H-1B lottery results for fiscal year 2027 are starting to come in, immigration firms confirmed Friday.
Immigration attorneys confirmed that lottery results for the H-1B visa program for fiscal year 2027 began to appear on Friday, adding that not all results have been published and will appear over the weekend, but before April 1, starting April 1, employers will have to begin submitting petitions to selected candidates.
This was the first time that USCIS conducted a pay-based lottery rather than a random lottery among H-1B applications. Immigration attorney Emily Newman said notice of selection reaches employers or attorneys if the employers are working with attorneys and there is no way a candidate can know if they have been selected unless the law firm or employers inform them. “USCIS has begun uploading H-1B lottery selection notices into myUSCIS accounts.
We haven’t received the usual email notification yet, but when we log in, we can see some options. This is likely to continue over the weekend and into next week. “Those selected can begin applying on April 1, 2026 and must use the new version of Form I-129, which now requests information regarding the education, experience, skills and level of supervision required for the job,” Newman said.
Is there a possibility of holding a second or third lottery?
USCIS has not yet released the number of registrations and the number of candidates selected.
After employers submit petitions for selected candidates, USCIS checks whether the 85,000 cap is filled and then announces a second lottery. Newman said a second lottery could be held this year as many employers may not petition selected candidates if they are outside the United States to hire them, and companies will have to pay a $100,000 fee.
In fiscal year 2025, a second lottery was held.
In fiscal year 2026, no second lottery will be held.
What is the new Form I-129?
The updated Form I-129 now requires employers to provide detailed information about the minimum job requirements used to determine the pay level in the Labor Condition Application (LCA). Employers are also required to disclose the minimum educational requirements for the role, desired field of study, any minimum experience requirements, and whether the position includes supervisory duties.