As of noon Eastern Time on March 24, 2025, the H-1B registration window for Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 has officially closed.
FY 2026 H1B timings
Employers and prospective H-1B applicants who submitted electronic registrations must now wait for US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) to complete the lottery selection process.
USCIS is expected to issue selection notifications via online accounts by March 31, 2025.
Registrations marked “Selected” can proceed to the petition stage. Registrations marked “Submitted” remain in consideration for a possible second lottery round, should USCIS require more filings to meet the cap.
If your registration is selected, the petition filing window opens on April 1, 2025. We recommend gathering documentation well in advance—this includes evidence of the employer-employee relationship, job duties, wage level and the beneficiary’s qualifications.
Importantly, petitions must align with the information submitted during registration. Any discrepancies can result in rejection. Employers should also be aware of prevailing wage issues and potential requests for evidence (RFEs), particularly in specialty occupation roles.
For those not selected, it’s wise to assess alternative visa options early—such as O-1, L-1, or F-1 extensions—while monitoring for additional selection rounds.
Need assistance?
For specialist support with your H1B application, or for guidance on alternative routes into the US, speak to our US immigration attorneys.
Author
Founder & Principal Attorney Nita Nicole Upadhye is a recognized leader in the field of US business immigration law, (The Legal 500, Chambers & Partners, Who's Who Legal and AILA) and an experienced and trusted advisor to large multinational corporates through to SMEs. She provides strategic immigration advice and specialist application support to corporations and professionals, entrepreneurs, investors, artists, actors and athletes from across the globe to meet their US-bound talent mobility needs.
Nita is an active public speaker, thought leader, immigration commentator, and immigration policy contributor and regularly hosts training sessions for employers and HR professionals.
