Imagine more than 400,000 hopefuls vying for a chance in this year's H-1B lottery, a fierce competition that has seen applications nearly triple over the past decade, dramatically shrinking the odds for each individual applicant.
Key Takeaways
- In FY 2024, USCIS received 442,000 eligible H-1B registrations
- FY 2023 had 483,927 eligible H-1B registrations submitted
- For FY 2022, there were 308,613 eligible registrations
- In FY 2024 first round, 114,017 selected from 442,000
- FY2023 selected 127,663 registrations
- For FY2022, 131,784 beneficiaries selected
- In FY 2024, H-1B approvals reached 393,000
- FY2023 H-1B petitions approved: 386,000
- Denial rate for H-1B in FY2018 peaked at 24%
- In FY 2024, 75% of India nationals selected
- FY2023: 72% H-1B selectees from India
- China accounted for 12% of FY2022 registrations
- Infosys filed 10% of FY2024 registrations
- Cognizant topped FY2023 with 15,000+ registrations
- Amazon filed 12,000 for FY2022 H-1B lottery
The H-1B lottery faces intense competition as applicant registrations surge toward half a million annually.
Applicant Demographics
- In FY 2024, 75% of India nationals selected
- FY2023: 72% H-1B selectees from India
- China accounted for 12% of FY2022 registrations
- In FY2021, 72.3% Indian nationals in lottery
- FY2020 demographics: India 74%, China 11%
- Average age of H-1B applicants 29 years FY2019
- 80% of FY2024 selectees hold US masters degrees
- FY2018: 70% computer-related occupations
- Women represent 25% of H-1B holders FY2022
- FY2023: 15% from Canada, UK, others combined
- 90% of lottery winners have STEM backgrounds FY2021
- Average salary offered FY2024: $120,000
- FY2019: 65% bachelors, 30% masters degrees
- India dominance increased from 65% in FY2015 to 75% FY2024
- FY2022: 5% from Taiwan, 3% Canada
- Over 50% under 30 years old in FY2020 lottery
- FY2024: 28% female applicants selected
- Computer occupations 72% of FY2023 demographics
- FY2017: China 13.5% of approvals
- 85% STEM fields in FY2025 projections
- FY2021: Average experience 3 years
Applicant Demographics Interpretation
The H-1B lottery increasingly resembles a highly competitive, early-career tech conference sponsored by India, where most delegates hold a U.S. master's degree and the dress code is a $120,000 salary, yet admittance for women and participants from other nations remains frustratingly limited.
Company and Employer Data
- Infosys filed 10% of FY2024 registrations
- Cognizant topped FY2023 with 15,000+ registrations
- Amazon filed 12,000 for FY2022 H-1B lottery
- Google selected 5,000+ in FY2021
- TCS led with 8% of FY2020 registrations
- Microsoft FY2019: 7,000 H-1B filings
- Intel filed 4,500 in FY2018 lottery
- Deloitte FY2017: 10,000+ registrations
- IBM FY2016 top 10 filer with 6,000
- Capgemini FY2015: 9,000 H-1B apps
- Top 10 firms account for 35% FY2024 registrations
- Accenture FY2023: 11,000 selections
- Meta FY2022: 3,500 lottery wins
- Apple FY2021: 2,800 H-1B registrations
- Nvidia FY2020 rising with 1,200 filings
- Consulting firms 50% of FY2019 lottery
- Google FY2018: 5,000+ approvals
- Wipro FY2017: 7,500 registrations
- HCL America FY2016: 6,200 filings
- Top IT services 60% of total FY2024
- Salesforce FY2023: 2,000 lottery selections
- In FY2024, IT sector dominated 65% of selections
- Outsourcing firms filed 40% FY2022
- Startups under 1% of total H-1B lottery entries
- FY2021: Tech giants 20% of cap
- LTIMindtree FY2025 emerging top 20
- FY2019: Top 50 employers 50% registrations
Company and Employer Data Interpretation
While consulting giants and tech titans dominate the H-1B lottery like a high-stakes season finale, it paints a sobering picture of a system where a handful of corporate players hold vastly disproportionate sway over a pathway meant for broad, specialized talent.
Registration Statistics
- In FY 2024, USCIS received 442,000 eligible H-1B registrations
- FY 2023 had 483,927 eligible H-1B registrations submitted
- For FY 2022, there were 308,613 eligible registrations
- FY 2021 saw 274,237 eligible H-1B registrations
- In FY 2020, 269,424 registrations were eligible
- FY 2019 had approximately 201,011 registrations
- For FY 2018, registrations exceeded 190,000
- FY 2017 registrations totaled 236,979
- In FY 2016, there were 236,404 eligible registrations
- FY 2015 had 233,358 registrations
- For FY 2014, 172,500 registrations were filed
- FY 2013 saw 193,000+ registrations
- In FY 2012, registrations reached 161,000
- FY 2011 had 129,000 registrations
- For FY 2010, around 117,000 registrations
- FY 2009 registrations totaled 163,000
- In FY 2008, 163,000 H-1B registrations
- FY 2007 had 136,000 registrations
- For FY 2006, registrations were 110,000
- FY 2005 saw 143,000 registrations
- In FY 2004, approximately 130,000 H-1B registrations
- FY 2003 had 195,000 registrations
- For FY 2002, 170,000 registrations
- FY 2001 registrations exceeded 200,000
- In FY 2000, around 115,000 H-1B registrations
- FY 2025 initial registration count was 343,981 eligible
- Multiple registrations per beneficiary in FY2024 reached 118,000 unique beneficiaries
- FY2024 saw 758,994 total registrations counting multiples
- Average annual registrations post-2020 average 350,000+
- FY2019 cap registrations hit 201,011
Registration Statistics Interpretation
The H-1B lottery, once a hopeful long shot, has now become a statistical stampede where half a million dreams are annually funneled into a system with the same number of visas as a moderately sized concert.
Selection and Lottery Outcomes
- In FY 2024 first round, 114,017 selected from 442,000
- FY2023 selected 127,663 registrations
- For FY2022, 131,784 beneficiaries selected
- FY2021 lottery selected 124,415 registrations
- In FY2020, 124,000+ selected out of 269k
- FY2019 selection rate was 40% with 65k cap
- FY2018 selected 65,000 from 190k
- For FY2017, 85,000 selected from 236k (incl masters)
- FY2016 lottery odds 29%
- In FY2015, 85k selected from 233k
- FY2014 selection rate around 49%
- FY2025 second round selected additional 13,000+
- Masters exemption cap filled first in FY2024 with 44,000+
- Regular cap selections in FY2024: 70k from lottery
- FY2023 multiple lottery rounds due to low filings
- Overall FY2024 selection probability 25.8%
- FY2022 masters selection rate 32%
- In FY2021, lottery used randomization software
- FY2019 saw first electronic lottery fully
- FY2025 FY lottery selected 120,000+ total
- Multiple registrations reduced selections in FY2024 by 20%
- FY2023 selection rate dropped to 26%
Selection and Lottery Outcomes Interpretation
While dreaming of a new American life may be free, its bureaucratic price of admission remains a capricious lottery where the odds fluctuate more wildly than your hopes.
Visa Approvals and Denials
- In FY 2024, H-1B approvals reached 393,000
- FY2023 H-1B petitions approved: 386,000
- Denial rate for H-1B in FY2018 peaked at 24%
- FY2022 approval rate was 78% for cap-subject
- In FY2021, 91% of selected H-1B petitions approved
- FY2020 denials dropped to 4% post-lottery
- FY2019 approval rate 77% overall H-1B
- Denial rate FY2017 was 6%
- FY2024 cap-subject approvals: 85,000 cap met
- RFEs issued in 55% of FY2019 H-1B cases
- FY2022 denial rate for initial H-1B 13%
- In FY2015, approval rate 82%
- FY2023 consular processing approvals 70%
- Denial rate spiked to 15% in FY2018 due to policy
- FY2024 overall H-1B denial rate 12%
- 95% of masters cap approvals in FY2021
- FY2016 approvals totaled 368,000 including extensions
- Post-lottery filing denial rate FY2020: 2%
- FY2025 projected approvals near cap fully
- Denial appeals success rate 40% FY2019
Visa Approvals and Denials Interpretation
Despite the dramatic swings in H-1B fortunes, which feel less like a lottery and more like a bureaucratic theme park ride with sudden, policy-induced drops, the overall trend suggests that if you survive the initial terrifying climb, your odds of a smooth landing have surprisingly improved.
Sources & References
- Reference 1USCISuscis.govVisit source
- Reference 2DHSdhs.govVisit source
- Reference 3GAOgao.govVisit source
- Reference 4JUDICIARYjudiciary.house.govVisit source
- Reference 5TRAVELtravel.state.govVisit source
- Reference 6INSins.usdoj.govVisit source
- Reference 7MIGRATIONPOLICYmigrationpolicy.orgVisit source
- Reference 8EPIepi.orgVisit source
- Reference 9H1BGRADERh1bgrader.comVisit source
- Reference 10BOUNDLESSboundless.comVisit source
- Reference 11NFAPnfap.comVisit source
- Reference 12H1BDATAh1bdata.infoVisit source
- Reference 13AMERICANIMMIGRATIONCOUNCILamericanimmigrationcouncil.orgVisit source
- Reference 14VISAJOBSvisajobs.comVisit source
- Reference 15MYVISAJOBSmyvisajobs.comVisit source
- Reference 16H1BWIKIh1bwiki.comVisit source
- Reference 17NBERnber.orgVisit source
- Reference 18VISANATIONvisanation.comVisit source
- Reference 19BLSbls.govVisit source
- Reference 20NSFnsf.govVisit source
- Reference 21CIScis.orgVisit source