What each lottery status means, when they update, portal vs email notification timing, and exactly what to do for each status in March 2026
The H-1B FY2027 lottery closed March 19, 2026, with approximately 343,981 registrations. USCIS is now releasing selection results, and the myUSCIS portal shows one of three statuses: Selected, Not Selected, or Submitted. Each status has different implications and requires different actions. This guide explains exactly what each status means and what you should do.
Quick Answer: Selected = You won the lottery, employer can file petition April 1-June 30. Not Selected = You were not chosen, but may have second-round chance in July. Submitted = Your registration is still in the queue and has NOT been processed yet — this is NOT the same as Not Selected. Statuses update in batches, not all at once.
| Status | What It Means | When It Appears | What To Do |
|---|---|---|---|
| Selected | You won the lottery | Late March (rolling) | Notify employer, prepare petition |
| Not Selected | Not chosen in this round | After March 31 | Activate backup plans immediately |
| Submitted | Still in queue — NOT processed | Until all selections complete | Wait — do NOT assume rejected |
| Company | H-1B Filings | Top Roles |
|---|---|---|
| Amazon | 55,150 | Software Engineer, Data Engineer |
| Microsoft | 34,626 | Software Engineer, Program Manager |
| 33,416 | Software Engineer, Research Scientist | |
| Infosys | 32,840 | Technology Analyst, Systems Engineer |
| Tata | 28,950 | IT Consultant, Software Developer |
| Cognizant | 26,700 | Software Engineer, Business Analyst |
| Deloitte | 18,200 | Consultant, Advisory Manager |
| Apple | 15,800 | Software Engineer, ML Engineer |
| Meta | 14,900 | Software Engineer, Research Scientist |
| JPMorgan | 12,400 | Software Engineer, Quantitative Analyst |
The FY2027 lottery used the wage-weighted selection system for the second year. Under this system, registrations at higher wage levels receive proportionally higher selection probability. The overall selection rate was 35.3%, but this varied dramatically: Level 1 wages had just 15% odds, Level 2 had 31%, Level 3 had 46%, and Level 4 had 62%. This means a Level 4 registrant was 4x more likely to be selected than a Level 1 registrant.
USCIS processes selections in batches, not all at once. This is why some people see "Selected" while others still show "Submitted." The Submitted status does NOT mean not selected — it means your registration has not been processed yet. Historically, all initial selections are complete by March 31, but stragglers can update into early April. If your status still shows Submitted after April 5, it is very likely you were not selected.
The $10 registration fee is non-refundable regardless of outcome. If selected, employers will pay the full petition filing fees ($780 base + $500 Fraud Prevention + $150 ACWIA + optional $2,805 premium processing). The new $100K fee applies only to consular processing — F-1 students filing Change of Status are exempt.
Search Wisa to see how many H-1B petitions your employer has filed and their approval rates.
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Search H-1B Sponsors on Wisa →NO. Submitted means your registration has not been processed yet. USCIS processes selections in batches. Many people who were ultimately Selected did not see their status change until March 29-31. Do not assume rejection until your status explicitly changes to Not Selected, which typically happens after March 31.
The lottery is random within each wage level. Two people at the same employer can have different outcomes. The only factor is wage level: Level 4 had 62% odds vs Level 1 at 15%. If your friend was at a lower wage level, their odds were mathematically lower. It is not employer-specific.
Checking the portal does not affect your result in any way. However, obsessive checking causes significant anxiety. The practical approach: check once in the morning and once in the evening. Enable email notifications. Your status will not change based on how often you check.
No. There is no re-registration for second rounds. If USCIS determines it needs more petitions (typically in July-August), it selects from the EXISTING pool of unselected registrations. Your original registration remains eligible for second-round selection automatically.