how does h1b visa lottery work

LHC0088 • 2025-11-10 20:52:15 • views 528

The H-1B visa lottery is a random selection process used by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services （USCIS） when the number of H-1B visa petitions exceeds the annual cap. The process begins with employers submitting electronic registrations for prospective employees during a designated registration period. If USCIS receives more registrations than the available H-1B visas, they conduct a random lottery to select which registrations will be eligible to file a full petition.

There are two main lotteries: one for the regular cap of 65,000 visas and another for the advanced degree exemption of 20,000 visas. Registrants with U.S. master\“s degrees or higher first enter the advanced degree lottery. Those not selected then join the regular cap lottery. Selected registrants are notified and have a specific period to submit complete H-1B petitions with supporting documentation.

The lottery aims to ensure fair distribution of visas among all applicants when demand exceeds supply. It\“s important to note that being selected in the lottery doesn\“t guarantee visa approval - USCIS still reviews each petition for eligibility and compliance with H-1B requirements.