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H1B Visa 2017 – News, Quota, Cap, Predictions, Lottery, FAQs

If you were one of the unlucky ones not picked in whopping 233,000 H1B 2016 Lottery Applications , you might be already wondering when is the next H1B season going to start.  Also, some of you may be studying in US and some working abroad and planning to work in US next year. This page will be constantly updated with the latest details and commonly asked questions around the next upcoming H1B Visa fiscal year of 2017 season news and updates.
[alert type=”warning” close=”false” heading=”H1B Visa Cap reached for FY 2017, Lottery Done “]  On April 7th, H1B Cap for FY 2017 was reached. Lottery was done on April 9th. Read News Summary – Over 236,000 Petitions for FY2017 [/alert]

When will the H1B visa 2017 season start ? Date ?

Short answer April 1st 2016. Typically, USCIS will start to accept petitions for the next fiscal year starting from April 1st of the previous fiscal year. USCIS fiscal year is from October 1st to September 30th. So, for H1B quota of fiscal year 2017, which starts from October 1st, 2017, USCIS would typically accept applications from April 1st, 2016.  The H1B Visa 2016 season started on April 1st of 2015.  Also, in the H1B Rejected Notices of 2016, USCIS mentioned that, the non-selected candidates can file H1B petitions for FY 2017 on or after April 1st, 2016.

USCIS announced on March 16th, 2016 that they will accept FY 2017 petitions from April 1st, 2016. Read Summary of USCIS press release FY 2017 .
Also, we have written an article summarizing on What to expect in H1B FY 2017 Season 

What is H1B 2017 Cap ? What are the H1B 2017 Quota numbers ? Regular vs Masters ?
If you new to H1B, I suggest you read All about H1B Visa Cap- Regular vs Masters. In simple terms H1B cap is a congressional mandated maximum number of petitions that USCIS can accept in a year.  As of now, below are the H1B cap number for fiscal year 2017.  The below numbers are confirmed in press release by USCIS on Mar 16, 2016.

  • Regular H1B Quota : 65,000
  • H1B Master’s Degree Quota ( only US Master Degrees) : 20,000
  • Out of the above, a total of 6,800 is usually set aside for Singapore and Chile citizens as part of the free trade agreement between them.

There have been many discussions around change in H1B cap numbers by Obama administration since 2013. The planned proposal was to increase the regular quota cap to 110,000 and Masters quota to 25,000.  No changes for FY 2017, the above numbers of 65,000 and 20,000 are officially confirmed by USCIS in their press release.

What is H1B Visa 2017 Prediction? Will there be Lottery again for FY 2017

Update :  USCIS Updated on April 12th, 2016 that they have received over 236,000 petitions for FY 2017 quota and the lottery was completed on April 9th.

Looking at the past trend of H1B season in the past three years, we could very likely have lottery for FY 2017. Last year for FY 2016 quota, there were 233,000 applications. We have done a detail analysis with the H4 Visa EAD rule in place considering the economy, students graduating, OPT news, etc.  You should read  article H1B Visa 2017 Lottery Prediction News, results, Date .

If H1B lottery, will there be any preference in lottery for Large companies ? Premium Processing 
Well, no preference for anyone, all are treated equally, including premium processing. There are many such misconceptions about lottery process, we have compiled a list of such myths and criteria, you should read Myths of H1B Lottery, Criteria

When to plan for H1B visa 2017 Application ? How soon ? What should be the strategy ?
It is never too late to start planning for your H1B 2017 season. If you plan to work in US on H1B visa in the next coming fiscal year, below are some suggestions based on your situation.

  • F1 Student in USA : If you are studying on F1 visa and about to graduate in next one year, you should seriously look at finding an internship or co-op at companies that can sponsor your H1B visa. You can search for H1B Sponsors in a particular area using our H1B Sponsors Search Tool and try to get an internship to work there on CPT or OPT after you graduate. This is a strategic move and will require sometime, so plan well.
  • Professional from outside USA : If you are a working professional outside US, planning to work in US on H1B, your best bet is to find Multinational companies that have major US presence and secure a job there, so that you can position internally for applying to H1B visa, when the season starts. This is a very strategic decision, you need to carefully assess your options, speak to the company if such options exist and then only choose it.
  • Other H4, L1 Visas : If you are on these visas, your best bet is to find companies just like I mentioned for F1 students that sponsor H1B visas and start interviewing and keeping the conversation going so that you can ask them to file H1B when the season starts.

We have put together a Step by Step Plan on How to apply for H1B 2017 Quota

How do I find a H1B Visa Sponsor – The most asked million dollar question ?
If you are student in the US, it is very straight forward, you find the list of H1B Sponsoring companies using the tool in an area as I mentioned above and get an internship in one of them so that they can sponsor your H1B visa.   Unlike, if you are coming from outside US, it can be tricky.  If you work for an Multinational company ( MNC), then they will have some internal process to pick the candidates and then process H1B visa for them…The other option that has been used and abused is the consulting companies route…Many a times, the H1B aspirants approach a body shop IT consulting company to file H1B for them and they apply for the same. It gets nasty with the body shop consulting companies.  The comments on this H1B Companies Reviews article are quite eye opening. I advise, you beware of the consulting companies and avoid fraud.  Also, WE as RedBus2US do NOT provide any guidance or assistance or sponsor anything. If someone claims that, it is pure fraud and they are trying to trick you, we are not responsible for that. Please be careful. Anyways, for various other options , You may read article How to find H1B 2017 Sponsors

What is the H1B visa 2017 filing fee ? Is it same or any changes ?
It changed slightly this year with the Omnibus Bill passed in December 2015, that will increase the H1B filing fee by $4000 for FY 2017, until 2025 for certain companies that have over 50 employees and have more than 50% of their employees as H1B or L1 visa holders in USA.  Check USCIS Guidelines on H1B Fee increase. Depending on the size of the company, the H1B filing fee can vary anywhere from $1,600 USD to $7,400 USD + Attorney Fee. There are various fees components that make up this number range, for more details Read Summary of H1B Filing Fee 2017 – Who pays for What ? . Below is a high level summary. Also, one key change is that,  there was $2000 USD additional filing fee as per Public Law 111-230, this law expired on Sep 30, 2015 and that is not included anymore.

H1B Fee ComponentFee in USD
 Base filing fee$325
AICWA Fee$750  or $1,500
Fraud prevent & detection fee$500
Fee based on Public Law 114-113 ( if applicable)$4000
Premium processing fee (Optional)$1,225
Immigration Attorney FeeVaries from $500 to $3000

What about Comprehensive Immigration Reform(CIR) and Obama Executive Actions for H1B 2017 Quota Increase ? 
There has been many articles and discussions since 2013 around immigration reform by President Obama and changes around and some like below have been discussed in the last couple of years, nothing moved significantly.

  • H1B Cap to be increased from 65,000 to 110,000 per year.  Also have provisions to have it up to 180,000 in case of extreme demand.
  • Advanced degree from US cap quota to increase from 20,000 to 25,000
  • The Filing fee for H1B could go up to 10,000 USD  ( Part of this came up as the fee increase in Omnibus Bill )
  • Additional H1B rules to avoid H1B Visa fraud by employers
  • Mandatory LCA posting for 30 days before it is certified.

The current status on all of the above are basically “No updates”,  there are no set deadlines for any of them and none of these are happening for FY 2017. You may read Summary of CIR Changes to H1B . Officially as per press release on March 16, 2016, the H1B cap is confirmed to be 65,000 for regular and 20,000 for masters…hence, no changes.

What is LCA for H1B Visa ? Processing times ?
LCA is a form that has to be filed with US Dept of Labor and get it certified before filing H1B petition with USCIS. It has to be sent along with H1B Package to USCIS.  It has all the relevant information about the job position like wage, location, title, etc. It takes about 7 working days for processing of the LCA by US Dept of Labor (DOL). You can read complete details at Why is LCA Needed for H1B – Processing Time, Salary 

H1B Visa 2017 Premium Processing Time :

USCIS Updated in their original press release on March 16, 2016 that the premium processing will begin no later than May 16, 2016.  But, on April 22nd, they updated that the premium processing for FY 2017 will begin on May 12th, 2016. What it means is that the official 15 calendar day SLA for premium processing petitions will be starting from 12th.  USCIS may process the petitions early as well, but officially their clock starts on that day.

H1B 2017 Case Tracker  :
Did you apply for FY 2017 ?  We have put together a tracker along with good graphs for analysis. It is completely anonymous as we do not capture your case number or any personal information. It is community contributed data, the more you add, the better for everyone, including  You !

[prompt type=”left” title=”Track your H1B Case” message=” Anonymously Track your H1B Case – Share and Get updated from Community.” button_text=”H1B 2017 Case Tracker” href=”https://redbus2us.com/trackers/h1b-visa-tracker/”]

Most Recent News of FY 2017 H1B
Below is the most recent news regarding H1B 2017 season. You can check the updates page as indicated below for the full history and details.

  • July 8th, 2016 ( Official ) : USCIS released a press note today indicating that they have completed returning all the petitions that were not selected in the H1B lottery for FY 2017. Read More details here 
  • May 2nd, 2016 ( Official Update ) : USCIS updated that data entry is complete for selected petitions in lottery. if you were selected, you should receive receipt notices in 2 to three weeks. If not, the chances are very slim to get selected. You should look at your plan B.  Read H1B Data Entry Complete Article for full details
  • April 22nd, 2016 : (Official Update) USCIS Updated that they will start premium processing from May 12th, instead of May 16th.
  • April 12th, 2016 – 6:30 PM EST : Official Update :  USCIS released a press note that H1B lottery was completed on April 9th and they received over 236,000 petitions for FY 2017 quota. Read Press Release Summary  
  • April 12th, 2016 – 11:50 AM CST ( Unofficial Update ) : It is reported on blog by attorney ( immigrationgirl ) that they have received about 40 email receipts of Premium Processing. What it means is that USCIS has already conducted lottery. We will keep you posted with updates. If I am not wrong, they are just drafting the press release now.

[prompt type=”left” title=”H1B 2017 – Latest News Updates” message=” Most recent and complete history of all latest breaking news updates from Official sources like USCIS and Unofficial sources for FY 2017 Season.” button_text=”Latest H1B 2017 News” href=”https://redbus2us.com/h1b-visa-2017-cap-count-updates-tracker-news/”]

When is the next H1B Season ?

The next H1B season starts on April 1st, 2017.  Wondering about your next chance for H1B and various details about the next H1B season, check out H1B Visa 2018 FAQs

Sample H1B Reject Notices for FY 2017 ?

USCIS has started to mail out the reject notices for FY 2017 petitions that were not picked in lottery. It says that the start date for next year H1B season is April 1, 2017. You can check out the Sample Reject Notice for FY 2017, Details

We have many more FAQs around H1B Visa 2017. We will continue to keep updating the page with latest news and updates regarding FY 2017. Bookmark this page and keep checking for updates.

   

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23,619 Comments

      • Hi Kir,

        How could you say that it’s not a sister company to Iblesoft? I was told that my petition is processed thru Genome instead of Iblesoft. They gave me cheque’s front and back scan copies but not original receipt copy and when I check the status online it is showing approved in USCIS website but they are not responding now.

        What could be the reason, kindly share with me your insights if you have more information.
        Please share your contact details if you can.

        Thanks in Advance.

        Thanks
        H1B_Apr22

        Reply
        • Good news buddy, congratulations. one of my friend applied thru genome. Except approval everything is same as yours. we can get in touch to know the progress. can you give me your mail id so that we can talk offline.

          Reply
    • Hi Saurabh,

      Cannot thank you more for the quick reply. Words or advice from you on this subject is always reassuring to me. Once again I would like to thank you on behalf of everybody from the bottom of my heart. Just by reading this blog and the questions posted by everybody (including myself) and your answers had helped me gain lot of insight into the H1B process.

      Do share with us if you any updated information on this regard in future.

      Thanks a lot once again.

      Reply
  1. Hi,

    Can anyone give me the link to the spreadsheet which has details about cases processed till date for each of the service centers? My series is WAC16147 and its still in Received status.

    Reply
  2. I am silent watcher of this forum and today I would like to share good news with everyone. My H1B got approved it was AD/RP/VT.
    I got RFE on July 19th and my attorney send documents to USCIS on 23rd July and there was no status change between RFE sent to Case Approved.
    Today my case is Approved.

    note: RFE was on Employer- Employer Relationship and my client never provided any client letter. Attorney used contract between Employee and Vendor.
    My Case series is EAC1614153***

    All the best to everyone 🙂

    Reply
  3. I am silent watcher of this forum and today I would like to share good news with everyone. My H1B got approved it was AD/RP/VT.
    I got RFE on July 19th and my attorney send documents to USCIS on 23rd July and there was no status change between RFE sent to Case Approved.
    Today my case is Approved.

    note: RFE was on Employer- Employer Relationship and my client never provided any client letter. Attorney used contract between Employee and Vendor.
    My Case series is EAC1614153***

    All the best to everyone 🙂

    Reply
  4. Hello All,

    Looking at the current pace with which USCIS is processing the H1B cases, what do you think guys, by when all H1B cases processing will be finished by USCIS. ???

    Any guesses.

    Reply
  5. Hi everybody,
    As many of you, I have been selected in the lottery but the case has no updates for the last couple of months.. (still in Was Received status).
    Do you know when is the latest date to receive news? is 1st of October the deadline.

    Thanks for the answers.

    Reply
  6. Hi Saurabh,

    Does checking H1B case status online frequently leads to rejection ?
    I know it’s completely illogical but one of my friend advised that USCIS tracks the IP address used to check H1B status and if the request is coming frequently for same case and from multiple IP, it leads to rejection.
    Please reply as I checked almost daily since my application got selected and I got receipt number.
    Need your expert opinion.

    Reply
    • you again here today, you already asked the same question few days back and got many replies.
      what do you need man, if USCIS has manpower and time do to that the why will everyone wait for their status change from past 4months.
      US is a developed nation but not too developed as per your question.

      Reply
    • USCIS doesn’t even have enough time to process the long pending petitions, there is nothing like rejection since you checked your case status more no of times.

      I suggest you to download USCIS app from play store and track your case number.

      Reply
  7. Dear all, I have a question: once my h1b is approved/and I get the visa stamping, how much time do I have to move to the US and start the job under the h1b? Can I move to the US 6 months after the approval decision? Is there a deadline? Thank you.

    Reply
    • Yes you can move 6 months after the stamping and even later than that, there is no problem as along as you have all proper documentation.

      Reply
      • Thank you Sharu. Once the visa application is approved, should I get my visa stamped right away even if I move 6 months later or should I wait for the stamping? Thanks for your help!

        Reply
    • Anna,

      You can enter US anytime during your petition and visa validity period. If there is a delay of 6 months, make sure you carry recently dated documents like more recent employment letter, client/project letter (if applicable) etc. If PoE officer asks about the delay, you can respond truthfully – personal reasons, job commitments etc

      Reply
      • What would be the maximum time , is there any deadline , I heard employers would send onsite after 1 year or more , after visa, Is there any last date after visa ,you should travel to US

        Reply
        • Vinay,

          If the petition/visa is issued for 3 years, then that would be the maximum time. As long as the employment offer and the job is still valid after 3 years, you can use that. If not, cap-exempt petition to different employer/project needs to be applied.

          Reply
  8. Hi Saurabh

    My case is Non Ad/Regular.
    My employer provided my case number as they said my case was selected in lottery. As I am checking online case status is showing as Case Received but my employer said my petition is denied. I have 2 doubts here below.
    Is it possible that case can be directly denied without any RFE from department?
    Do they update the change of status on portal after informing to employer?

    Please help me if someone faced similar situation.

    Reply
    • As far as i knw, as soon as USCIS process the petition they change the status at their end and then they inform employer. So it sounds little untruthful that employer has information of denial where USCIS still showing Case Received. But on the other hand the question arises what is the benefit of your employer telling u anout the denial?

      Yes, without RFE petition can be denied if you will see the flowchart on this site.

      Reply
    • Really confused,

      I remember few instances when the online status is not updated soon after the petition is moved to RFE, approved or denial status.

      However, USCIS will issue RFE first and then deny the petition, unless petition was filed w/ information that makes it void to start with (like multiple filings etc).

      Reply
    • it can easily denied directly ,you dont need rfe to deny.
      i have seen n number of cases like this,check in this same redbus for those kind of petitions.
      reason will be from the company which filed your visa or the client which provided the client letter to you.
      if they have bad tax paying terms or any -ve suspicious thing for uscis then they will deny directly.

      Reply
  9. HI Saurabh,

    I got the RFE saying to submit the client invite letter and the sow. My company wont give client letter in client letter head signed by client manager . Instead it is signed by my onsite manager . Also project name which I have submitted early in client invite has changed . Now the project name and project description has changed in client invite and sow . But the client, location and the onsite manager is same. whether this will cause any problem?.

    Reply
    • RFE-recevied,

      As just the project is changing at the same client/location, it should be ok. Maybe also include a letter from your BRM (not sure if s/he is same as onsite manager) vouching for your case.

      Having said that, in the end it is USCIS officer’s discretion how to interprets the information submitted by your attorney.

      Reply
  10. HI Saurabh,

    I got the RFE saying to submit the client invite letter and the sow. My company wont give client letter in client letter head signed by client manager . Instead it is signed by my onsite manager . Also project name which I have submitted early in client invite has changed . Now the project name and project description has changed in client invite and sow . But the client, location and the onsite manager is same. whether this will cause any problem?.

    Reply
  11. Saurabh, I’m sure I speak on behalf of many that you are doing a wonderful job with this forum…Thank you!

    I came to US from India on an H4 visa in 2013. I applied and got the COS to F1 in 2014 August. I completed my masters this May. I also got my COS from F1 to H1b approved this year as I got picked in the lottery. I do not have an F1 stamping on my passport as I did not leave US throughout the duration of F1 status(2.5 yrs). I am going to India for H1b Stamping in December. Do you foresee any issues considering I have had 2 COS’s and F1 stamping missing in my passport?

    Reply
    • Redbus Fan,

      Thanks for being the fan 🙂

      It should be ok to go for stamping even though you had 2 COS approved and didn’t get F-1 visa stamped. Those are not mandatory given your circumstances. You maintained status all along and have all the necessary paperwork for your H-1. So should be fine.

      Good luck!

      Reply
  12. File Upload feature is now made possible by the contributors at https://worktheme.com/tracker.

    Now you can upload bulk status data, instead of updating individual cases.

    Reply
    • Looks all are approved , or still not yet picked up for procesing .
      Waiting and checking, Waiting and checking,Waiting and checking,

      Reply
  13. My case was not approved till date and showing the status

    My NAME WAS UPDATED :-“On April 25, 2016, we updated your name for your Form I-129, Petition for a Nonimmigrant Worker, Receipt Number EAC”.

    Can any one help what to do next?

    From my senior I come to know that my organisation is not going to process it further or approve it. in that case what will happen?

    Is it possible for getting my case approval?

    Reply
  14. The petition preceding mine and the one after me in the sequence are both approved,both are RP as the comment says “we will mail your decision”, also both approved on 9th Aug
    I wonder what’s wrong with my petition

    Reply
  15. All,

    As i understand, Indian MNC’s file H1B’s on bulk client employment letters that only mention the count of outsourced workers the client is expecting to employ in the next cycle, it does not have any specific names on it. However, post a H1B approval, a LCA amendment is done to the immediately available opportunity. My question is:
    1. How much time does the amendment take ?
    2. Any pre-requisites for filing the amendment?

    Thanks

    Reply
      • Saurabh,

        Can it be done this way?

        1. Book an appointment and go for Visa Stamping.
        2. After stamping is done, file an amendment.

        Another post on this forum says about 2 weeks for filing an amendment and then travel to US. This saves significant time as compared to filing amendment and then visa stamping

        Thanks

        Reply
        • Awaiting_Approval,

          Yes, this can be done. However, during stamping you should be able to produce documents like client/project letter to support the original client/location.

          Reply
  16. Hi Guys,

    Congratulations for all who got approval mail.

    Anyone here got approved after case transferred ?

    It looks like they consider transfer case at last.

    Thanks in advance.

    Reply
      • Thanks for letting me know. This is such a relief for me since i am waiting for last 4 month and status is still showing transferred. Not sure if you can also share if status changes on us day timing or it can also happens on indian timings.

        Reply
  17. Hi there, Mine is still showing Case Received. I know I need to wait to get Approved, but what are the next steps? Do I need to have any documents ready or take anything to the interview? Thanks

    Reply
  18. I just got approval mail , This marks the end of long waiting game , and tension of rfes and rejections , anyway there is long way to go, still clearing POE, I hope all others will have good news soon. Thanks for the blog for letting me know the updates.

    Reply
  19. Hi guys

    How long does it take to receive approved petition copy. My case was approved on 8th aug but still waiting for it

    Reply
    • I am also from CG. My case was approved on 8Aug and waiting for Approved petition documents.

      Immigration team is asking to wait as they have not received any communication that Petition is approved.

      Reply
      • Yeah even i got the same answer…My collegaues got approved it on 3rd and he is also waiting ..not sure why they taking so long..

        Thats why wanted to know this delay is only for us or common?

        Reply
  20. @all here is the script that I wrote to fetch data from USCIS. follow instructions carefully. this is not a spam or a virus or anything, just a programmer wanting to help. if you show this code to a developer, he can tell you for sure, nothing special going on simple ajax requests.
    http://codepen.io/anon/pen/wWbdYW
    Enjoy.
    Thanks!

    Reply
    • Hi,

      Thanks a lot. It is what I got for Case number WAC1614351xxx

      {
      “forms”: {
      “I-129”: 952,
      “I-539”: 22,
      “CRI-8”: 22,
      “notmentioned”: 4
      },
      “statuses”: {
      “Case Was Received”: 338,
      “Case Was Approved”: 298,
      “Request for Additional Evidence Was Mailed”: 263,
      “Response To USCIS’ Request For Evidence Was Received”: 55,
      “Case Was Rejected”: 1,
      “Case Was Approved And My Decision Was Emailed”: 21,
      “Withdrawal Acknowledgement Notice Was Sent”: 6,
      “Name Was Updated”: 5,
      “Date of Birth Was Updated”: 1,
      “Document Was Returned To USCIS”: 3,
      “Case Was Approved And USCIS Notified The U.S. Consulate or Port of Entry”: 3,
      “Decision Notice Mailed”: 1,
      “Revocation Notice Was Sent”: 1,
      “Request for Initial Evidence Was Mailed”: 2,
      “Case Was Received and A Receipt Notice Was Emailed”: 2
      }
      }

      Still waiting…

      Reply
    • Awesome query!!!!! see my receipt number series details:-
      WAC16143*****

      {
      “forms”: {
      “I-129”: 944,
      “I-539”: 25,
      “notmentioned”: 4,
      “CRI-8”: 27
      },
      “statuses”: {
      “Case Was Received”: 337,
      “Request for Additional Evidence Was Mailed”: 266,
      “Case Was Approved”: 298,
      “Response To USCIS’ Request For Evidence Was Received”: 52,
      “Case Was Rejected”: 1,
      “Case Was Approved And My Decision Was Emailed”: 20,
      “Withdrawal Acknowledgement Notice Was Sent”: 9,
      “Name Was Updated”: 4,
      “Case Was Approved And USCIS Notified The U.S. Consulate or Port of Entry”: 3,
      “Date of Birth Was Updated”: 1,
      “Document Was Returned To USCIS”: 3,
      “Decision Notice Mailed”: 1,
      “Revocation Notice Was Sent”: 1,
      “Request for Initial Evidence Was Mailed”: 1,
      “Case Was Received and A Receipt Notice Was Emailed”: 2,
      “Document Was Mailed”: 1
      }
      }

      Reply
    • Nice script, it helps to understand many things, here you go for EAC1614751 series,

      {
      “forms”: {
      “I-131”: 10,
      “I-129”: 714,
      “I-539”: 6,
      “invalid receipt”: 69,
      “I-192”: 46,
      “I-765”: 66,
      “I-485”: 33,
      “notmentioned”: 47,
      “I-821”: 1,
      “I-360”: 4,
      “I-929”: 4
      },
      “statuses”: {
      “Fees Were Waived”: 125,
      “Case Was Transferred And A New Office Has Jurisdiction”: 178,
      “Case Was Received”: 270,
      “Case Transferred To Another Office”: 98,
      “invalid receipt”: 69,
      “Case Was Approved”: 99,
      “Response To USCIS’ Request For Evidence Was Received”: 6,
      “Payment Fee Was Returned For Insufficient Funds”: 4,
      “Card Was Delivered To Me By The Post Office”: 32,
      “Request for Additional Evidence Was Mailed”: 51,
      “Document Was Mailed”: 2,
      “Fingerprint Fee Was Received”: 4,
      “Amended Notice Was Mailed”: 2,
      “Case Was Approved And My Decision Was Emailed”: 21,
      “Document Was Returned To USCIS”: 4,
      “Card Was Received By USCIS Along With My Letter”: 1,
      “Decision Notice Mailed”: 3,
      “Card Was Mailed To Me”: 10,
      “Card Was Picked Up By The United States Postal Service”: 4,
      “Case Was Received At My Local Office”: 2,
      “Request For Premium Processing Services Was Received”: 1,
      “Case Was Received and A Receipt Notice Was Emailed”: 2,
      “Case Terminated Benefit Received By Other Means”: 2,
      “Case Was Rejected”: 1,
      “Correspondence Was Received And USCIS Is Reviewing It”: 2,
      “Name Was Updated”: 6,
      “Withdrawal Acknowledgement Notice Was Sent”: 1
      }
      }

      Reply
  21. Hello All,

    My series EAC1614852****. Mine is still showing case was received.

    Really testing our patience. Vermont process is very slow; basically I don’t mind it to come anytime, but my kids will miss the school as it starts from 1st Sept.

    Reply
    • Hi Admin,

      My status is as follows

      On May 18, 2016, we transferred your Form I-129, Petition for a Nonimmigrant Worker, Receipt Number EAC161475****, to another office for processing and sent you a transfer notice. The notice explains why we transferred your case. Please follow the instructions in the notice. If you do not receive your notice by June 17, 2016, please go to www.uscis.gov/e-request to request a copy of the notice.

      What does it mean??

      Reply
      • Om_H1B,

        Although this has been answered numerous times on the blog, but still …

        USCIS moved some cases from VT to CA center in order to balance the load. Nothing unusual and some folks have received approvals even after the transfer. So keep tracking your status online.

        Reply
  22. Hi,
    I am checking my case status on USCIS by loging into the website however it is showing “An error has occurred. Please contact technical support.” Does anyone have faced similar issue? I am facing this from last 2-3 weeks.
    I tried changing my password but no success.

    Reply
  23. Hi ,

    A small company filed H1b petition for me and it got picked up in the lottery. I am waiting for its approval. At present I am in India. I got very good offer from an MNC and I want to change the company now. Now, if I change the company, is that effect anything at the time of visa interview ?

    Regards,
    Ram.

    Reply
    • No offer is good than H1b , Be patient , I know genuine H1b candidates are very worthy where ever they are , unlike the anti-h1bs calling them cheap workforce, Many companies in india pay very well for genuine candidates , generally people prefer to go outside india, If they are in india , they could have bring good returns to companies that recruit them.

      Reply
    • Ram,

      If the small H-1 employer is not your current employer in India, then change of employers won’t impact your pending H-1 petition. If you are working for that H-1 employer in India, then they may withdraw the pending H-1 petition if you leave them, and you will be out of cap.

      Reply
  24. Happy to see that there are no reject notifications reported these days :).. hope the pending souls will get a receipt 🙂

    Reply
  25. After getting RFE , i submitted my documents last week .But the status on the website is still “Request for Additional Evidence Was Mailed” .Any idea how much time it will take to change.

    Reply
  26. Hello All and Saurabh,
    My case got approved on Aug 18th. However I just (21st Aug) checked the status and I’m so excited. My case number is EAC1614254****

    I have been following this blog from last few months and it was so helpful. Thanks a lot everybody and good luck to all of you.

    Cheers,
    IBMer

    Reply
  27. Hello All,

    Any update on EAC16147* series. Mine is still showing case was received.

    This is really annoying. Vermont process is very slow

    Reply
  28. Hi Saurabh,

    Does checking H1B case status online frequently leads to rejection ?
    I know it’s completely illogical but one of my friend advised that USCIS tracks the IP address used to check H1B status and if the request is coming frequently for same case and from multiple IP, it leads to rejection.
    Please reply as I checked almost daily since my application got selected and I got receipt number.
    Need your expert opinion.

    Reply
      • So, ask your friend, “Will USCIS reject my petition if I rarely check my case status? USCIS might think I’m not interested in H1B and could reject my case? Can this happen?” Post his response in this forum. Would be interesting to read!

        Reply
        • They don’t have enough time to process our approvals. Do you think they decide your fate based on number of times you are tracking? Soon you will have happy news.

          Reply
    • ABC,
      Please do not trust such friends. That tool is designed to help the applicants to check case statuses n number of times. Even I checked my case almost everyday from past 3 months. My case got approved without any issues. So, just relax and keep your fingers crossed. Good luck!

      Cheers,
      IBMer_Hyderabad

      Reply
    • ABC,

      USCIS doesn’t deny the petition just b/c it was checked more than x number of times. However, I prefer to create an account on USCIS site, add the receipt number and subscribe to its updates.

      Reply
  29. Hi Saurabh,

    I got selected in lottery and waiting for approval. My qualification is B.Sc in Computer Science with 13+ Years of experience in Various companies. Currently I am working as a Project Manager. This is my first H1B. Is there any chance for me to get RFE or Denial because of not having 4 years degree? Kindly suggest.

    Reply
    • Sarvesh,

      Did your employer submit education equivalency document? Did he submit detailed experience letters to show how you qualify for H-1?

      Reply
        • Sarvesh,

          If the employer did his due diligence and submitted education equivalency document and past experience letters to show that you really qualify, then it should be fine. If USCIS is not satisfied w/ employer’s submission then they would issue RFE and specifically mention what needs to be submitted.

          Reply
      • Saurabh, Thanks for your reply. I have submitted all of my experience certificates along with degree certificate. Please let me know whether there will be any issue.

        Reply
  30. From the trends seen at https://worktheme.com/tracker and from the article https://www.shrm.org/resourcesandtools/hr-topics/talent-acquisition/pages/processing-delays-disparities-uscis.aspx.

    It appears WAC issues more RFEs, but seems to process faster also.

    Reply
  31. Hello Admin,

    Please help me with this,

    A small company sponsored my H1B and the application got picked & approved and I went to Chennai consulate for VISA interview on 9th Aug’16. The officer asked just 2 questions “my location & salary” and then he took the documents “I 797 B, I 129, offer letter , Client letter” and told me that he needs to cross verify the documents. He gave me Blue slip with 221G case number, After 1 week they couriered all the documents to the VFS office and I collected the same. They didn’t ask me any other documents and online CASE status is showing as “Administrative Processing”. Please let me know if any such cases in the past and what can I do now. My Client is a Govt Organization in USA. Really appreciate your help. Thank you.

    Reply
    • Hi Prakash,

      221g will take its own sweet time for processing. basically they want to verify that the documents you have submitted are legitimate and genuine. Sometimes they do surprise visit to the location( in lca) and verify with your end client. So it will take time. You can’t expedite it also. So if your documents and employer/client is genuine, pls sit and relax. Also communicate to your employer/client that your case went for admin processing and ask them to prepare for any kind of enqueries from USCIS.

      If they found the documents are fake, they will right away reject your petition.

      Reply
      • Hi 221g,

        Thanks for the prompt response. Yes I have communicated to my employer and client also. All the documents are genuine and client is a Govt organization. As you said, I just needs to wait and relax then 🙂

        Reply
        • Hi All…..Today I have received My passport with H1B VISA Stamping. Thank you admin and every one for your valuable suggestion’s. As part of 221G they cross verified my client letter. All the best to every one for their cases. Thank you again.

          Reply
  32. Dear Admin,

    when my H1B application was applied then i had passport number, which now got changed due to addition of spouse name (new passport reissued with new passport number).
    So if my petition gets approved, then do i need to do anything as passport number has been changed due to addition of spouse name?

    Kindly help here.

    Reply
    • If you look at the status changes per day Versus EAC147 series is, 6 Vs 288 (Total cases changed yesterday).

      This is really frustrating of the entire H1B process.

      Reply
      • Premium processing is for looting money , H1b seems to be like money looting program , I have been waiting for 4 months , Many good offers (offer in GE , one IoT based product company) passed by , in this waiting game. If any thing finalized I can stay cool. I see some denials /rfes not sure even after lottery pick.

        Reply
        • What do u mean you missed job opportunities?
          are you not going to work for your sponsor company?

          All are going to another country to make money. so you can not blame them for charging you for special treatment

          Reply
  33. Hello everyone I have a question regarding scheduling for h1b and h4 stamping for my wife.
    My concern is that should I file a separate ds 160 for my wife or I’ll just include her on my DS 160 form as my dependent? And also do we need a police clearance when appearing for visa stamping? In scheduling an appointment should I only schedule one w/c is mine?

    thanks.

    Reply
    • Sami,

      Both of you need to complete your own DS-160 forms and pay the fees separately. When scheduling your H-1 interview, there would be an option to add dependents. There you can add her.

      No police clearance needed.

      Reply
  34. Hi

    My case has been approved however validity is of 1 year only .
    My question is why my I797B shows one year validity whereas my employer filed for 2 years?
    Is extension procedure is same like this one?

    Reply
    • H1B_1stTime,

      It is possible that USCIS determined that term based upon submitted documents. Did employer submit a client letter? If so, what was the end date on it?

      Reply
  35. Hello Kumar/Saurabh,

    I’m waiting for the approval. My case is transferred from Vermont to California center. Would you please let me know If all the transferred cases are processed in last? Is is true?

    Reply
    • H1B first time/ Non-Ad RP,

      I remember reading recently about a case that was transferred and later approved. So they don’t go to the bottom of the list.

      Reply

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