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Last Updated On: February 20, 2025 | Published On: February 13, 2025
Master’s degree graduates from eligible United States institutions gain a significant advantage entering the H-1B visa lottery. Understanding how entering the H-1B Master’s cap can improve your chances of selection in 2025-2026 is key to securing employment in the United States.
We’ve helped thousands of readers understand the H-1B Masters Cap, also known as the “Master’s lottery” or “degree exemption.” Follow along to learn in simple, easy-to-follow terms.
In this guide, we’ll cover:
If you are interested in registering for the 2025-2026 H-1B visa lottery, contact VisaNation attorneys for submitting your registration.
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Every year, USCIS hosts a lottery in which they randomly select eligible registrations for the H-1B visa. This is a foreign worker visa that allows U.S. employers to hire foreign workers in specialty occupations.
This H-1B lottery has two rounds:
For applicants with a Master’s degree, you get to enter both lottery rounds. Later on, you’ll see how this impacts your odds.
Selection rates for the H-1B Master’s Cap lottery vary yearly depending on a variety of factors:
The primary advantage of the H-1B advanced degree exemption? It gives applicants with a Master’s degree or higher two chances to be selected for the H-1B visa instead of just one.
Let’s break it down:
In the first round, all applicants—regardless of degree—compete for 65,000 visas. However, 6,800 of these are reserved for residents of Singapore and Chile.
This means if you’re not from one of these countries, you’re competing for 58,200 visas, roughly 11% fewer.
If your registration isn’t selected in this first round, here’s where the advanced degree exemption is key.
Your application then moves to the second round, the H-1B Master’s cap, where 20,000 additional visas are reserved exclusively for applicants with advanced degrees.
This second round is critical—it significantly boosts your chances compared to applicants with only a Bachelor’s degree. In fact, in 2019, USCIS reported that the additional round gave Master’s degree holders a 16% higher chance of selection.
Additionally, because the H-1B Master’s cap typically receives fewer applications, your odds of being selected generally improve even further.
Now, let’s dive deeper with some charts that analyze trends and historical odds:
Look at the eligible registrations in the year 2023 in the above chart. That year had tremendous demand, with 758,994 eligible registrations compared to only 269,424 eligible registrations in 2020. Over the years, there has been a marked increase in demand for H-1B Visas.
How does that impact the chances? See the next chart and analysis:
*VisaNation immigration attorneys estimate that if approximately 35% of all eligible registrations in the visa lottery hold a Master’s degree, the odds of a Master’s graduate securing an H-1B visa for applicants, excluding Chile or Singapore, would be as above.
*Disclaimer: This is an approximation, as USCIS doesn’t always release data on the breakdown of a Master’s degree vs a Bachelor’s degree.
In 2023, if you were an applicant with a Master’s degree your odds dropped to a historical low of 15.2%. The next year, 2024, the odds jumped back up to 24.52%, slightly higher than the chances in 2022.
Bottom line – compared to 2020 and 2021, the chances of selection in the Master’s cap are increasingly difficult.
Continue reading, as we provide important information about increasing your odds throughout the guide.
The H-1B Master’s degree exemption eligibility requirements:
Tip: If you are currently studying for your Master’s and are interested in participating in the Master’s Cap, start browsing for organizations and positions, and focus on making connections during the final year of your degree.
If your master’s degree was obtained from a for-profit university, which does not qualify for the H-1B visa “master’s cap” exemption, you will need to apply under the regular H-1B cap instead.
You can find a complete list of eligible H-1B Master’s Cap universities and programs on the United States Department of Education’s website.
Similarly, the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) provides a useful tool offering key information regarding the classification of university types (e.g., for-profit, nonprofit, public, or private institutions) to ensure your institution of interest meets the public or non-profit requirements.
Above are the key sections to pay attention to on the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) tool.
So, if the institution where you received your degree is unaccredited or happens to be a for-profit university, your petition will be denied. Please note that you’re also subject to all the other H-1B requirements.
Likewise, if you failed to meet that requirement and USCIS denied your petition, you also won’t be eligible for the regular (65,000) cap. For that reason, it’s crucial to ensure you meet the statutory requirements before filing. Failure to do so only causes delays and additional frustration.
Don’t assume all U.S.-based institutions are accredited; it may lead you astray. The government shut down the University of Northern Virginia in 2013 after it lost its accreditation due to violations. Graduates couldn’t file under the H-1B master’s cap but could under the regular H-1B quota.
Tip: Another common issue is universities not being public or non-profit. Proprietary schools, being for-profit, aren’t eligible under the criteria.
If you are interested in registering for the 2025-2026 H-1B visa lottery, contact VisaNation attorneys for submitting your registration. Contact Us
USCIS announced the registration period for employers to submit registrations between Noon ET March 7, 2025, and Noon ET March 24, 2025. Petitioners, including those for the Master’s Cap, will find out if they were selected in the lottery by March 31st, 2025. Those petitions that have been selected are to be sent to the adjudicating service center. Afterward, a USCIS case number will be issued to monitor the ongoing status.
See our full H-1B lottery timeline
USCIS announced they will release lottery results, including the Master’s cap, by March 31st, 2025. They will do this by changing the status of your online registration to one of four statuses:
H-1B petitioners need to register their alien beneficiaries before the opening of the lottery window. Here is how it will work:
According to USCIS, this method expedites the process because it avoids having to sift through tens of thousands of petitions every year, making the filing process less expensive for employers.
After the lottery selection, USCIS will notify employers if their registration was chosen, and the subsequent filing steps will take place. The employer will need to file the complete H-1B petition, and the entire package of documents will be sent to the designated service center, where it will then be rejected or approved. Each petition is given a USCIS case number and a tracking identifier.
If your H-1B master’s petition is rejected, then you may simply need to fix the error and refile the petition next season if your registration is selected again. However, if your petition is denied, you may be able to file a legal motion.
There are two types of these legal motions:
Because they are both legally delicate matters, neither of these should be attempted without the help of an experienced immigration attorney. As an aside, you will likely receive an H-1B denial letter that prohibits any appeals to a third party.
Additionally, a second registration cannot be submitted for the same beneficiary. A single sponsor can only submit one registration for each beneficiary in any given fiscal year. If this rule is violated, all registrations for the beneficiary filed by the guilty sponsor will be denied.
However, keep in mind that a beneficiary can have multiple registrations filed on their behalf by different sponsors. Also, a single sponsor can submit registrations for various beneficiaries.
Furthermore, the rate of denials and RFEs has skyrocketed over the past several years. With such a short window for submitting registrations and filing subsequent petitions, it is imperative to ensure that necessary supporting documents and fees are correctly filed along with the petition. With other visas, a small mistake might delay your visa by a few weeks or months. However, with the time constraints placed on the H-1B, a small error may cause you to have to wait until the next fiscal year to try again.
Below you will find answers to the most frequently asked questions about the master’s cap in the H-1B lottery process:
The first step of the H-1B lottery process is the regular cap, followed by the Master’s cap. Applicants with a Master’s degree not chosen in the regular cap are automatically moved to the Master’s Cap.
The key difference is that the Bachelor’s cap is open to applicants with a bachelor’s degree or higher, while the Master’s cap is exclusively for those with a U.S. master’s degree or higher. The Bachelor’s cap has 65,000 available visas, whereas the Master’s cap offers an additional 20,000 visas specifically for Master’s degree holders. This gives those with a master’s degree an advantage, as they can enter both the Master’s cap and, if not selected, still have a chance in the Bachelor’s cap.
Premium processing, the optional service provided by USCIS that expedites your petition’s processing time to just 15 calendar days for an additional fee, does not increase the probability of USCIS approving your petition if they select your registration in the lottery. Instead, it only serves to shorten your petition’s processing time. The service fee for premium processing for H-1B season 2025-2026 is $2,805.
If you successfully earn an H1B visa through the 2025-2026 master’s visa lottery, you have a prime spot for an EB-2 green card. This has the advantage of generally having a much shorter waiting time than the EB-3, which is the green card most H-1B employees qualify for.
No, it doesn’t. The term “exemption” simply means you get an extra opportunity, not that you’re completely excluded from the cap. If you qualify for the H-1B Master’s Cap, your registration will go through two lottery rounds:
This gives you two chances to be selected, increasing your odds. The only way to avoid the H-1B lottery entirely is by getting a job offer from an H-1B Cap-Exempt company, such as certain universities, non-profits, or government research organizations.
Yes, all employers who plan on filing petitions on behalf of H-1B beneficiaries will have to register. However, employers will only file a full H-1B petition if the registration is selected in the lottery. Registration is the first step, and filing the petition comes afterward if selected.
No, sponsors don’t file petitions to enter the lottery anymore. Instead, employers must register the beneficiary (the person they’re sponsoring) with USCIS.
USCIS will then select registrations through the lottery, and only if registration is selected will the employer need to file a full H-1B petition.
Yes, USCIS plans to hold registration annually as part of the H-1B process. However, the USCIS can suspend the registration process for any year if they encounter technical difficulties or other unforeseen challenges. We will keep you updated on any suspensions.
USCIS will first enter your Master’s registration into the regular cap along with all other registrations. This means USCIS will select some Master’s registrations from the regular cap without entering the H-1B Master’s Cap. All unselected Master’s registrations will enter the Master’s lottery, which will have less competition because USCIS has already chosen some Master’s registrations in the Regular Cap.
This is understandably confusing, so we always encourage you to work with your immigration attorney to make an educated decision about your case.
If you do not have an H-1B sponsor, databases are available to find a suitable one. Disclaimer: We do not take ownership or responsibility for the information found on H-1B sponsor sites. This site allows you to filter your search by visa job title, NAICS industry, work city, and visa rank. The information on that visa sponsor database is based on LCAs and Labor Certifications. Another good place to search for qualified H-1B jobs is at U.S. academic institutions because they’re not subject to annual cap restrictions.
The prevailing wage, provided by the Department of Labor under the Occupational Employment Statistics program, is the average wage for employees who perform the same (or similar) jobs in the same area. The Labor Certification Application indicates the prevailing wage. In addition, most employment visas, including the H-1B visa, require by law the employer to pay their alien employees this wage as the minimum. Therefore, the DOL will determine the prevailing wage when your employer files for a Labor Certification Application.
Having an MBA instead of any other type of advanced degree does not directly help your chances during the H-1B Master’s Cap. However, earning an H-1B for MBA graduates can make you more qualified for the position you’re applying for and likely improve your chances of USCIS approving your petition if they select your registration in the master’s cap or the regular cap.
You’ll need to provide the following information/supporting documents:
Employers only need to pay the $215 registration fee to enter the lottery. However, should their employee’s registration be selected in the lottery, then they will also be responsible for petition filing fees. See our guide to H-1B Visa Fees
Consular processing applies to H-1B petitioners selected in the lottery who have an approved, complete H-1B package but live outside of the United States. Note that if this is your case, you will need to make an appointment at the U.S. consulate/embassy in your home country and bring with you the paid DS-160 nonimmigrant application, receipt that you paid the $190 cost for this form, and be ready to answer any questions the consular officer may ask you. For example, the interviewer may ask you about your job, employer, qualifications, work history, and travel history. If you don’t know the answer to one of their questions, always be honest, and it’s perfectly okay to say, “I don’t know,” if you’re unsure.
In the past, we’ve seen cases where the iCert visa portal didn’t recognize an employer or company’s FEIN number. Typically, this occurs if there hasn’t been a pre-verification before completing the Labor Condition Application. It’s best to always go through a qualified immigration lawyer to ensure no unnecessary delays like this occur.
It’s always best to go through the approved delivery method specified for your petition. Options like USPCS, FedEx, UPS, or another bonded service are generally good routes. Do not deliver your petition by hand or another unconventional way, or you risk USCIS not processing your petition. Again, your lawyer can provide the best instructions for delivery methods.
USCIS sends an RFE to indicate that the evaluating officer needs more documents or evidence to make a clear decision. An RFE is not an immediate denial, so you still have a chance of getting approval. Therefore, you must respond to the RFE promptly and within the time frame provided. The three types of ways to respond to a request for evidence are as follows:
With any RFE you receive, always thoroughly review it with your attorney to decide the best course of action. Sometimes USCIS may have doubts about your employer, your relationship with the company, and your credentials, among other things. Any response you send to USCIS should support any doubts or issues concerning your case.
If you lost your H-1B job, a 60-day grace period starts on the first day of your unemployment. This grace period gives you time to either find a new sponsor, switch to another visa, or prepare to leave the United States.
Yes, you’re spouse can be eligible for an H-4 visa. Learn about the difference between an H-4 and EAD in this post.
If you’ve reviewed all the criteria above and find that you are not eligible for the H-1B visa for 2025-2026, you do have other options apart from the H-1B master’s cap and regular lottery pool. For example, the L-1B visa, like the H-1B, is also a nonimmigrant visa. It allows employers who have offices both in the United States and overseas to transfer employees from their overseas offices to those in the U.S. for up to five years. Another option is the J-1 visa, intended for government-approved programs for positions like nannies, students, counselors, doctors, etc.
Maximize your chances in the 2025-2026 H-1B Master’s Cap lottery with VisaNation’s expert immigration attorneys. We handle your petition and registration process with precision, ensuring compliance. Contact us today to get started.
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