The FY2027 H-1B lottery season has entered the stage that applicants and employers have been waiting for.
After the registration window closed on March 19, 2026, attorneys, employers, and applicants began closely monitoring USCIS organizational accounts for updates. USCIS previously said it intended to send selection notifications by March 31, 2026, and late-breaking reports now indicate that some registrations have already started changing to “Selected.”
As of March 27, 2026, selection notices appear to be rolling out, and some employers and immigration attorneys are already seeing Selected statuses in their USCIS accounts.
More updates are expected as notifications continue to appear in employer and attorney accounts over the coming days.
The H-1B lottery result does not appear in the standard USCIS case status tool unless and until an actual petition is later filed and receipted.
At the lottery stage, the result appears in the USCIS online account used to submit the registration. USCIS specifically said it would send selection notifications through users’ online accounts to prospective petitioners and representatives with at least one selected registration.
So, if you are the beneficiary, the most practical next step is simple: contact your employer, HR team, or immigration attorney and ask them to check the registration status in the organizational account. That is still the main source of truth for whether your case has changed to Selected, remains Submitted, or eventually becomes Not Selected.
If your status shows Selected, it means the employer is eligible to file an H-1B cap-subject petition for you during the filing window listed on the selection notice. However, selection does not mean the H-1B has already been approved. It only gives the petitioner the right to move forward with filing, and the case must still be properly prepared and supported.
If your status still shows Submitted, that does not automatically mean you were not chosen. In prior cap seasons, a submitted registration could remain eligible for later selection if another round became necessary to meet the cap. That is why Submitted can feel uncertain, but it is not the same as a final rejection.
If your status changes to Not Selected, that registration is no longer eligible for a cap-subject H-1B filing for this fiscal year. Other possible statuses include Denied – duplicate registration and Invalidated-Failed Payment, both of which can remove a registration from the process.
If you were selected, the next step is to move from the registration phase to the petition filing phase. Only petitioners with selected registrations may file an H-1B cap-subject petition, and the petition must be submitted within the filing period listed on the selection notice. In prior cap-season announcements, that filing window was at least 90 days. The H-1B petition must request a start date of October 1 or later of the appropriate fiscal year.
For employers considering premium processing, the filing cost has also changed. For most Form I-129 classifications, including H-1B, the premium processing fee increased from $2,805 to $2,965 for requests postmarked on or after March 1, 2026.
Filing with the wrong premium processing fee may lead to rejection, so this detail should be reviewed carefully before submission.
If you were not selected in the H-1B lottery, this is the time to start building your Plan B.
For many applicants, exploring a Day 1 CPT school can be a practical way to maintain work authorization while creating more time for the next H-1B cycle or other long-term immigration strategies.
The key is to understand your timeline early and choose a program that fits your academic background, work situation, budget, and future plans.
If you are not sure where to start, a free Day 1 CPT consultation can help you compare school options, review your deadlines, and understand which path may make the most sense for your situation.
Book a free consultation today to explore Day 1 CPT school options, get help with school selection, and build your H-1B lottery Plan B with more clarity and confidence.