Honestly: selection is capped and most people are not chosen in a given year. As of the FY2027 cap (registrations from March 2026), the US replaced the pure random lottery with a wage-weighted selection: higher-paid (higher DOL wage-level) registrations get more chances, so your odds now depend heavily on your salary rather than a flat draw. Separately, a $100,000 fee on many new H-1B petitions (from a September 2025 proclamation) is still being collected pending a court appeal as of mid-2026, a major barrier for new sponsorship. Nobody can guarantee selection; treat anyone who promises it as a red flag. Rules shift often, so check USCIS.gov for the current process.
Updated July 2026