Can I register for the H-1B lottery as an individual?

No. Registration for the H-1B lottery is not done by the individual: it is the U.S. employer who registers the candidate, provided the company has a specialized position open and is willing to sponsor that person. Without employer sponsorship, there is no way to participate on your own.

In practice, the interested professional must first secure a formal job offer. It is the sponsoring company that creates an account in the USCIS system and registers the candidate during the registration window, following the official rules of the process.

• Registration is always submitted by the employer, never by the candidate alone.
• A genuine job offer is required, for a role that demands specialized qualifications.
• Registration takes place within the period defined by USCIS for each cycle.

Be wary of services that promise to register you directly in the lottery as an individual or guarantee selection: that is not how the H-1B works. To confirm current deadlines and the updated step-by-step process, consult the USCIS website or an immigration specialist.

About the author

Victoria Harper

Editor-in-Chief

Meet the author

As a journalist and lead editor at Visto n’ Visa, Victoria helps ensure that immigration topics are covered in a clear, trustworthy, and easy-to-understand way. Her focus is on delivering useful, human, and relevant content for people exploring new paths abroad.