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Quick Hits

  • The number of eligible H-1B registrations dropped dramatically, from 758,994 in FY 2024 to 470,342 in FY 2025.
  • The number of unique beneficiaries registered in the annual H-1B lottery experienced a modest decrease, from 446,000 in FY 2024 to 442,000 in FY 2025.
  • The number of unique employers submitting H-1B registrations rose slightly, from 52,000 in FY 2024 to 52,700 in FY 2025.
Fiscal yearNumber of unique employersNumber of unique beneficiariesNumber of eligible registrations
2024Approx. 52,000Approx. 446,000758,994
2025Approx. 52,700Approx. 442,000470,342

Ultimately, USCIS selected 114,017 unique beneficiaries, resulting in 120,603 selected H-1B registrations during the initial FY 2025 H-1B Lottery. This represents a selection rate of approximately 25.6 percent.

The USCIS data demonstrates that the agency’s increased fraud prevention activities, combined with FY 2025’s new “beneficiary-centric H-1B selection process,” are having a noticeable impact on reinstating integrity to the annual H-1B lottery.

USCIS notes that the agency remains committed to deterring and preventing fraud and abuse in the H-1B registration process, and it emphasizes that it has continued to undertake substantial steps to investigate, deny, and revoke fraudulently filed H-1B petitions. USCIS specifically states that the agency will continue to deny or revoke fraudulently filed H-1B petitions and will make law enforcement referrals for criminal prosecution, as needed.

Next Steps

For selected registrants, the H-1B petition filing period will close on June 30, 2024. USCIS has not yet announced whether there will be additional selection rounds for FY 2025. Ogletree Deakins’ Immigration Practice Group will continue to monitor developments and will publish updates on the Immigration blog as additional information becomes available.

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Immigration

Ogletree Deakins has one of the largest business immigration practices in the United States and provides a wide range of legal services for employers seeking temporary business visas and permanent residence on behalf of foreign national employees.

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