H-1B Lottery: A New Game Starts Now!

The H-1B visa is one of the most sought after work permit visas from the United States and it is the focal point of several discussions these days.

The H1B visa process for the 2026 quota will start in March. Normally, U.S. companies file H1B applications for workers selected in a random lottery. Salaries usually depend on where the company is located.

For example, in New York and California, salaries are higher. In states like Tennessee or South Dakota, they are lower.

Now, the U.S. government has proposed a new system. The lottery will no longer be fully random. Instead, it will give more chances to people with higher salaries. This is based on four official wage levels decided by the Department of Labor:

Level 1 – Entry-level jobs

Level 2 – Some experience

Level 3 – Experienced roles

Level 4 – Highly experienced or senior roles

Earlier, many Indian IT companies filed workers under Level 1, because salaries were lower. But critics said this reduced opportunities for American workers. To fix this, the new system will give more chances to higher-level jobs.

Here’s how it works:

Level 4 workers get 4 lottery entries

Level 3 workers get 3 entries

Level 2 workers get 2 entries

Level 1 workers get 1 entry

This way, highly skilled and better-paid workers will have higher chances, while others will still have some chance.

The Department of Homeland Security has released this proposal, and a 30-day public comment period is open before the final decision.