The US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has started releasing the results for the Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 H-1B visa lottery. Applicants can check their selection status through their employer, legal representative or the USCIS online portal.

Read also: Here’s how to check your US H-1B visa status

If the status shows “Selected”, the applicant has cleared the lottery stage, and the next step is for the employer to file the H-1B petition on their behalf. If the status remains “Submitted”, the application is still in the lottery pool. A final status update is expected by April 1, 2025. If it does not change to “Selected”, it means the applicant was not chosen in this round.

The H-1B registration process for FY 2026 was open from March 7 to March 24, 2025. During this period, US employers registered skilled foreign workers in sectors such as information technology, healthcare and engineering. A major change this year was the increase in the H-1B registration fee from $10 to $215 per beneficiary. USCIS stated that the 2050% hike aims to cover administrative costs and reduce non-serious applications.

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USCIS has also introduced procedural updates to streamline the selection process and ensure fairness in visa allocations. These updates are intended to address concerns over multiple registrations and increase the chances of legitimate applicants securing an H-1B visa.

Meanwhile, data from the US State Department shows a sharp increase in student visa rejections. Analysis by The Indian Express revealed that 41% of international student visa applications were denied in the past fiscal year (October 2023–September 2024). This represents a significant increase compared to the 2014 fiscal year, when the rejection rate was nearly half of the current percentage.

Applicants awaiting H-1B lottery results are advised to stay updated as USCIS continues releasing selection notifications in batches.

Chisom Michael is a data analyst (audience engagement) and writer at BusinessDay, with diverse experience in the media industry. He holds a BSc in Industrial Physics from Imo State University and an MEng in Computer Science and Technology from Liaoning Univerisity of Technology China. He specialises in listicle writing, profiles and leveraging his skills in audience engagement analysis and data-driven insights to create compelling content that resonates with readers.

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