How to Check H1B Lottery Status: Step-by-Step Guide for 2025
For thousands of global professionals, the H1B visa lottery is a necessary step on the path to working in the US. Because these slots are limited and in high demand, it is crucial to check your H1B lottery status quickly and accurately. This guide will explain the process, the timelines, and the official tools you have to keep checking on your application.
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What Is the H1B Lottery?
H1B visa program which enables U.S. employers to recruit foreign workers to work in specialty occupations. Since the number of applications is way beyond the annual cap of 85,000 (with 65,000 regular cap and 20,000 under the U.S. advanced degree exemption), U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) performs a random lottery, or raffle process, to fairly assign the slots.
This process is digital, effective and typically takes place in March or April of every year. If you’re selected, you then move forward with filing a full H1B petition. If not, your registration goes untouched and your adventure ends, at least for that year.
How to Check H1B Lottery Status: 3 Ways
Once you have applied for the H1B lottery participation, you can track your application status with the help of the below given official tools:
I have not created an account / profile in the USCIS new system.
If you were registered on H1B by your employer or attorney, then they probably used USCIS online account to register you. Employers will see one of the below statuses:
- Filed: Accepted for registration, but not yet selected.
- Lottery: The enrollment selection in the lottery. You can now file an H1B cap petition.
- Not Picked: Not picked for this fiscal year.
- Invalidated-Failed Payment: You attempted to register, but payment for registration was unsuccessful. The application is invalid.
If you’re not actually in charge of the filing process, you would certainly have to depend on your employer or attorney to find out what’s happening.
USCIS Case Status Tool
After your petition is filed post-selection, you can check the status on my Case Status Tool found on the USCIS website with the 13-character receipt number you were provided.
Standard status messages include, but are not limited to:
- Case Was Received
- RFE for H1B Petition Sent
- The Case Was Approved
- Case Was Denied
This is particularly useful following the acceptance lottery phase. This is assuming your petition is already picked up and filed.
Email Alerts and Document Acknowledgement
If you’re selected, employers or their attorneys frequently are notified by U.S.C.I.S. by email. They will receive a Form I-797C, Notice of Action, acknowledging the selection in the lottery and the eligibility to file the complete H1B petition.
As long as you have a job or an attorney, you can maintain clear communication with your employer. For those who are handling their own immigration while waiting for their application to be approved or hoping to find flexible work-from-anywhere opportunities, digital platforms for games such as ultra win, which provide language functions, are becoming a rising choice.
H1B Lottery Timeline: What to Expect for 2025
And to put you at ease, the following is an approximate timeline for the FY 2026 H-1B lottery (the applications you will be filing during 2025):
| Phase | Description | Estimated Time |
| Registration | Registration begins for employers to enter H1B candidates | March 1–20 |
| Lottery Selection | USCIS randomly selects H1B applications | Late March |
| Results | NSkiril Petition Filing | April–June |
| USCIS Processing | USCIS reviews petitions and issues decisions | May onward |
What If You’re a Monkey’s Uncle if They Don’t Pick You?
The randomness of the lottery annoyed folks. If you are not chosen, you have the following corrective remedies:
- Trying again next year
- Applying for other visas (L-1, O-1, F-1 OPT extensions, etc.)
- Finding work abroad
- Upskilling or getting a U.S. advanced degree for next time
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How To Check H1B Visa Lottery Results And Status Tracking
The lottery is a random game, but you can do a few things to make your own experience a little more predictable.
✔️ Register Early
Just make sure that your employer files your H1B entry as soon as the portal is open, and hopefully we won’t see the last minute hiccups we’ve seen in past years.
✔️ Use a Trusted Attorney
A knowledgeable immigration attorney can help decrease errors in the registration process and can give you advance notice if you are selected.
✔️ Monitor Your Email
USCIS can still send you notices of new information or requests for additional documentation through your rep’s email.
✔️ Stay Informed
Keep an eye on USCIS’s H-1B Cap Season Page to check for timing updates and other changes.
Attention When Checking Lottery Results
Although in general the process online runs pretty smoothly, there are a few issues that people can encounter:
- No Receipt Number: You receive no number, unless you are selected. If you haven’t heard, you probably haven’t won.
- Workers have not been given updates: Keep communicating regularly. Updates first show up in the employer’s USCIS account.
- Status Confusion: If you don’t know if “Submitted” means you have been chosen, just know: you must get selected for “Selected” to pop up and tell you YES, WE WANT YOU.
Final Thoughts
H1B lottery is one of the most competitive visa processes in the world, and checking your status is an important step to know where you are at. As you wait, remain hopeful — and be sure to consider meaningful ways to continue to stay positive, and productive, throughout the process.
With resources like the USCIS portal and case status checker, keeping abreast of the status is simpler than it’s ever been. Meantime, digital options like okwin lottery, ultrawin login and Tashan win provide accessible and enjoyable alternatives — just the sort of low-stakes pick-me-up many applicants are in need of.
Focusing on a U.S. job offer or investigating international opportunities, the best approach is to remain informed and be patient.
H1B Lottery FAQs
Q: Is there a second H1B lottery?
A: Yes, if any slots are unfilled (for example, if employers do not act), USCIS may run a second round, typically between July and September.
Q: What does it mean if my case stays “Submitted” for a long time?
A: It means you were entered but didn’t get picked. Once the lottery is closed, an application that was not picked may stay at “Submitted” for a while before it is changed to “Not Selected.”
Q: Can I look up the lottery status myself?
A: Your employer or attorney is the only one who can verify the USCIS registration portal. You will be notified when your entry is selected, and you can track your petition with the receipt number.