Published April 6, 2026 · Updated annually
H1B Lottery Statistics: How the Selection Process Works
The H1B visa has an annual cap of 65,000 visas for regular applicants, plus 20,000 for US master's degree holders. When registrations exceed the cap — which they have every year since the electronic registration system launched in 2020 — USCIS runs a random lottery to select which petitions can be filed. Here is how the process works and what the numbers mean.
How the H1B Lottery Works
The H1B cap selection process follows this timeline each fiscal year:
- Electronic Registration (March) — Employers register beneficiaries with USCIS and pay a $10 registration fee per registration. This replaced paper filings in FY2021.
- Lottery Selection (Late March) — If registrations exceed the cap, USCIS conducts a random selection. Selected registrants are notified and given a filing window.
- Petition Filing (April-June) — Selected employers file complete H1B petitions with supporting documentation.
- Adjudication — USCIS reviews each petition. Premium processing (additional fee) provides a 15 business day decision.
- Start Date (October 1) — Approved H1B workers can begin employment at the start of the new fiscal year.
The Cap vs. Demand
The H1B cap has remained at 65,000 + 20,000 (master's exemption) since 2004, while demand has grown significantly. The number of registrations has far exceeded available slots in recent years, driving selection rates well below 50%. USCIS publishes registration and selection counts each fiscal year on their H1B page.
Who Is Exempt from the Cap?
Not all H1B petitions go through the lottery. Cap-exempt employers include:
- Higher education institutions — universities, colleges, and their affiliated nonprofit entities
- Nonprofit research organizations — affiliated with institutions of higher education
- Government research organizations — federal labs and similar entities
Cap-exempt employers can file H1B petitions year-round without entering the lottery. Workers at these employers can later transfer to cap-subject employers, but they would then count against the cap.
Strategies for Improving Your Odds
While the lottery is random, there are ways to improve your overall chances:
- Multiple registrations — different employers can each register you, and each registration gets an independent chance at selection (USCIS has implemented rules to reduce duplicate registrations from related entities)
- Cap-exempt employment — working at a university or affiliated nonprofit bypasses the lottery entirely
- Alternative visa categories — the O-1 visa for extraordinary ability, L-1 for intracompany transfers, and other categories are not subject to the H1B cap
- Employer selection — choose sponsors with strong compliance records. Our database tracks 787 employers with Sponsorship Scores grading their H1B track record
Context from Our Data
Our database of 141,363 LCA filings from 787 employers shows the demand side of H1B sponsorship. The average wage across all filings is $140,695. This data represents labor condition applications filed with the DOL — a prerequisite step before the actual H1B petition to USCIS.
Explore our top sponsors ranking to see which companies file the most H1B applications.
Frequently Asked Questions
The selection rate depends on the number of registrations in a given year relative to the 85,000 cap (65,000 regular + 20,000 master's). In recent years, registrations have exceeded 400,000, putting the selection rate below 25%. USCIS publishes exact numbers each fiscal year.
The electronic registration period typically opens in early March, with lottery results announced in late March. The filing window for selected registrants runs from early April through June 30.
Each beneficiary can only be registered once per employer per fiscal year. However, different unrelated employers can each register the same beneficiary, giving multiple chances at selection. USCIS has implemented controls to identify and reject duplicate registrations from related entities.
If not selected, your options include: trying again next fiscal year, pursuing cap-exempt employment (universities, nonprofits), exploring alternative visa categories (O-1, L-1, TN), continuing on OPT/STEM OPT if eligible, or considering employment abroad with the same company.
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