The H-1B Visa Lottery and Cap, Explained for F-1 Students

What the H-1B cap actually is

The H-1B is a temporary work classification for specialty occupations — jobs that normally require at least a bachelor's degree in a specific field. For most F-1 students finishing OPT or STEM OPT, it is the main way to keep working in the USA in the long term, so understanding the cap is essential.

Congress limits how many new cap-subject H-1B workers can be approved each fiscal year. USCIS describes two allocations: a regular cap of 65,000 and an additional exemption of 20,000 reserved for people with a U.S. master's degree or higher (often called the "master's cap"). Because demand normally far exceeds these numbers, USCIS runs a selection process — the "lottery" — to decide whose petitions may be filed.

Not every H-1B is cap-subject. Certain employers are cap-exempt (covered in a separate guide), and people already counted against the cap generally do not go through it again.

• Regular cap: 65,000 new cap-subject H-1B slots per fiscal year
• Master's cap: an extra 20,000 for U.S. advanced-degree holders
• Exact numbers are set by law — verify current figures on the official USCIS website

Electronic registration: the first gate

You cannot register yourself. A prospective employer (the petitioner) — or their legal representative — registers you electronically through a USCIS online account during a short annual registration window, which USCIS has recently opened in early March.

Each registration requires basic information about you as the beneficiary and payment of a registration fee (USCIS lists this as $215 per registration for recent cap seasons). Only if you are selected can the employer then file the full H-1B petition.

Registration is a real cost and effort for the employer, so this is a conversation to have early with any company sponsoring you. The registration period, fee, and exact dates change year to year — always verify them on the official USCIS "H-1B Cap Season" page.

• Registered by the employer/representative, not the student
• Short window, historically opening in early March
• Registration fee (USCIS lists $215 recently) — verify the current amount and dates on uscis.gov

Beneficiary-centric selection: one person, one entry

USCIS selects by unique beneficiary (the person), not by registration. This is important: if several employers register the same person, that person is counted once in the pool. If a beneficiary is selected, all registrations submitted for that beneficiary become eligible to file — so having more than one genuine job offer does not multiply your odds, but it can give you more than one employer able to file once you are picked.

This beneficiary-centric approach was introduced to reduce gaming of the system by mass, duplicate registrations. It means the honest strategy is simply to line up a real employer willing to sponsor you.

Selection is random within the applicable pools. USCIS notifies selected registrants through their online accounts, historically by late March, after the registration window closes.

• Selection is per unique person, not per registration
• Duplicate registrations for the same person do not increase odds
• Selected registrants are notified via their USCIS online account

Weighted selection by wage level (2026 rule)

Under a DHS final rule that took effect in early 2026, USCIS uses a weighted selection process when registrations exceed the cap. A beneficiary’s chance of selection is tied to the offered wage level: USCIS has stated that a registration is entered into the selection pool a number of times corresponding to its wage level (for example, Level IV entered four times down to Level I entered once).

The stated purpose is to allocate more H-1B slots toward higher-paid roles. In practical terms, the wage level attached to your offer can affect your odds. This is a factual description of the process, not advice — how any specific offer is classified depends on the employer's filing and the official wage data.

Because selection rules have been revised in recent years and can be updated or litigated, confirm the current process and any weighting on the official USCIS H-1B pages before relying on it. This is general information, not legal or immigration advice.

If you're selected — and the Oct 1 start

Selection is not approval. It only means your employer may now file a full H-1B petition (Form I-129) within the filing window USCIS specifies. USCIS then adjudicates the petition on its merits — the specialty-occupation job, your qualifications, and the wage all still have to check out.

Cap-subject H-1B petitions carry an employment start date of October 1 (the start of the U.S. government fiscal year) and cannot be filed more than six months before that date. That is why the gap between your F-1/OPT end and October 1 matters — see the separate cap-gap guide.

If you are not selected, you generally cannot get a cap-subject H-1B for that year, but you may still be able to keep working on valid OPT/STEM OPT, try again the next cycle, or look at cap-exempt and alternative categories (covered separately).

• Selection lets the employer file Form I-129 — it is not an approval
• Cap-subject H-1B jobs start on October 1
• Not selected? Continue on valid OPT/STEM OPT, re-enter next year, or explore alternatives

How to prepare as an F-1 student

The single most useful thing you can do is target employers who sponsor H-1B and raise sponsorship early — ideally before or during OPT, so a timely registration and (if selected) a timely, change-of-status petition can bridge you toward October 1.

Keep your F-1 status and OPT clean throughout: maintain SEVIS records, report employer and address changes to your DSO, and stay within OPT unemployment limits. A break in status can complicate a later change of status to H-1B.

Work closely with your Designated School Official (DSO) and your employer's immigration counsel. They handle the mechanics; your job is to keep documentation tidy and understand the timeline.

• Prioritize employers that sponsor H-1B; raise it early
• Protect your F-1/OPT status and SEVIS record
• Coordinate with your DSO and the employer's immigration counsel