H-1B lottery: registrations and selections by year
Data as of · Source: USCIS, H-1B Electronic Registration Process (page last updated) · Sources checked
Eligible registrations, FY2026
343,981
Selected, FY2026
120,141
Selection rate, FY2026
34.9%
Total registrations, FY2026
358,737
Employers enter the H-1B cap by registering each prospective worker with USCIS; when there are more eligible registrations than needed, USCIS selects them at random. For FY2026, 120,141 of 343,981 eligible registrations were selected (34.9%), compared with 46.2% for FY2021. Registrations peaked at 758,994 eligible for FY2024. USCIS has not yet published registration and selection counts for FY2027 on that page. Its registration page now says that when a random selection is needed, it runs a weighted selection based generally on the wage level of the offered job; the rates in the table come from earlier, unweighted selections.
Registrations and selections by fiscal year
Selection rate = selected ÷ eligible registrations. Selected counts are as USCIS reports them, including any later selection rounds in that year.
| Cap year | Total registrations | Eligible registrations | Registrations, one per person | Registrations for people with several | Selected (all rounds) | Selection rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2026 | 358,737 | 343,981 | 336,153 | 7,828 | 120,141 | 34.9% |
| FY2025 | 479,953 | 470,342 | 423,028 | 47,314 | 135,137 | 28.7% |
| FY2024 | 780,884 | 758,994 | 350,103 | 408,891 | 188,400 | 24.8% |
| FY2023 | 483,927 | 474,421 | 309,241 | 165,180 | 127,600 | 26.9% |
| FY2022 | 308,613 | 301,447 | 211,304 | 90,143 | 131,924 | 43.8% |
| FY2021 | 274,237 | 269,424 | 241,299 | 28,125 | 124,415 | 46.2% |
Selection rate by year
FAQ
What were the H-1B lottery odds for FY2026?
USCIS reported 343,981 eligible registrations and 120,141 selected registrations for the FY2026 cap, so about 34.9% of eligible registrations were selected. This counts registrations, and the chance for one person depends on the selection rules for that year.
Why did registrations fall after FY2024?
Eligible registrations peaked at 758,994 for FY2024, when 408,891 were for people with more than one registration. USCIS then moved to a beneficiary-centered selection, and registrations for people with multiple registrations fell to 7,828 for FY2026.
How many H-1B visas are there each year?
The annual H-1B cap is 65,000, plus 20,000 for people with a U.S. master's degree or higher (the advanced degree exemption). USCIS selects more registrations than that because not every selected registrant files a petition.
Related
Source: USCIS, H-1B Electronic Registration Process. Selection rates are our calculation from the published counts. Not legal advice.