H-1B Lottery Results 2025: What You Need to Know
- The FY 2025 H-1B lottery registration runs from March 7 to March 24, with selection notifications expected around March 31 and full petitions due by June 30, 2025.
- Eligible candidates must have a qualifying U.S. job offer in a specialty occupation, and employers must create a USCIS organizational account to submit the registration.
- If selected, the employer must file a complete H-1B petition, and the approved candidate may begin working in the U.S. starting October 1 under a renewable 3-year visa.
The H-1B Lottery for 2025 is fast approaching. Whether you’re an employer looking to sponsor a candidate for an H-1B visa, or a foreign national hoping to work in the U.S., it’s essential to understand the key dates and how the H-1B lottery process works.
In this post, we’ll walk you through everything you need to know—from the registration process to what happens after the 2025 H-1B lottery results are announced.
Important Dates to Remember
March 7th, 2025 – 12PM ET: The registration ‘Lottery’ period begins
March 24th, 2025 – 12PM ET: The registration period ends
March 31st, 2025: Around this date, USCIS notifies winners of the lottery
April 1st, 2025: First day to file full H-1B applications for lottery winners
June 30th, 2025: Last day to file H-1B applications with USCIS
Watch the H-1B Lottery Results and Process Webinar with an Immigration Attorney
What is the H-1B lottery?
The H-1B lottery is a random selection process used by USCIS to allocate H-1B work visas due to high demand. This is designed to keep the distribution of H-1B visas as fair as possible.
Who is eligible for the H-1B lottery?
Foreign nationals with a U.S. job offer in a specialty occupation––requiring a bachelor’s degree or higher–– are eligible for the H-1B lottery.
| Note: In order to qualify for the H-1B lottery, you must have a bona fide job offer. Good faith and intention do matter for eligibility. |
Who wins the H-1B lottery?
There are two sides of the H-1B lottery process:
- Master’s Cap: The government sets aside 20,000 H-1B visas for U.S. advanced degree holders. These include people who have graduated in the United States, with a U.S. Master’s degree or higher (such as a PhD).
- Regular Cap: The government sets aside 65,000 H-1B visas, which includes all unselected master’s candidates and other applicants.
For instance, if you hold a Master’s degree from the U.S., but you didn’t win an H-1B visa in the Master’s Cap category, you would get put into the second H-1B lottery (the “Regular Cap”).
What are the odds of winning the H-1B lottery?
There is about a 1 in 4 chance of winning the H-1B lottery. However, this can depend on the year.
H-1B Lottery 2025 Registration
In order to attempt the H-1B visa, your employer must submit online registrations for potential candidates during the designated registration period, which is between March 7th and March 24th.
The registration form includes basic information like information about the organization sponsoring you, passport information, name, date of birth, etc.
How to Register for the H-1B Lottery 2025
Step 1: Your employer or the business sponsoring you would need to create a myUSCIS organizational account which would give them access to the online form.
| Note: One account can be used to enroll multiple candidates. |
Step 2: The account would then send an invitation to add the legal representative, such as Manifest Law.
Step 3: A registration statement is then drafted for your organization’s review.
Step 4: The organization approves and the filing is submitted to USCIS.
What Information Is Needed for H-1B Lottery 2025 Registration
| Company – Full business name – DBA (if applicable) – EIN Number – Company Contact Information and Address – Company Signatory Information | Foreign National – Passport Biographic Page and Information – Education Credentials – Employee Contact Information |
How much time does it take my company to apply for the H-1B lottery 2025?
Below are estimates based on past experiences:
| Company Lottery Process: 30mins – 1 hour Filing Process: 2-3 hours (depending on case complexity) | Foreign National Lottery Process: <30 mins Filing Process: 1-2 hours (depending on case complexity) |
Costs Associated with Filing for H-1B Lottery 2025
If you choose to work with Manifest Law, the following costs are as follows:
| Standard Attorney Fee | $3,475 |
| Money Back Plan Attorney Fee | $4,250 |
| Filing Fees | $2,000-$3,500 *subject to government filing fee charts |
Manifest Law also offers flexible payment plans. Reach out to us today to learn more.
H-1B Lottery Results
On or about March 31st, 2025, each account will be notified on who has been selected and who has not.
If you are selected, you will now be able to file the full H-1B visa application.
If you are not selected, it’s not the end of the world just yet! There are generally multiple rounds of selection following the H-1B lottery results.
Sometimes people who have been selected for the H-1B lottery don’t move forward with their case for whatever reason. Those slots end up going back into the pool for other people to be selected. If a second round of the H-1B lottery occurs, it will likely happen in August. You will not need to re-register for the second round.
If the timing of the second round is too late, reach out to Manifest Law. Our team can talk you through different options depending on your situation.
What Happens After the H-1B Lottery Results
If you win the H-1B lottery and your employer decides to move forward, a full H-1B visa application must be compiled and sent to USCIS by June 30, 2025.
This generally includes:
- A petitioner letter or job offer letter explaining the role, why it is a speciality occupation, and why the candidate can fulfill the role.
- LCA
- Educational credentials
- Evidence of the company’s existence and work site location
| Important: The employer must affirm to the government by signing formats that this is a bona fide job offer and the information provided is true. |
The employer must also be financially responsible for the H-1B attorney’s fees and the H-1B filing fees.
What happens when you’re approved for the H-1B visa?
If you’re approved for the H-1B visa, starting on October 1st (or whenever the application is approved), you as an employee are now on a format work visa that allows you to work in the U.S. for a 3-year period, which can be extended to 6 years total.
The 6-year limit of the H-1B visa can be bypassed through an employment-based green card application.
The biggest benefit of the H-1B visa is that it provides stability for a foreign national employee and can improve employee retention. Companies can also compete for highly skilled talent, such as those in STEM fields where there’s not enough US STEM talent to meet the demands.
It’s also worth noting that the H-1B visa is a dual intent visa–meaning that the employee will have no issues applying for a green card.
How Manifest Law Can Help
Manifest Law makes the H-1B lottery process easy with clear instructions for organizational accounts. We’ll attach our attorney account to draft and review your registration filing. We also offer ad-hoc calls to ensure everything runs smoothly.
Our attorney fees are waived, and the only cost is the USCIS fee of $215 per applicant. Reach out today to learn more.
H-1B Lottery FAQs
Do I need an employer for the H-1B lottery?
Generally yes, you need an employer and their consent in order to be enrolled in the H-1B lottery. However, this is an exception if you self-sponsor through your own start-up. If you own a majority, that’s okay–what matters is that the start-up is established, real, and operating.
Is an employer required to move forward with the full H-1B if a candidate wins the H-1B lottery?
No, the employer is not required to move forward with the full H-1B visa application even if a candidate wins. At any time they can terminate the H-1B process or opt to not move forward.
Can multiple employers enroll me in the H-1B lottery 2025?
Yes, multiple independent employers can enroll you into the lottery. However, this doesn’t improve your chances of winning.
Can the role for filing an H-1B visa be a part-time job?
Yes, part-time jobs are acceptable. It’s best to target between 15-20 hours per week, but some cases have been approved with 5 hours a week.
Is there a minimum salary requirement for the H-1B visa?
The minimum salary requirement depends on the geographical area of the role along with the occupational code (job type) it falls under. You can check with Manifest Law for assistance, or visit this website: OFLC Wage Search.
What is the difference between change of status on H-1B and consular processing?
The main difference is that Change of Status keeps you in the U.S., while Consular Processing involves traveling abroad for your visa.
Change of Status means you can switch to an H-1B visa without leaving the U.S. If you’re already in the country on another visa, you apply to change your status, and once approved, you’re automatically on the H-1B visa.
Consular Processing requires you to go outside the U.S. to get your H-1B visa stamped at a U.S. embassy or consulate. After your visa is approved, you can return to the U.S. to start your H-1B job.
