What we know from attorney tracking data. All wage levels appearing in selections. Portal lag explained. Submitted today is not not-selected. Final results by March 31.
As of March 28, 2026, the H-1B FY2027 lottery selection notification process is still active. USCIS has been sending out selection notices since approximately March 22, and the process runs through March 31. Immigration attorneys who monitor dozens to hundreds of client accounts have been sharing real-time data on which wage levels are being selected, when batches are going out, and what the current 'Submitted' status actually means. This guide consolidates what is known so far and what to expect over the next three days.
Quick Answer — March 28, 2026: H-1B FY2027 selections are still being released. USCIS has until March 31. Attorney tracking data shows selections appearing at all wage levels — Level 1 through Level 4. The overall FY2027 selection rate is approximately 35.3% across all registrations. If your portal shows "Submitted" today, you have not been officially not-selected yet. Batches process overnight; check the portal at 6-8 AM ET on March 29, 30, and 31. The FY2027 registration total of 343,981 is the lowest since FY2020, making this the most favorable lottery environment in years.
| Wage Level | Selection Odds | Typical Salary Range | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Level 1 | 15% | $60K–$85K | Selections confirmed |
| Level 2 | 31% | $85K–$120K | Selections confirmed |
| Level 3 | 46% | $120K–$165K | Selections confirmed |
| Level 4 | 62% | $165K+ | Selections confirmed |
Immigration law firms that monitor large portfolios of H-1B registrations have been sharing aggregated (anonymized) data on r/h1b, Twitter/X, and their own blogs. The consistent picture emerging from firms like Klasko, Fragomen, Berry Appleman, and smaller boutique firms is:
All four wage levels are appearing in the selection notifications being released this week. This is consistent with USCIS releasing selections across all tiers simultaneously rather than tier-by-tier. Level 4 selections (62% odds) are appearing at the highest frequency, consistent with the mathematical expectation. Level 1 selections (15% odds) are also appearing, confirming that even the lowest-odds tier has winners in the FY2027 draw.
Batches appear to be processing overnight, with portal status changes appearing between midnight and 8 AM Eastern. Wednesday March 25 and Thursday March 26 saw large batches. Attorneys expect additional batches on March 29 (Monday), March 30 (Tuesday), and a final batch on March 31 (Tuesday). Some years the final batch is the largest.
The total FY2027 registration count of 343,981 is 27% lower than FY2026. With 85,000 slots and approximately 343,981 registrations, the math works out to roughly 1 in 4 registrations being selected overall. The published 35.3% rate is the official USCIS figure accounting for advanced degree exemption pool processing.
The myUSCIS portal experiences "lag" because it processes status updates in batch jobs — it does not update in real time. When USCIS's backend system selects a registration, it does not immediately push that status to every portal account. Instead, it queues the update, and the portal's display layer processes the queue on a schedule — typically every several hours, with a major update cycle overnight.
This means: if USCIS's selection algorithm ran on March 27 and your registration was selected, your portal may not reflect "Selected" until March 28 or 29. The selection happened; the display just hasn't caught up. This is also why employer accounts (which sit on a slightly different data pipeline) sometimes show selections before beneficiary accounts do.
The practical implication: do not refresh obsessively during business hours. The best time to check is early morning, 6-8 AM Eastern, when overnight batch updates have completed. Checking at 2 PM ET on March 28 is less likely to surface a fresh update than checking at 7 AM ET on March 29.
After March 31, any registration still showing "Submitted" has not been selected in the first round. At that point, you have three options: wait to see if USCIS announces a second round (possible given the lower FY2027 registration numbers), pursue alternative visa strategies (O-1A, EB-2 NIW, cap-exempt positions, L-1, E-3 for Australians, TN for Canadians and Mexicans), or plan for the FY2028 lottery registration (opens in approximately February 2027) and strategize for Level 3-4 odds.
Registration period: February 22 – March 19, 2026. Selection notifications: March 22 – March 31, 2026. Petition filing window: April 1 – June 30, 2026. H-1B employment start date: October 1, 2026.
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Search H-1B Sponsors on Wisa →Yes. USCIS has until March 31, 2026 to complete all first-round notifications. As of March 28, batches are still being processed and sent. Attorney tracking data confirms selections appearing at all four wage levels. Submitted status today does not mean not-selected.
USCIS's published selection rate for FY2027 is approximately 35.3% overall. By wage level: Level 1 at 15%, Level 2 at 31%, Level 3 at 46%, Level 4 at 62%. Total registrations were 343,981 — the lowest since FY2020 and 27% lower than FY2026.
Log in to my.uscis.gov directly. Go to your H-1B registration. If your status shows 'Selected,' you won the lottery. Do not rely on email alone — the portal typically updates hours before the email arrives. Check at 6-8 AM Eastern for the best chance of seeing overnight batch updates.
A second lottery round is possible given FY2027's low registration numbers. USCIS would decide in July 2026 if petition filings fall short of the 85,000 cap. Beyond that, cap-exempt positions (universities, nonprofits, research organizations), O-1A, EB-2 NIW, L-1, and Canada Express Entry are all viable paths forward.