Originally Posted: 8/11/2025 | Last Updated: 12/31/2025 

On December 29, 2025, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) published a final rule implementing a weighted selection process for the annual H-1B cap lottery that will prioritize higher paid workers. The final rule is effective February 27, 2026 and will thus be in effect for the next H-1B cap season, though legal challenges are expected. 

Weighted Selection Process: 

Previously, each unique beneficiary entered into the H-1B lottery had an equal chance of selection regardless of how many employers register on their behalf and regardless of the offered wage. On average, this provided a roughly 30% chance of selection for all beneficiaries. Under the new method, the chances of being selected in the H-1B lottery will be weighted based on the proffered wage, giving higher paid beneficiaries a greater chance of selection. 

The registration process will now involve selecting the corresponding wage level based on the highest wage level that the beneficiary’s annual base salary for prospective H-1B employment would equal or exceed. Prevailing wages are based on the occupational classification and area of intended employment. Wage level data is published the Department of Labor (DOL) available at: https://flag.dol.gov/wage-data/wage-search.  

Under the new rule, lottery registrations will be weighted as follows:  

• Wage Level 1 registrations – entered once.  

• Wage Level 2 registrations – entered twice. 

• Wage Level 3 registrations – entered three times. 

• Wage Level 4 registrations – entered four times. 

Multiple Worksites: Wage levels for the occupation vary depending on the geographic area of employment. If the H-1B beneficiary will work in multiple locations, registration must be based on the lowest corresponding wage level across all applicable worksites that the proffered wage will equal or exceed. 

Registration by Multiple Employers: The new rule maintains the beneficiary-centric registration system implemented in 2024 (FY 2025) which modified the lottery process to select registrants based on unique beneficiary, giving all beneficiaries the same chance of selection regardless of how many employers register them in the lottery. While the new, weighted selection method no longer provides an equal chance of selection across all beneficiaries, the beneficiary-centric process still applies – meaning each unique beneficiary will only be counted in the lottery once (weighted based on the corresponding wage level), regardless of how many employers submit registrations on their behalf. If the beneficiary is registered by multiple employers, their registration will be weighted based on the lowest wage level across all employers. If the beneficiary is selected in the lottery, each sponsoring employer will be notified and eligible to file an H-1B petition on their behalf. 

Impact on Chances of Selection: 

Historically, the chance of being selected in the H-1B cap lottery was approximately 30% (five-year average based on DHS data for unique beneficiaries registered 2019-2023). Using LCA wage level data for H-1B cap petitions filed during the same five-year period (subject to FY 2020 – FY 2024 caps), DHS estimates the probability of a beneficiary being selected in the H-1B lottery under the new weighted selection method as follows for each wage level:  

• Wage Level 1: 15.29% chance of selection. 

• Wage Level 2: 30.58% chance of selection. 

• Wage Level 3: 45.87% chance of selection. 

• Wage Level 4: 61.16% chance of selection. 

Regular vs. Master’s Cap: The standard lottery system is a two-stage draw process for selecting the projected number of registrations needed to meet the annual cap on new H-1Bs which includes 65,000 H-1Bs under the standard quota (aka regular cap) and 20,000 available under the advanced degree exemption (aka master’s cap) reserved for beneficiaries holding a qualifying U.S. master’s degree or higher. USCIS first selects from a pool of all beneficiaries registered under both caps to meet the regular cap. Then, USCIS selects from the remaining beneficiaries requesting the advanced degree exemption to meet the master’s cap. This process, which will remain in place under the new rule, provides a slightly greater chance of selection for beneficiaries registered under the master’s cap; however, DHS did not factor this into its probability estimates under the weighted selection method listed above. 

More Information on What to Expect for Upcoming H-1B Lottery: 

The final rule implementing the weighted selection process is effective February 27, 2026; however, there is a possibility of legal challenges that could prevent it from taking effect for the next H-1B lottery in March 2026. Visit our main H-1B cap page for a more comprehensive overview of the H-1B lottery, including key dates and employer considerations for registration as well as more information on the impact of other recent developments such as the Proclamation imposing a $100,000 fee on certain H-1B filings. 

In addition to our central hub of information related to the H-1B cap, we provide a variety of other ways to stay informed on the latest updates in business immigration, including: 

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