Not Selected does not appear until after all selections complete — Submitted is NOT the same as Not Selected — exact timeline and what to check
One of the most anxiety-inducing aspects of the H-1B lottery is the gap between seeing Submitted status and receiving a final result. For FY2027, with the lottery closing March 19, 2026 and selections rolling out through late March, many registrants are stuck in limbo. This guide explains the exact timeline for when Not Selected status appears and why Submitted does not mean rejected.
Quick Answer: Not Selected status does NOT appear until after March 31, 2026 — after USCIS completes all initial selections. If your status shows "Submitted," you are still in the queue. Submitted is NOT rejection. USCIS processes selections in batches from late March through March 31. Some people see Selected as early as March 21-22, while others remain Submitted until March 31 before getting Selected.
| Date | What Happens | Your Status May Show |
|---|---|---|
| March 19 | Registration period closes | Submitted |
| March 21-25 | First batch of selections released | Selected or Submitted |
| March 25-29 | Additional selection batches | Selected or Submitted |
| March 29-31 | Final selection batches | Selected or Submitted |
| After March 31 | Non-selected registrations updated | Not Selected |
| July-August | Possible second round selections | Selected (from Not Selected pool) |
| 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 Submitted status creates enormous anxiety because it looks identical whether you are about to be selected or not selected. USCIS has never provided real-time updates during the selection process. The system processes registrations in batches — likely grouped by employer or registration date — meaning there is no correlation between "early Submitted" and "unlikely to be selected."
In previous years (FY2025, FY2026), some registrants saw Submitted status change to Selected as late as April 2-3, even after USCIS announced selections were "complete." This is because the system updates are not instantaneous. The safe rule: do not consider yourself Not Selected until the portal explicitly shows "Not Selected."
The wage-weighted system in FY2027 means selection probability varies by wage level: Level 1 at 15%, Level 2 at 31%, Level 3 at 46%, and Level 4 at 62%. If you registered at Level 1, the mathematical probability of non-selection is 85% — but Submitted status tells you nothing about which side you fall on until USCIS completes processing.
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Search H-1B Sponsors on Wisa →No. Many people who were ultimately Selected did not see their status change until March 29-31 or even April 1-2. USCIS processes in batches and there is no correlation between update timing and outcome. The only status that means rejection is Not Selected, which typically does not appear until after March 31.
Not necessarily. Even registrations from the same employer can be processed in different batches. Your friend's selection does not affect yours. The lottery is individual. Wait until at least April 2-3 before drawing conclusions from Submitted status.
In batches. USCIS runs selection algorithms and then pushes status updates to the portal periodically. Updates often happen in the late afternoon or evening ET. There is no real-time processing — refreshing every 5 minutes will not make your status appear faster.
Yes. If USCIS determines it needs additional petitions to fill the 85,000 cap (because some Selected registrants do not file), it conducts second-round selections from the Not Selected pool. This typically happens in July-August. In FY2026, a second round occurred. Your Not Selected registration remains in the pool automatically.