An H1B Visa is the most sought visa if you want to work professionally in the US. Even though there was only an authorized quota of 85,000 for the preceding H1B FY 2024season, 484,000 registrations were received. It is good to be informed if you were unfortunate the previous year or are making plans for the upcoming year so that you may prepare and give yourself the greatest chance.
We go through all the fundamentals of the H-1B 2025 season in this post, including the start-to-finish schedule, lottery situation, costs, registration window, and frequently asked questions. If more information becomes available, we will keep updating this post.
About H1B Visa 2025
Congress established the H1B Visa category to allow US-based businesses to hire highly qualified individuals in the country. Any applicant for a job in the US who has the necessary skills and at least a bachelor’s degree can apply for an H1B visa.
The US Congress has set an annual quota of 85,000 for the issuing of new H1B visas. These newly submitted H1B visas are known as cap-subject H1B visas. Due to the enormous demand for H1B visas, USCIS uses a lottery-style random selection procedure known as the H1B Visa Lottery to choose applicants who fulfill the yearly quota cap.
H1B Visa Fiscal Year 2024 Season
According to the USCIS Fiscal Year, fresh H1B visas are provided (FY). Because the start and end dates for USCIS’s fiscal year are not January through December, it differs from the calendar year. Beginning on October 1, 2024, and ending on September 30, 2024, respectively, is the USCIS Fiscal Year 2024.
Around six months prior to the start of the upcoming fiscal year, USCIS will accept H1B petitions for the year 2024. It would now be April 1st, 2024, counting backward from October 2024by six months. Because of this, the overall procedure for FY 2024 is shown in the timetable below, with petitions beginning to be received on April 1st, 2024for the FY 2024 season.
Employers wanting to hire H1B workers to work in the US starting on October 1st, 2024, are considered to be in the H1B FY 2024 season, which is essentially the entire period from the start of submitting registrations to working in the US on an H1B visa.
H1B Visa 2025 Timeline (Expected)
On January 27, 2024, USCIS will release the dates for the H1B registration and lottery process. Based on the official USCIS dates provided, the precise timeline is shown here.
| H1B 2024 Process | Dates | Activities during this period |
| Create H1B Registrants Account | Start from Feb 21st, 2024 | Employers or H1B Sponsors create their H1B Registrant accounts. They need to use the registrant accounts to submit H1B registrations. |
| Start Date to submit H1B Registrations | March 1st, 2024 | Starting date for Employers login to the USCIS H1B Registration system and submit registrations for applicants that intend to hire on H1B Visa |
| End Date to submit H1B Registrations | March 17th, 2024 | Last date for Employers to submit H1B registrations. |
| H1B Registration Lottery Selection, Results | March 18th, 2024 to March 31st, 2024 | USCIS conducts random selection, aka H1B lottery, and informs results during these days. |
| H1B Petition Filing Dates | April 1st, 2024 to June 30th, 2024 | Employers can file H1B petitions for selected applicants in the H1B Lottery during this period. An employer needs to prepare a full petition with LCA and all applicant’s details and send the package to USCIS |
| H1B Petition Processing by USCIS, Decisions | April 1st, 2024 onwards | USCIS processes the H1B petition filed by the employer from April 1st onwards and it can take anywhere from a few weeks to a few months. |
| H1B Visa Stamping at US Consulates | July 1st, 2024 onwards | If you are an applicant outside of the US, you need to get an H1B Visa Stamp in the passport to enter the US on H1B Visa. You apply for it at a US Consulate/Embassy. |
| Start Working on H1B Visa | October 1st, 2024 onwards | USCIS fiscal year 2024 starts from Oct 1st, 2024and this is when the cap-subject applicants can start working. If your petition was approved and you got the visa, you can enter the US and work from Oct 1st, 2024. If you are already in the US, your status will change to H1B from this date |
H1B Visa Quota for FY 2025 – Masters vs. Regular Cap
Under the H1B visa, there are two categories: the ordinary quota and the master’s quota. The number of visas that may be given annually is capped at 85,000 by the US Congress. The “H1B quota cap” is the name of this restriction. The annual quota caps for each of them as of right now are listed below; they also apply to the H1B fiscal year 2025.
- H1B Regular Quota: 65,000 visas
- H1B Master’s Quota: 20,000 visas (only US Master’s degree completed applicants are eligible for this quota)
One crucial point to be aware of is the roughly 6,800 visas reserved as part of Singapore and Chile’s Free Trade Agreement for respective residents. These 6,800 are referred as H1B1-classified. In terms of the H1B quota, the overall count is therefore theoretically lower than 85,000 annually. But, in general, Chile and Singapore only consume a small number.
Register Online for an H-1B Visa
To submit a registration application, create a myUSCIC account. The applicant must pay a $10 non-refundable fee. For this, the applicant needs to visit the official website
Users must log in using a “registered” account if they are submitting their registrations.
H1B Visa Lottery Predictions for the Season of FY 2025.
We anticipate that the H1B Lottery situation for the season of FY 2025 will be similar to that of the prior fiscal year. We may see more registrations for the FY 2025 season than the prior year due to the continued increase in demand for visas. You may read our in-depth study on the subject at 2025 Lottery Predictions
H1B Visa Latest News Updates for the Season of FY 2025
There are currently no specific news updates from USCIS; everything is proceeding according to schedule.