The beneficiary-centric lottery means only one registration enters the draw — regardless of how many employers filed for you
If you had multiple employers register you for the FY2027 H-1B lottery, you need to understand how the beneficiary-centric selection system works. Unlike the old system where each registration was an independent lottery entry (encouraging employers to submit multiple registrations for the same person), the beneficiary-centric system ensures each unique person gets exactly one chance. Here is how it works and what happens when you are selected through one employer.
Quick Answer: Under the beneficiary-centric H-1B lottery (FY2025 onward), USCIS identifies you by passport number and deduplicates all registrations. Only one registration per unique beneficiary enters the lottery. If multiple employers registered you, USCIS randomly selects which one enters the draw. If selected, only that employer can file the petition. Other employers' registrations will show "Not Selected."
| Company | H-1B Filings | Multiple Registration Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Amazon | 55,150 | Files independently; aware of beneficiary-centric rules |
| Microsoft | 34,626 | Single registration per candidate standard |
| 33,416 | One registration per beneficiary | |
| Infosys | 32,840 | May register for multiple client placements |
| Tata Consultancy Services | 28,950 | Multiple registrations historically common |
| Cognizant | 26,700 | Adjusted process for beneficiary-centric rules |
| Deloitte | 18,200 | Single registration per person |
| Meta | 14,900 | One registration per candidate |
USCIS identifies unique beneficiaries using passport number, date of birth, and country of citizenship. If your passport number appears on multiple registrations from different employers, USCIS groups them together and randomly selects ONE registration to enter the lottery. This selected registration then competes in the wage-weighted lottery based on the wage level indicated in that specific registration.
Critical implication: You cannot increase your lottery odds by having more employers register you. Five registrations give you the same one chance as a single registration. The only factor that improves your odds is the wage level of whichever registration USCIS randomly selects to enter the draw.
This system was introduced in FY2025 to combat the gaming that inflated registration numbers from 483,927 in FY2024 (pre-beneficiary-centric) to a more realistic count. Under the old system, some beneficiaries had 20+ registrations from different staffing companies, artificially reducing odds for everyone else.
Only the employer whose registration was selected can file the I-129 petition. If you prefer to work for a different employer, that employer would need to wait and either: (1) file a cap-exempt petition if they qualify, (2) register you in the next fiscal year's lottery, or (3) use the selected employer's petition and later file an H-1B transfer once you are in H-1B status.
Compare employer filing histories and wage levels before deciding which offer to accept.
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Search H-1B Sponsors on Wisa →No. Under the beneficiary-centric system, USCIS deduplicates registrations by passport number. Only one registration per unique person enters the lottery, regardless of how many employers registered you. Five registrations give you the same chance as one.
No. USCIS randomly selects which registration enters the lottery. You cannot influence this choice. This means if one employer offered Level 3 wages and another offered Level 1, USCIS might select the Level 1 registration — giving you worse lottery odds. There is no way to specify a preferred registration.
Only Employer A can file the initial petition. However, once you are in H-1B status (after October 1), Employer B can file an H-1B transfer petition. Under AC21 portability, you can begin working for Employer B as soon as the transfer petition is filed — you don't need to wait for approval. This is a common strategy.
If the same employer files multiple registrations for the same beneficiary, USCIS will deny all registrations from that employer for that beneficiary. Legitimate multiple registrations from different employers are allowed — it's duplicate registrations from the same employer that trigger denials.