What 'Submitted' means after March ends, USCIS final update timeline, when to accept non-selection, and immediate next steps
It is April 1, 2026 — the H-1B cap filing window is officially open — and your FY2027 registration still shows 'Submitted' on the myUSCIS portal. You have been refreshing daily since March 23 when results started releasing. Most of the people you know have already received 'Selected' or 'Not Selected.' Is there still hope? This guide explains what 'Submitted' means at this stage, USCIS's timeline for final updates, and when you should definitively shift to backup plans.
Quick Answer: If your status shows "Submitted" on April 1, it is very likely you were not selected — but not 100% certain. USCIS has historically completed all status updates within 10-14 business days of the initial release. With results starting March 23, final updates should be complete by approximately April 7-9. If your status hasn't changed by April 10, you can safely consider yourself not selected. Start backup plans NOW while keeping a small window of hope.
| Date | Status | What It Means |
|---|---|---|
| March 23-24 | First wave of updates | ~30-40% of statuses changed |
| March 25-27 | Second/third waves | ~60-75% of statuses changed |
| March 28-31 | Late waves | ~85-95% of statuses changed |
| April 1-4 | Final stragglers | ~95-99% complete |
| April 7-10 | All updates complete | If still Submitted = Not Selected |
By April 1, approximately 90-95% of all FY2027 H-1B registrations have had their statuses updated. The remaining 5-10% showing "Submitted" are almost entirely non-selected registrations that have not yet been updated to "Not Selected." However, there is a small possibility — estimated at less than 1-2% of remaining "Submitted" statuses — that the update is delayed due to technical issues rather than non-selection. This is why immigration attorneys advise waiting until April 7-10 before treating "Submitted" as definitive non-selection.
The psychology of this waiting period is brutal. Every day you see "Submitted," you oscillate between hope and resignation. The math, however, is clear: if 95% of statuses are updated and yours hasn't changed, the overwhelming probability is non-selection. The responsible approach is to SIMULTANEOUSLY: (1) continue checking the portal daily, (2) begin backup plan execution immediately. These are not contradictory — you can maintain hope while taking decisive action.
Important distinction: "Submitted" is NOT the same as "Not Selected." USCIS uses "Not Selected" as the explicit non-selection status. "Submitted" simply means the status update has not been processed yet. In extremely rare cases (attorney-reported, less than 0.5% of cases), a "Submitted" status has changed to "Selected" after April 1 due to backend processing delays. This is the exception, not the rule — but it is why attorneys don't recommend fully abandoning hope until April 10.
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Search H-1B Sponsors on Wisa →A very small chance — less than 1-2% based on historical data. In FY2026, a tiny number of registrations changed from 'Submitted' to 'Selected' in early April due to backend processing delays. However, the overwhelming majority of 'Submitted' statuses that persist past April 1 ultimately change to 'Not Selected.' Do not plan your life around this small possibility — activate backup plans while continuing to check daily.
Immigration attorneys generally recommend treating 'Submitted' as non-selection if the status persists past April 10, 2026 (approximately 12-14 business days from initial release). By that point, USCIS has completed all first-round status updates. If you are still 'Submitted' after April 10, you were not selected in the first round. A potential second round in July-August remains a separate possibility.
START NOW. Do not wait. Every day you delay backup plans is a day lost on applications to cap-exempt employers, O-1A consultations, and STEM OPT extensions (which have filing deadlines). The probability that 'Submitted' on April 1 becomes 'Selected' is extremely low. Starting backup plans does not prevent you from benefiting if a late selection occurs — it just ensures you are not caught flatfooted if (when) the status changes to 'Not Selected.'
Possibly. A second-round lottery typically occurs in July-August if USCIS determines not enough first-round selections resulted in filed petitions. For FY2027, second-round probability is estimated at 30-40%. If a second round occurs, your registration remains in the pool and could be selected. However, do NOT rely on this — second rounds are not guaranteed, and odds are lower than the first round.