The US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) have started releasing the results of the H-1B visa lottery for the year 2026.
Applicants are to check their status online through the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) portal, through their employer, or their legal representative. Since notifications are being issued in phases, some applicants may need to wait longer for confirmation of their status.
The H-1B visa is a non-immigrant visa that allows U.S. employers to temporarily hire foreign workers in specialty occupations that require specialised knowledge and at least a bachelor’s degree or equivalent.
It is commonly used for jobs in technology, engineering, finance, healthcare, and academia.
This year’s registration opened on March 7, 2025, and closed on March 24, 2025.
USCIS implemented several changes this year, the most significant being a steep increase in the registration fee—rising from $10 to $215 per beneficiary. This non-refundable fee, payable at the time of registration, marks a 2,050% increase.
Each year, the issuance of H-1B visas is capped at 65,000, with an additional 20,000 slots allocated for applicants with advanced degrees from U.S. universities.
Tech firms remain the biggest users of the H-1B route, with Amazon, Cognizant Technology Solutions, and Google leading in terms of approval rate.