Educational only. Not legal, immigration, tax, or financial advice. Verify with USCIS and a licensed immigration attorney.
H1B Lottery Results Date: When Are Results Announced?
~7 min read · Reviewed each cap season
Quick answer
Are H1B lottery results out yet?
The H-1B cap season follows a broadly predictable rhythm each year, even though the precise dates move. Knowing the sequence helps you separate real milestones from the anxiety-driven rumors that fill social media every March. Below is the typical cycle, followed by how to know — reliably — when your own result is available.
Timeline
The typical H1B cap season timeline
| Stage | Typical timing | What happens |
|---|---|---|
| Registration window opens | Early–mid March | Employers register beneficiaries in the USCIS organizational account and pay the registration fee. |
| Registration window closes | Mid–late March | No new registrations accepted after this; the pool is set. |
| Initial selection announced | By late March | USCIS runs the lottery and marks registrations Selected; it posts a website notice. |
| Employer notifies you | Late March–early April | HR or the attorney relays your status (Selected / Submitted / Not Selected). |
| Filing window | Roughly April onward (90+ days) | Employer files Form I-129 with a certified LCA for selected registrations. |
| Possible additional rounds | Spring–summer or later | If the cap isn't reached, USCIS may run more selections from the same pool. |
| H-1B employment start | October 1 | Approved cap-subject beneficiaries can begin H-1B employment. |
Dates change every year
How to tell
How to know when your result is actually out
Reliable signals (in order)
- ✓Your registration status changes inside your employer's USCIS organizational account.
- ✓Your employer or its immigration attorney emails you your exact status.
- ✓USCIS posts an official notice on its website that the initial selection is complete.
- ✓There is no beneficiary view: organizational accounts have no employee role, and USCIS offers no public name-based result lookup.
Ignore these 'signals'
Waiting
Haven’t heard yet? What it means
Employers and law firms notify candidates on different schedules — a delay of a few days is normal and says nothing about your outcome. If it’s been several days since USCIS announced the initial selection and you still don’t know, ask your employer or attorney in writing: “What is my exact H-1B registration status for this fiscal year?” Remember that a “Submitted” status is not the same as “Not Selected” — you may still be in the running for a later selection round.
Once you know your result
Head to selected: next steps or not selected: options, or return to the H1B Lottery Results hub.
Frequently asked questions
- When are H1B lottery results usually announced?
- USCIS typically runs the initial registration selection in March and notifies registrants by the end of March, once the registration window (usually a couple of weeks in March) closes. Exact dates change every year and USCIS confirms them on its website, so treat March as the general window rather than a fixed date. Additional selection rounds, if any, can come later in the year.
- How do I know if H1B lottery results are out?
- The most reliable signal is your status changing inside your employer's USCIS organizational account, and your employer or its attorney telling you. USCIS also announces on its website when it has completed the initial selection. Because you can't check a public page for your own name, ask your employer or attorney in writing rather than relying on social-media chatter about exact dates.
- Why haven't I heard my result even though others have?
- Employers and law firms notify candidates on different schedules — some email the same day, others take a few days to process large batches. A delay in hearing back doesn't mean anything about your result. If it's been several days after USCIS announced selections, ask your employer/attorney directly for your exact registration status.
- When does the H1B registration window open?
- USCIS usually opens the electronic registration window for a limited period in March, during which employers register beneficiaries and pay the registration fee. The exact opening and closing dates are announced by USCIS each year. Registration is a prerequisite to being in the lottery — no registration means no chance of selection.
- What date does H1B employment start after selection?
- For cap-subject petitions, the requested start date is normally October 1 of the fiscal year. So the typical cycle is: register in March, learn selection by late March, employer files the petition inside the filing window (spring/summer), and approved beneficiaries begin H-1B employment on or after October 1.
Deepak Middha, CA, Series 65Founder & Author
Deepak has experience in cross-border finance, tax-aware planning, and immigrant money decisions. View full profile →
Educational content, not personalized tax, legal, immigration, or financial advice. Rules, fees, and processing times change — always verify with the official source before acting.
Related guides and tools
H1B Lottery Results Hub
How to check results, status meaning, and next steps
Registration Status Meaning
What Submitted / Selected / Not Selected mean
Second Lottery
Whether later selection rounds may happen
H1B Lottery Chances
How selection odds actually work
Selected: Next Steps
The petition process after selection
This page is educational only and is not legal, immigration, tax, or financial advice. H-1B lottery rules, USCIS policies, and processing timelines change frequently and depend on your specific facts. Always confirm details with official USCIS guidance, your employer or its immigration attorney, and qualified professionals before acting.
Related hubs
Immigration Hub
H1B, green card, USCIS, visa bulletin & priority dates.
Explore →USCIS Hub
Case status, receipt numbers, forms & processing times.
Explore →NRI Wealth Hub
India vs US investing, property, retirement & estate.
Explore →India Tax & Compliance
FBAR, FATCA, DTAA, ITR, TDS & repatriation in one place.
Explore →