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Update on August 5, 2024: Since August 1st, we have continuously received results from our students that they have updates from the lawyers and employers. According to our students' report and USCIS' announcement, "We selected 13,607 beneficiaries in the second selection for the FY 2025 H-1B regular cap, resulting in 14,534 selected registrations." We can estimate that during the second H1B visa lottery, the selected rate reaches 3%, in total 28.5% in the 2 times of H1B visa lottery in the 2025 fiscal year. What is the possible rate for the 2026 FY? According to our long-term observation, the possible rate might be highly related to the result of the presidential election at the end of 2024. If the president is more open to the immigration policy, then the rate will be approximately higher than this year, which leads to 30-35%. However, if the result goes to the conservative one on immigration policy, the rate might be similar to this year, around 25%. |
On July 30th, USCIS announced that they will conduct second H1B visa lottery in 2025 fiscal year.
Eligibility: Only previously unselected registrations are eligible for the second lottery; no new registrations will be accepted.
Quota: The Master Cap is already filled, so there will be no second lottery for it. However, applicants with a Master's degree or higher who meet the eligibility criteria will be included in the Regular Cap for the second lottery.
Dates: The exact dates will be announced soon, expected shortly.
Notification: Selected registrants will receive instructions for submitting their applications through their USCIS online accounts.
Read More: Second H1B Lottery 2025 FY: Selection Estimations
Following the release of the first H1B visa lottery results on April 1st, there were mixed emotions among applicants. Those who were selected began preparing their documents, hoping to avoid Requests for Evidence (RFE). On the other hand, those not selected eagerly anticipate the potential second H1B visa lottery, typically held at the end of July or the beginning of August.
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The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) received 442,000 eligible registrations from independent beneficiaries for the FY 2025 H1B cap season, selecting 114,017 beneficiaries. This is 25.8% of the total registrations submitted for the 2025 fiscal year, a significant decrease compared to last year. For the FY 2024, USCIS received a record 758,994 registrations, raising concerns about abuse of the H-1B cap registration system, leading to substantial changes this year.
For FY 2025, the number of registrations submitted by foreign nationals who registered multiple times also saw a considerable decrease, addressing another concern from last year's cap season. It is expected that USCIS will decide whether to hold a second lottery by July 2024, after the current H-1B filing period ends.
It remains uncertain whether there will be a second H1B lottery this year. USCIS is expected to notify applicants about a potential second round after the first-round submission window closes. Therefore, those not selected in the first round remain in a "Submitted" status.
The concept of a second lottery first appeared in FY 2021 when USCIS conducted a second draw. This was unprecedented and initially seen as remarkable. However, FY 2022 saw not only a second but also a third lottery. Since then, multiple lotteries each year have become anticipated.
Simply put, some selected applicants fail to submit their materials, leaving vacant slots, thus prompting a second or even third draw. For instance, in FY 2021, the first lottery selected over 100,000 applicants, but many did not submit their paperwork, necessitating a second lottery.
This year, however, the situation differs due to the one-person-one-registration policy, ensuring that each applicant is genuine. This policy reduces the likelihood of selected individuals not submitting their documents. Given the current economic downturn and layoffs, reaching the 85,000 annual cap appears quite feasible, making a second lottery less likely.
Despite the higher selection rate this year, many applicants are still disappointed. A 26% selection rate means most applicants will need to reapply or seek alternative paths. Given the possibility of no second lottery for FY 2025, applicants aiming to stay in the U.S. should begin exploring other visa options now. These include: