H-1B Cap Selection Completed for Fiscal Year 2026
USCIS (U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services) announced on March 31, 2025, that the agency has completed selections regarding the regular and advanced degree selections in its annual H-1B Lottery. The H-1B cap of 85,000 petitions, comprised of 65,000 petitions for individuals with the equivalent of U.S. bachelor’s degrees and U.S. master’s degrees, now facilitates the filing of selected petitions in the April 1st – June 30, 2025, filing period.
USCIS did not disclose the number of H-1B pre-registration submissions it received, although it is expected to disclose this information later in the year.
If USCIS does not receive sufficient submissions for unique beneficiaries in the stated time frame, it may conduct one or more subsequent lottery selections to reach the statutory limit set by the federal government.
To obtain lottery results, attorneys or U.S. sponsors may access their myUSCIS.gov accounts and review the information regarding each beneficiary.
The myUSCIS.gov portal lottery results are:
- Submitted – Registration submitted, and application is eligible for selection
- Selected – Selected to file an H1B petition in the April 1 – June 30 time frame
- Denied – Information listed in the pre-registration request may have been invalid, multiple applications filed, or duplicate registrations submitted in error
- Invalidated – Failed payment – Method of payment was declined.
Do not despair if your filing is not selected. Other visa options, including the E visa, O petition for individuals of extraordinary ability, NAFTA/USMCA visas, or H1B1 for individuals from Singapore or Chile, remain available as alternate choices to pursue.
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