H-1B Lottery 2025 Glitch: Selected Applications Mislabeled ‘Submitted’

The H-1B lottery selection process for Fiscal Year (FY) 2025 is underway, with notifications being sent to applicants between March 28th and April 1st. However, a recent glitch in the USCIS online lottery system caused some selected applications to be mistakenly labelled as “Submitted.”

This article provides details on the issue and what H-1B applicants should do.

USCIS Announces H-1B Lottery Selection Rollout

The process for H-1B visa registrations for Fiscal Year 2025 (FY 2025) started on March 6, with a registration deadline initially set for March 22. However, due to a technical glitch, the deadline was extended by three days. Selected registrants began receiving notifications before the official press release.

Glitch Affects Application Status Display

On March 27th, some applicants began receiving alerts indicating their selection. Emails with confirmation followed on March 28th. USCIS confirmed via tweet that notifications would continue “over the next few days prior to April 1st.” This shift to a digital system allowed for a record 20 million registrations.

However, a new issue emerged. Immigration attorney updates on a social media platform revealed that some selected applications were still showing a “Submitted” status.

The attorney advised applicants to click on “View submission” for submitted cases, as some selection notices were found hidden within this category.

👀Due to a glitch, H-1B lottery selections in some case are still showing up as Submitted even though they have been Selected. 🙄 By clicking on View submission for Submitted cases, we have unearthed additional selection notices. #H1B #immigration #techjobs #USVisa #H1Blottery pic.twitter.com/8IHrjBYKCt

— Emily Neumann (@immigrationgirl) March 29, 2024

USCIS Appears to Have Resolved the Glitch

Following the observations, USCIS corrected the error, and affected cases were updated to reflect their true selection status. The attorney continued to monitor the situation, manually checking for any lingering mislabels. As of March 30, no additional errors had been found, suggesting that the glitch may have been resolved.

What to Do!

If you’ve received notification that your H-1B lottery selection is marked as ‘Submitted’ instead of ‘Selected,’ don’t panic. Check your submission status and monitor for updates from USCIS. If the issue persists, consider reaching out to USCIS for clarification and guidance on the next steps.

Conclusion

While glitches in the H-1B lottery selection process can cause uncertainty, staying informed and proactive can help mitigate any potential issues. Continue to monitor communications from USCIS and seek assistance if needed to ensure a smooth visa application process.