The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has started announcing the results of the H-1B visa lottery for the fiscal year 2026.

How to Check Your Status

Applicants can verify their selection status through their employer, legal representative, or the USCIS online portal.

Understanding Your Lottery Outcome

Selected: If your status is marked as “Selected,” you have passed the lottery stage. The next step involves submitting a strong petition, ensuring all documents are in order, and preparing for any potential requests for additional evidence from USCIS.

Submitted: If your status remains “Submitted,” your application is still in the lottery pool, and you must wait for further updates.

Not Selected: If your status does not change to “Selected” by April 1, 2025, it means you were not chosen in this round.

If you were not selected, you may consider alternative visa options, such as the O-1 visa for individuals with extraordinary abilities or the L-1 visa for intracompany transfers.

Key Dates and Updates

The H-1B registration period for FY 2026 was open from March 7 to March 24, 2025.

During this period, U.S. employers submitted electronic registrations for potential employees in specialized fields such as technology, healthcare, and engineering.

This year, the H-1B registration fee increased significantly from $10 to $215 per beneficiary to cover administrative costs and discourage non-serious applications.

USCIS has also introduced procedural changes to improve the selection process and enhance fairness in visa allocations.

Increase in Student Visa Rejections

Recent data from the U.S. State Department highlights a sharp rise in student visa denials. In the past fiscal year (October 2023–September 2024), 41% of international student visa applications were rejected—a significant jump compared to the 2014 fiscal year, when the rejection rate was nearly half of the current percentage.

Applicants awaiting H-1B lottery results should stay informed, as USCIS is releasing selection notifications in batches. (The Nation)