The H-1B visa lottery for FY 2026 is generally held through an Electronic Registration system. Here is a step-by-step breakdown of how the H-1B lottery is conducted in 2025:
Step 1: The US employer creates a myUSCIS account to access the electronic registration system. The registration process requires the employer to submit the employee documentation and the registration fee payment of $215.
Step 2: A lottery is generally conducted when the total number of registrations surpasses the available H-1B visas. The lottery selection process is generally random and is held after the registration period ends.
Step 3: The applicants or registrants are notified via their official online accounts. Candidates who are selected receive a selection notice, while others have their status updated as “not selected” in their accounts.
Step 4: The selected candidates must file for an H-1B cap petition with the USCIS within 90 days of receiving the selection notice.
Note: The H-1B visa registration period for FY 2026 was open from March 07, 2025, until March 27, 2025.