H-1B lottery results explained for FY 2026.

Each fiscal year, USCIS holds a computerized lottery — the H-1B registration process — to select enough unique beneficiaries to fill the 65,000 regular cap and the 20,000 master cap (advanced degree exemption). Employers submit an electronic registration per beneficiary by a March deadline. USCIS then conducts a randomised selection.

What selection means: The selected beneficiary's employer is authorised to file a full Form I-129 petition within a 90-day filing window. The petition, not the selection, determines whether the beneficiary receives H-1B status.

Employers who registered workers in the FY 2026 H-1B lottery, F-1 students on OPT whose employers filed registrations, and workers trying to understand their registration status and next steps.

• H-1B cap-exempt petitioners (universities, nonprofit research organisations) — no lottery required.
• H-1B1 (Chile/Singapore) or E-3 (Australia) applicants — separate programs with different caps.
• Applicants for H-1B extensions, amendments, or transfers (already counted against the cap).

Selected: The beneficiary was chosen. The employer has 90 days to file a complete I-129. If unfiled, the selection is forfeited.

Submitted: Received but not selected in the initial lottery. Still eligible for subsequent lotteries if USCIS needs more registrations after denials or withdrawals.

Not Selected: No longer eligible this fiscal year. Wait for the next registration cycle.

Denied / Invalidated-Payment: Registration was invalid due to duplicates or payment failure.

Once selected, the employer must file a complete I-129 within 90 days, including: a certified LCA from DOL confirming the wage meets the prevailing wage, evidence that the position qualifies as a specialty occupation, evidence the beneficiary meets the educational requirements, maintenance-of-status evidence if the beneficiary is in the U.S., and the employer's tax ID and ability-to-pay evidence.

FY 2026 registration opened March 7, 2025 and closed March 24, 2025. Petitions for selected beneficiaries could be filed April 1 through June 30. H-1B status typically begins October 1. For F-1 students on OPT, the cap-gap extension bridges the period between OPT expiry and October 1 — request a cap-gap I-20 from your DSO. The cap-gap automatically extends F-1 status and work authorization through September 30. If the petition is denied or revoked before the extension period ends, the cap-gap terminates and the beneficiary must depart or change status within 60 days.

Second lottery (the "fishbowl"): USCIS occasionally conducts a second or third lottery later in the fiscal year if the initial selection pool does not produce enough approved petitions to fill the cap. Petitions that were not selected in the initial lottery but remain in "Submitted" status are re-entered. If USCIS does not need more registrations, the fiscal year ends and "Submitted" statuses convert to "Not Selected." For FY 2026 planning, check the USCIS H-1B cap season page for updates on additional selection rounds — previous years have seen second lotteries in July and August.

What happens if your petition is not selected by the end of the fiscal year (September 30): F-1 students on OPT whose registrations were not selected and whose OPT has not yet expired can continue working through their EAD end date. If OPT has expired and no cap-gap extension applies, the student enters the 60-day grace period. Alternative options include starting a new academic program to maintain F-1 status, transferring to a cap-exempt employer (universities, nonprofit research organizations), or departing the US. Employers can register the same beneficiary again in the next fiscal year — selection in a prior year does not affect eligibility. For beneficiaries who were selected but the petition was denied, the denial does not prevent re-registration in the next cycle, but the denial reason must be addressed in the new petition if re-selected.

Carlos is an F-1 student completing a master's in data science at a US university. His employer, a mid-sized fintech company, registered her in the FY 2026 lottery and she was selected under the master's cap. Her employer now has 90 days to file the I-129 petition. The HR team certified the LCA through DOL (5 business days), gathered Carlos's transcripts and diploma, drafted a specialty-occupation job description tying the role to her degree, and collected her I-20s, I-94, and recent pay stubs for maintenance-of-status evidence. The petition was filed on day 45 of the 90-day window. Carlos requested a cap-gap I-20 from her DSO because her OPT expires in June — this bridges her status to October 1. She continues working on OPT through September 30. Her H-1B petition is approved in August, and her status automatically changes to H-1B on October 1. She notifies her DSO of the approval and copies the approval notice to her employer's immigration team.

The most common RFE after selection is specialty occupation evidence. A strong petition includes a detailed job description showing which specific skills require a specialised degree. Technical descriptions (programming languages, lab techniques, engineering methods) are stronger than generic ”software engineer“ descriptions.

• Treating selection as approval. The petition must still prove specialty occupation, employer-employee relationship, and wage compliance.
• Filing outside the selection window. Petitions received before or after the 90-day window are rejected.
• Passport data mismatch. The passport used at registration must match the petition. A discrepancy triggers an RFE or denial.
• Weak specialty occupation evidence. A job description that could apply to any role is an RFE target.
• Missing LCA timing. The LCA must be certified before filing. DOL processing takes 5-7 business days; do not wait until the last week.