H-1B research
H-1B lottery demand and cap-selection trends
Track cap-subject H-1B registration demand, selection pressure, and the route from registration to petition filing using source-backed public data.
FY2026 eligible registrations
343,981
120,141 selected registrations
FY2026 selected beneficiary rate
35.3%
Selection only allowed petition filing; it was not an approval.
FY2026 Q2 H-1B receipts
140,850
Official I-129 workload; includes initial and extension petitions.
FY2026 Q2 H-1B pending
87,308
8.9% of completions had an RFE.
H-1B cap registration funnel
Registrations are the demand pool. Selected registrations or beneficiaries are the petition-filing gate. The statutory cap is lower because USCIS selects above the cap to account for cases that will not be filed or approved.
Global I-129 H-1B petition workload
USCIS petition data shows filed H-1B workload after the lottery gate. These rows are global, include cap-exempt and extension filings, and are useful for separating lottery demand from petition processing pressure.
H-1B petitions by quarter
Total rows from USCIS I-129 workbooks. Percentages are shown as published RFE share of completions.
Latest quarter across worker classes
FY2026 Q2 received petitions across I-129 nonimmigrant worker classifications in the downloaded USCIS workbook.
H-1B path versus EB-5 path
These routes do not answer the same question. H-1B begins with employer sponsorship and, for cap-subject cases, a selection gate. EB-5 begins with investment diligence and an immigrant petition.
H-1B route
Register
MarchEmployer or representative submits electronic registration during the cap window.
Selection
By March 31Only selected registrations can support cap-subject H-1B petitions.
Petition
April-JuneSelected employers file Form I-129 and evidence.
Earliest start
October 1Approved cap-subject employment can generally begin at the start of the fiscal year.
Priority-date queue
Multi-yearPermanent residence usually shifts to EB-2 or EB-3, where country-specific priority-date backlogs can dominate.
EB-5 route
Project diligence
Before filingInvestor evaluates project category, capital risk, job creation, and source of funds.
I-526E
USCIS petitionRegional Center investor petition begins the EB-5 immigration record.
Visa availability
Visa BulletinCountry/category availability controls whether the green-card step can move.
Green-card step
AOS or consularEligible investors adjust status or complete consular processing.
I-829
Condition removalInvestor later supports removal of conditions with job-creation and sustainment evidence.
Source notes
EB5.FYI separates official notices and datasets from secondary summaries. Downloaded USCIS workbooks drive the petition workload views; secondary sources are used only where they quote cap-season totals not exposed in the local source files yet.