need to Wait for the USCIS decision. USCIS may approve it directly or send a Request for Evidence (RFE) asking for more info. If approved, you’re now eligible to apply for your actual visa stamp (if outside the US).
5. To get a new visa stamp, You need to fill out the DS-160 online visa application and schedule a visa interview at your local US embassy or consulate.
6. Attend the visa interview. Make sure to bring your passport, I-797 Approval Notice, LCA, job offer letter, and degree or proof of work experience.
7. Once approved, your H-1B visa will be stamped in your passport, and you’ll be ready to enter the US.

Important Notes:

• “Official Selection Notice” must be included in your petition. USCIS requires it.
• Only the employer listed in the selection can file the petition. No switching employers at this stage.
• The passport or travel document used during registration must match what’s submitted in the petition. If anything changes (like a renewed passport), the employer needs to explain it clearly in the filing.
• Only use the new version of Form I-129 (edition date: 01/17/25). Old forms will be rejected.
• If you’re approved, you can start work on or after October 1, 2025.

What If My H-1B Visa Is Denied?

A denial is frustrating, especially after getting selected in the lottery. But don’t panic. Not all denials are final, and not all rejections mean the end of the road. Let’s break it down.

Rejection vs. Denial: What’s the Difference?

Rejection means something went wrong with your application before USCIS reviewed your case in full. This usually happens if:

• Fees weren’t paid correctly.
• A form was missing or unsigned.
• Key documents weren’t included.
• The info was inconsistent or incomplete.

These are often fixable. If you’re rejected, your employer can refile the petition as long as the filing window is still open. So, just fix the issue fast.

Denial happens after USCIS has fully reviewed your petition and decided you don’t meet the H1B visa lottery requirements​. Reasons might include:

• Your job isn’t seen as a “specialty occupation.”
• Your education or work experience doesn’t qualify.
• Your documents weren’t strong enough to prove your case.

Unfortunately, you can’t just refile a denied case for the same cap year. However, you might be able to:

• File a Motion to Reopen or Motion to Reconsider if you believe USCIS made a mistake or if you have new evidence.
• Work with an attorney to assess next steps or consider an appeal in rare cases.

What About RFEs (Request for Evidence)?

Sometimes, instead of denying your case, USCIS will issue an RFE. This means they want more info before making a decision. Common RFE requests:

• Proof of your degree
• More job details
• Evidence that your job qualifies as a specialty occupation

You’ll usually have up to 90 days to respond. Take this seriously and respond clearly, completely, and on time. A well-handled RFE can turn a near-denial into an approval.

Alternatives to the H-1B Visa

If you are selected in the H1B visa lottery or your H-1B was denied, you still have a few other US work visas worth exploring:

What Is H-1B Cap Exemption?

Most people applying for an H-1B visa have to go through the H1B visa lottery because there’s a yearly limit (or “cap”) on how many visas are available. But not everyone has to wait in line. Some employers and job types are “cap-exempt”, meaning they can skip the lottery and apply any time of year.

Who Can Skip the H1B Visa Lottery?

Some jobs and organizations fall into special categories that don’t count against the annual cap. If your employer is one of these, you’re likely cap-exempt:

Universities and Colleges

Jobs at public or nonprofit higher education institutions are cap-exempt. To qualify, the school must:

• Be licensed and offer education beyond high school
• Offer degrees (or at least a 2-year degree path)
• Be officially accredited in the US

Nonprofits Affiliated with Universities

Some nonprofit organizations connected to a college or university may also qualify. To count, the nonprofit must:

• Be legally tied to the university (like sharing a board or ownership)
• Support the school’s educational or research goals
• Not be a general service, community, or arts nonprofit (those don’t count)
• Be legally connected, either through shared ownership, board control or as an official branch or subsidiary

Government Research Organizations

Federal or state agencies that focus on research and development (R&D) can be cap-exempt, especially if they work directly with universities or US government departments.

Example: A nonprofit research center run by a university might qualify.

Some nonprofits that focus mostly on scientific or medical research may qualify. To be eligible, they must meet the legal standards set by US immigration law, not just any nonprofit counts.

What Is the Second H-1B Lottery, and Who Qualifies?

If you weren’t selected in the first H1B visa lottery this year, don’t lose hope just yet. USCIS sometimes holds a second lottery, and if it happens, you might still get picked.

Why Is a Second H-1B Lottery Necessary?

The second lottery is triggered when not enough petitions are filed after the first round of selections. In simple terms, some employers who were selected in the first round don’t follow through; they may choose not to file, miss deadlines, or submit incomplete petitions. So, to fill the unused spots and meet the H-1B cap for the fiscal year, USCIS runs a second random selection from the original pool of registrations.

Who Is Eligible for the Second Selection?

USCIS only considers entries that were properly submitted during the original March registration window. That means if your status still says “Submitted” in your USCIS account, you’re still in the game.

This second selection includes:

• Regular cap registrations
• Master’s cap registrations that were not selected in the first round

This second round isn’t just for master’s degree holders; it includes everyone who registered and wasn’t already selected.

What About the Master’s Cap?

There’s no second lottery specifically for the master’s cap. USCIS has already received enough petitions to fill those 20,000 slots from the initial round. So, if you were only eligible under the master’s cap and were selected, great! If not, your only chance is through the regular cap second round, if eligible.

When Will the Second Lottery Happen?

There’s no fixed H1B visa lottery timeline for the second round. USCIS has said it will happen “soon” if needed, but they don’t give advance notice. In past years, second lotteries happened in July, August, or even September. All you can do for now is watch your USCIS account and wait for an update.

How Will You Know If You’re Selected?

If you’re selected in the second round, your USCIS online account will be updated. You’ll see a new selection notice with:

• Confirmation of selection
• Your case number
• Instructions for when and where your employer should file your H-1B petition

H1B Visa Lottery: The Bottom Line

The H1B visa lottery 2025 is competitive, time-sensitive, and packed with rules. But understanding how it works gives you a real advantage. From registration to selection to filing your petition, every step matters. And with the recent changes for 2025, being accurate, timely, and informed is more important than ever.

If you’re feeling overwhelmed or just want to make sure you’re doing everything right, get help from Visa Library. We offer FREE consultations to help you or your employer through the entire H1B process.

FAQ about H1B Visa Lottery