Submitted on April 1 means the first lottery round is over for you. But a second round in July is possible — and your registration stays automatically eligible.
The FY2027 H-1B lottery notification period ran from mid-March through March 31, 2026. USCIS released selections in batches — and if your portal still showed Submitted rather than Selected as of April 1, you were not chosen in the first round. This is not a technical glitch, a processing delay, or a pending decision. As of April 1, Submitted effectively means Not Selected for round one. Here is what happens next and what you should do today.
| Company | H-1B Filings | Typical Level |
|---|---|---|
| Amazon | 55,150 | Level 2-3 |
| Microsoft | 34,626 | Level 2-3 |
| 33,416 | Level 3 | |
| Infosys | 32,840 | Level 1-2 |
| Tata Consultancy Services | 28,950 | Level 1-2 |
| Cognizant | 26,700 | Level 1-2 |
| Deloitte | 18,200 | Level 2 |
| Apple | 15,800 | Level 3 |
| Meta | 14,900 | Level 3 |
| JPMorgan Chase | 12,400 | Level 2-3 |
USCIS uses four registration statuses in the H-1B Electronic Registration System: Submitted, Selected, Not Selected, and Invalidated. In practice for FY2027, USCIS did not send formal Not Selected notifications in the same way some previous years did. Instead, registrations that were not selected simply remained in Submitted status after the notification window closed on March 31. This creates confusion — candidates checking their portal on April 1 and seeing Submitted are sometimes unsure whether they are still in play.
They are not. As of April 1, 2026, Submitted for FY2027 is functionally equivalent to Not Selected in Round 1. USCIS has no additional first-round selections to release. The notification window is closed. This is consistent with USCIS practice from prior years where some non-selected registrations remained in Submitted or a similar non-updated status indefinitely.
The community on r/h1b reached consensus on this by April 1. Immigration attorneys confirmed: if you are showing Submitted on April 1, your first-round chance is over. Do not wait for a formal Not Selected notification — it may never come or may arrive weeks later with no practical significance.
Here is the good news: if USCIS conducts a second lottery for FY2027 (likely in July 2026), your existing registration automatically remains eligible. You do not need to re-register, take any action, or notify your employer. The registration that showed Submitted is preserved in USCIS systems as eligible for any supplemental round.
The second lottery is triggered when USCIS determines that first-round petition filings (April 1 to June 30) will fall short of the 85,000 cap. This can happen when employers decline to file after selection — a higher-than-normal risk this year due to the $100K consular processing fee and Level 4 salary burdens at small companies. Community estimates suggest second-round odds of 4-8% if a round occurs, based on expected non-filing volumes.
Q: My portal says Submitted on April 1. Should I call USCIS to check?
A: No. Calling USCIS will not change the outcome. The contact center cannot provide individualized lottery outcome information beyond what the portal shows. Your status will not update to Selected after April 1. Save your time and energy for planning alternatives and monitoring for a second round announcement in July.
Q: Can my employer resubmit my registration after seeing Submitted on April 1?
A: No. The FY2027 registration window closed on March 19, 2026. Employers cannot re-register for FY2027. Your existing registration automatically stays in the pool for any second round without any new submission.
Q: I have an offer letter contingent on H-1B selection. What do I tell my employer?
A: Be direct. Inform your employer that your H-1B registration was not selected in the first round and the first-round period is now closed. Discuss alternatives: cap-exempt employment if your employer qualifies, O-1A if you have strong credentials, or FY2028 planning if you have time on your current status. A good employer will engage constructively on alternatives.
Q: If a second lottery happens, will the odds be worth it?
A: Second-round odds are estimated at 4-8% based on the number of remaining registrations (~222,000) and the likely number of new slots (8,000-12,000 if first-round filings fall short). Low odds, but it costs nothing — your registration is already in the system. Pursue alternatives aggressively while keeping second-round eligibility as a free bonus option.
Not selected this year? The best thing you can do is find Level 3-4 sponsors now. Use Wisa to search 45,000+ employers by wage level history and filing consistency.
Find Level 3-4 Sponsors on Wisa →Search thousands of verified H-1B sponsors by company, industry, and location.
Search H-1B Sponsors on Wisa →After the March 31 notification deadline passes, yes. USCIS released all FY2027 selections through March 31, 2026. Any registration still showing Submitted after April 1 was not selected in the first round. USCIS may never formally update these to Not Selected — the Submitted status persists but has no further action potential for round one.
Yes. If USCIS conducts a second round, they will send notifications through the myUSCIS portal to employers whose Submitted registrations are selected. Employers check their organizational accounts. Candidates can also check their individual portal. Typically announced in July. Watch uscis.gov and r/h1b for the announcement.
If you have a STEM degree and your employer is E-Verify enrolled, apply for the 24-month STEM OPT extension immediately — this buys time through 2028 and gives you two more lottery shots. If not STEM-eligible, investigate cap-exempt employers, O-1A, or whether your country has a TN visa agreement. Do not wait — start the STEM OPT application in April regardless of whether a second round occurs.
Only under your current authorized status. If you are on F-1 OPT, you can work until OPT expires (with cap-gap protection if applicable). If you are on H-4 EAD, you can work under that. If you are on a different work visa, consult your attorney about work authorization during the wait. A Submitted registration does not grant any new work authorization on its own.