USCIS has announced a second lottery for the FY 2025 H-1B cap, bringing renewed hope to many applicants. In March, USCIS conducted a random selection from the electronic registrations for the FY 2025 H-1B cap, including those eligible for the advanced degree exemption. Petitioners with selected registrations were eligible to file H-1B cap-subject petitions from April 1 to June 30, 2024.
Now, USCIS has determined that additional registrations have to be selected to reach the FY 2025 regular cap. So, the USCIS will conduct another random draw from the previously submitted registrations. Prospective petitioners selected in this second draw will be notified and can file H-1B cap-subject petitions for the beneficiaries named in the applicable selected registration. USCIS will announce when this second selection and notification process is done.
However, there won’t be a second selection for the advanced degree exemption (master’s cap) since enough registrations were already selected in the initial round. The second draw for the regular cap will include registrations eligible for both the master’s cap and the regular cap.
Interestingly, the same situation occurred last year. On March 31st, USCIS announced the H-1B lottery results for FY 2024, initially selecting 110,791 applicants to submit H-1B visa petitions. During the review process, they realized another lottery was needed to meet the remaining visa cap. On July 27th, USCIS confirmed a second lottery, offering renewed hope to those still waiting for a chance.
Those with selected registrations will get a notice in their USCIS online accounts with details on when and where to file their petitions. If you have questions like “Are H-1B results out for 2025?” or about the H1B lottery 2025 results date, we recommend you to keep track of the USCIS website or Imagility’s blog section to stay updated.
Helpful Resources on H-1B Lottery
H1B Second Lottery 2025: Will History Repeat Itself?
USCIS Announces Second H1B Lottery for FY 2024
H-1B Lottery FY 2025 Explained
H-1B Lottery 2024 (FY2025): Recent Trends and What to Expect
