H-1B visa: how the lottery works, requirements and alternatives
Updated on 7/15/2026
The H-1B is the degree-holders' visa — tech, engineering, finance, healthcare. It is also the most contested U.S. visa: demand beats the cap every year, and selection is literally a lottery.
Understanding the calendar and the alternatives is worth more than hoping: treating the H-1B as your only plan wastes years.
Live numbers from official records364,447 jobs with verified sponsorship in the portal · 120,863 employers with government-approved history (DOL) · refreshed daily
Requirements and calendar
Requirements: a university degree (or experience equivalency) in the job's field + a U.S. employer willing to sponsor and pay the prevailing wage. The visa runs 3 years, renewable for 3 more.
Fixed calendar: the employer registers you in the lottery in MARCH; selected cases file petitions; work starts in OCTOBER. Miss March, wait a year. The regular cap is 65,000 visas + 20,000 for U.S. master's/doctorate holders — universities and research institutions are cap-exempt and hire year-round.
Real odds and how to raise them
In recent years, selection odds per registration have typically run 25-35%. How to improve: a U.S. master's (competes in both caps), a cap-exempt employer (universities, university hospitals, research), or multiple legitimate offers from different employers (each may register you once).
If you are not selected (the alternatives nobody mentions)
Plan B is bigger than plan A: the EB-2/EB-3 green card has no lottery — only a queue — and the employer can start PERM at any time, even with you abroad. TN serves Mexicans and Canadians with no draw. EB-2 NIW waives even the employer for strong profiles. And O-1 serves exceptional recognition. The lottery is a path, not THE path.
Free account — real openings with sponsorship proven by public records.
Frequently asked questions
How does the H-1B lottery work?
The employer registers you in March; USCIS draws within the cap (65k + 20k for U.S. advanced degrees); selected cases file petitions and start in October. Typical recent odds: 25-35% per registration.
What are the H-1B requirements?
A degree in the job's field (or experience equivalency) and a sponsoring employer paying the prevailing wage. Valid 3+3 years.
Can I apply for the H-1B on my own?
No — lottery registration belongs to the employer. Your part is landing an offer from someone who sponsors (public LCA records show who they are).
Not selected — now what?
EB-2/EB-3 (green card, no lottery — PERM can start now), cap-exempt employers (universities/research), TN for Mexicans and Canadians, EB-2 NIW for strong profiles, O-1 for exceptional recognition.
Does the H-1B lead to a green card?
Yes — the classic route: the employer opens PERM/EB-2/EB-3 while you work on H-1B. The H-1B allows 'dual intent': pursuing the green card without violating the visa.