35% of Beneficiaries Were Selected in FY2026 H1B Lottery

General
1
  • Total Electronic Registrations Submitted: 358,737
  • Valid Registrations: 343,981
  • Beneficiaries Selected in First Round: 120,141
    • Of these, 118,660 had only one employer submit a registration on their behalf.
  • Registrations from Single Employers: 336,153
  • Registrations from Multiple Employers for the Same Beneficiary: 7,828

Selection Rate:

  • FY2026 First-Round Selection Rate (2025 Lottery): ~36%
  • FY2025 First-Round Selection Rate (2024 Lottery): ~29%
  • Change: +7 percentage points

Year-over-Year Registration Declines:

  • Total Registrations: Down 25.3% compared to FY2025
  • Valid Registrations: Down 26.9%
  • Single Employer Registrations: Down 20.6%
  • Multiple Employer Registrations: Down 83.5%
  • First-Round Selections: Down 11% compared to FY2025

Employer Participation:

  • Estimated Number of Unique Employers in FY2026: 57,600
  • FY2025 Employer Count: ~52,700
2

I didn’t get picked in this round’s lottery. Any idea if there’ll be a second lottery for FY 2026?

3

Based on current trends, a second lottery seems less likely in 2025.

Reasons a Second Lottery May Be Unlikely:

  • USCIS is likely now more adept at identifying and excluding fraudulent or ineligible employers.
  • Unlike previous years with inflated job market demand, 2025 reflects a more conservative employment environment, especially among tech giants.
  • Because the one-entry-per-person rule has improved forecasting accuracy, the number of unused or declined H-1Bs is expected to be lower than before.
4

Thanks for sharing! Looks like I really need to enroll in a Day 1 CPT program.:smiling_face_with_tear:

5

thanks for sharing! hoping there is second round in June…

6

omg 35% but I still not selected :sob:

7

Fingers crossed for you.

8

Still did not get it LOL