We have already entered the month of March, and this is also an essential month for both employers seeking the H-1B route to hire immigrant talent for the fiscal year 2026 and beneficiaries ( future employees ) with different nationalities looking to enter the US job market to aspiring for their American dream. Anybody wanting to participate in the H-1B lottery for the Cap Season 2026 must first understand that they need an employer to sponsor them.
Steps Employers should follow.
Employers seeking to participate in the 2026 H-1B lottery should clearly understand the following steps.
Step 1: The Employers need first to file the registration on behalf of beneficiaries, and since the current lottery process has ultimately become beneficiary-centric, they can only file one registration against any Passport ID. On the other hand, multiple employers can file registrations on behalf of the same beneficiaries.
Important dates to remember :
- The registration window opens on 7th March 2025
- 24th March Noon Eastern, by which the registration window will close.
Step 2: Once the registration process is over, USCIS initiates the lottery process, also called the H-1B lottery, to select the suiters for the filing petition for the H-1B visa for the fiscal year 2026.
Don’t get disheartened if one is not picked in the first lottery because USCIS can conduct even a second and third one depending on the petition filed ( There is a 90-day period to file a petition after getting picked up by the lottery).
Important dates to remember:
- 31st March 2025 is the last date for employers to get updates on the status of their registrations.
Employers need to remember they can keep track of their registration status by logging into their USCIS online account, also called the Organizational account, which they will use to file the registration.
Read Also : H1-B Lottery Process Guide
Candidates Employers can consider for the 2026 H1B lottery:
Though this is not an exhaustive list, we have tried to enlist possible permutations and combinations worth considering. Since we can consider organizations that qualify under the cap-subject petitions here, the list is not for those under cap-exempt categories.
- Candidates with at least a bachelor’s degree from colleges or universities outside the US in a specialized field in STEM, Management, finance, etc.
- The employers can consider candidates who are recent college and university foreign graduates from US universities who already have F1 status or who are already working in the US under F1 OPT or STEM OPT status.
- The employers can also consider existing employees working under H4 EAD or L2 EAD statuses.
- Existing employees already in TN, E, and H1-1B statutes can be considered for the lottery if the employer finds pursuing permanent residence.
- Employers can also consider employees with nonimmigrant status, such as L-1B, who have about to complete the maximum of allowed years as regulation can also be considered for the 2026 H1B lottery.
Other than the above essentials employers should consider, we can advise you not to file duplicate registrations for the candidates because that does not give you an additional chance in the lottery. You might even lose the opportunity to take benefit of the 2026 Cap.
