H-1B Lottery Calculator: Estimate Your Selection Chances
A calculator that estimates your H-1B lottery selection probability from registration volume, cap type, and your own profile, using the beneficiary-centric selection rules that have applied since FY2025.
How the lottery works
USCIS runs a regular cap selection followed by a second selection restricted to holders of a US master's degree or higher, which is why advanced-degree candidates see a materially higher selection rate.
Beneficiary-centric selection
Since FY2025 each beneficiary is entered once regardless of how many employers register them, which removed the multiple-registration advantage and sharply reduced total registration volume.
What the calculator uses
Selection probability is derived from eligible registration counts, the regular and advanced-degree cap allocations, and your degree level.
Frequently asked questions
What is the H1B lottery selection rate for FY2026?
The overall H1B lottery selection rate for FY2026 is approximately 35.4%, with master's degree holders having a 42.8% chance and bachelor's degree holders having a 31.2% chance.
How many H1B registrations were there for FY2026?
For FY2026, there were 343,981 eligible registrations, a significant 28.3% decrease from FY2025's 479,953 registrations due to the new beneficiary-centric selection process.
Does having multiple employers register me increase my H1B lottery chances?
No, under the new beneficiary-centric model effective since FY2025, each person can only be selected once regardless of how many employers register them.