Not lottery. There are allocations (or were) per country to give it a more even spread. I know greencard applications still work like that based on origin of bi

Not lottery. There are allocations (or were) per country to give it a more even spread. I know greencard applications still work like that based on origin of birth. Also the H1B process has always felt like who can create the most compelling application. Remember this is a specialization visa and you are basically demonstrating why (a) you cannot find such talent locally and (b) the value it will add to the US economy. So large companies with creative legal counsel do have an advantage over small shops.