H-1B Lottery Calculator
Estimate your H-1B lottery selection probability under the new FY2027 wage-weighted system. The DHS replaced the random lottery with a weighted selection process effective February 2026. Your odds now depend on your offered salary relative to the DOL prevailing wage for your occupation and location.
How This Tool Works
Enter your job title (auto-resolves to a SOC code), work location zip code, offered annual salary, and degree level. The calculator fetches the OEWS prevailing wage thresholds for your specific occupation and location, determines which wage level your salary falls into, then calculates your selection probability using the DHS linear probability model. Higher wage levels receive proportionally more weight — Level IV gets 4 entries while Level I gets 1.
What the Data Covers
Entry weights from the DHS Final Rule (8 CFR 214, published December 29, 2025). Prevailing wages from the DOL OEWS program. The historical registration distribution (Level I: 40%, Level II: 42%, Level III: 11%, Level IV: 7%) is from USCIS FY2026 data.
Tips for Using This Tool
Frequently Asked Questions
Data Source & Methodology
Entry weights from 8 CFR 214 as published in the Federal Register (90 FR 60864, December 29, 2025). Prevailing wage thresholds from the Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS program via the DOL. Registration distribution baseline from USCIS FY2026 disclosure data. The selection ratio (1.40x) accounts for USCIS over-selecting to compensate for petition dropoff.
This calculator provides estimates, not guarantees. Actual selection rates depend on total FY2027 registrations (not yet released), shifts in wage level distribution, and USCIS processing decisions. The Master's cap calculation uses an estimated 30% masters-eligible fraction. This is general information only — not legal advice.