H1B Lottery 2026: What Immigrants and Employers Need to Know

The H-1B lottery for FY 2026 is approaching. Learn about key dates, registration updates, and how to prepare for the process.

Key Dates for H1B 2026 Lottery Registration:

Registration Period Opens: March 7, 2025 at 12:00 PM Eastern Time

Registration Period Closes: March 21, 2025 at 12:00 PM Eastern Time

Selection Notifications: March 31, 2025 USCIS notifies of results

Note: These are the dates for the registration period, not the actual petition filing dates. If selected in the lottery, employers will be able to file the full H-1B petition starting April 1, 2025 until June 30, 2025.

New Updates and Changes for H1B  lottery 2026

USCIS recently announced a few important updates and changes will shape the H-1B registration process this year. 

Here’s what you need to know:

• Beneficiary-centric selection process: USCIS will continue using the beneficiary-centric selection process introduced in FY 2025. This means that each unique beneficiary is counted separately, and if USCIS receives enough registrations, a random lottery will be conducted for each beneficiary. In summary, better odds of winning than years where the selection process was not beneficiary-centric.
• H-1B Registration fee: The fee for submitting each registration is now $215. This must be paid when submitting the registration for each potential H-1B beneficiary.
• Credit card limit increase: To address the high volume of registrations, the U.S. Department of Treasury has increased the daily credit card transaction limit from $24,999.99 to $99,999.99. This increase helps manage the registration surge. If you’re submitting a large number of registrations, anything over this amount will need to be processed through ACH, so make sure your bank doesn’t block this type of transaction.
• Improvements to tools: USCIS has made significant improvements for employers and their legal representatives. For instance, paralegals can now work with multiple legal representatives and streamline the filing process. USCIS is also allowing employers to upload beneficiary data in a spreadsheet to automatically pre-populate registration forms, reducing errors and speeding up the process.

Breaking Down the H-1B Registration Process: Step by Step

Step 1: Employers Get Started

Employers must create an account on the USCIS online portal to submit the registration and pay an increased $215 nonrefundable registration fee for each beneficiary registration. If you’ve done this before, your account will automatically convert to an organizational account. With this account, a registration application can be prepared and submitted.

Prospective petitioners submitting their own registrations without the assistance of a representative, such as an Attorney of Record, (U.S. employers and U.S. agents, referred to as “registrants”) will use a registrant account that can be created at any time. Attorneys of Record filing registrations for employer clients may add employer clients to their current USCIS online accounts at any time, but both registrants and Attorneys of Record must wait until noon on March 7, 2025, to enter beneficiary information and submit the $215 registration fee. Once each registration is filed, a confirmation number will be assigned to the registration, and this number will be used solely to track the registration.

Step 2: The Lottery Process

Once an employer submits a timely registration and the registration period ends, USCIS will conduct a random lottery if the number of registrations exceeds the annual cap. Two caps apply:

• Regular Cap: For general candidates.
• Advanced Degree Cap: For candidates with a U.S. master’s degree (J.D., LLMs, M.D.s, count as well!) or higher.

Employers whose individual registrations are selected can proceed with filing the full H-1B petition for the sponsored person.

Step 3: Notification of Results

On or about March 31, 2025, both employers and applicants will receive a notification through their USCIS online accounts. If you’re selected, your employer can submit the complete H-1B petition starting on April 1, 2025. 

If you’re not selected, you’ll need to wait until subsequent possible rounds of selection (in scenarios when the quota is not filled by the first batch of applications, or to enroll next year. 

Alternatively, reach out to Ral Obioha Law to explore other visa options.

How it works:

1. Register your employee
2.  We collect documents from you and your employee: Once your employee is selected in the lottery, we will collect all the relevant information from you and your employee to build a case
3. We build your H-1B petition: Our legal team will file a Labor Condition Application with the Department of Labor and assemble the H-1B petition.
4. Get approved for the H-1B: Once the petition has been approved, your employee can start working if they either: enter the U.S. with their H-1B visa from a Consulate, or are already in the U.S. in H-1B status.

Tips for Smooth Registration Process

For Immigrants: First, double-check that you qualify for an H-1B and gather all the necessary documentation. Communicate with your employer to ensure they submit the registration on time and that the job description aligns with the H-1B requirements.
For Employers: Don’t wait until the last minute and seek legal counsel as soon as possible! Set up your USCIS account early, and make sure you’re ready to submit the registrations on time. Ensure that the job descriptions match the specialized occupation criteria—this is a key factor in whether your registration will be accepted.

What Happens After H-1B Registration?

If your registration is selected in the lottery, your employer can file a complete H-1B petition (Form I-129) starting April 1, 2025. If not selected, you have two options: either try again next year or explore other visa opportunities that might be available to you.

How Ral Obioha Law Can Help

At Ral Obioha Law, we understand that the H-1B process can feel overwhelming. Our team is here to make it easy for you, whether you’re an employer or an immigrant looking to work in the U.S. We’ll guide you through the registration, ensuring everything is submitted correctly and on time. And if you’re not selected, don’t worry. We’ll help you explore other visa options, like O-1 or L-1, to keep your plans moving forward.

Book a consultation today.

To create your company’s required online USCIS account, watch this short video from USCIS with screen shots and follow the instructions.

If you have any questions, contact us!

Book a consultation today.