US Immigration Agency Notifies Recipients of H1B Visa Lottery Results for FY 2025 After It Closes

The US immigration office has declared that the lottery for the much sought-after American H1B visas is now closed.

This action was taken after the fiscal year 2025 H1B sign-up period’s closure on March 25, as stated by US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). USCIS verified the use of random choices and the delivery of notifications to “myUSCIS” accounts in a post on X.

The date for filing visa applications for the fiscal year 2025 was earlier moved from March 22 to March 25, due to a technical issue with the USCIS website. The deadline was moved back three days. USCIS told prospective petitioners that they would be contacted to verify their eligibility to file a petition pursuant to the H1B limit, even if there was a delay.

The yearly quota of 85,000 H-1B visas is often exceeded by demand, forcing USCIS to use a lottery method to choose winners. In recent years, Indian IT workers have benefited greatly from H1B cap-subject visas, accounting for over 70% of the 85,000 visas made available, including the 20,000 master’s quota reserved for holders of advanced US degrees.

USCIS anticipates fewer applications this year, however, and attributes the drop to increased efforts to thwart fraud. Starting the next month, all paper-based petitions must be submitted to USCIS lockbox facilities since the agency will be switching the H-1B Form I-129 filing site to a lockbox. It is important to note that petitions submitted at USCIS service centers on or after April 1, 2024, will not be eligible for a grace period.

USCIS Director Ur M. Jaddou said in January that “we’re always looking for ways to bolster integrity and curtail the potential for fraud while improving and streamlining our application processes.” “These enhancements will enable the H-1B process to be totally electronic from registration, if appropriate, until final determination and delivery of accepted petitions to the Department of State, making H-1B choices more equal for petitioners and beneficiaries.”