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]
- H1B 2017 season start date ?
- H1B Cap for FY 2017- Regular ? Masters ?
- H1B 2017 Predictions? Lottery?
- H1B Lottery Myths ?
- How to plan for H1B FY 2017 ?
- How to find H1B Sponsors for FY 2017 ?
- What is H1B Fee ? Details
- Any impact of Comprehensive Immigration Reform(CIR) on H1B
- What is H1B LCA
- H1B 2017 Premium Processing
- H1B 2017 Case Tracker
- Latest News Update of H1B 2017
- When is the next H1B Season ?
- Sample H1B Reject Notices for FY 2017
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 Component | Fee 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 Fee | Varies 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
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.
Guys, has anybody taken interview date? If yes, when is it? And what all documents you r planning to carry in interview?
I took for December but i am not ready yet with documents or list of documents. Since i have two more months, i will prepare documents accordingly. Please let me know if you get to know about list of documents, it would be helpful for me as well.
Thanks
@ Rubi
I have got my slot booked this Oct month end for Chennai location, documents i will be taking are,
1. DS 160 confirmation
2. PAI interview confirmation
3. I797 petition approval
4. LCA
5. I129
6. Previous employer records
7. Educational documents
8. Passport current + old
9. US Visa passport photo (for safety)
10. Current organization employment letter + Experience letter + ID card
11. Last 6 Months pay slip.
12. Latest Resume
I think this should be enough if you are working in a MNC company.
@Sun, you needn’t carry any photos. Photos are instantly taken at the embassy or at VFS alongside with finger prints.
@H1BVizag,
You are right it’s not required but my employer has asked us to keep it handy as a backup just incase for safety purpose.
When is ur interview?
Received RFE…:..(
Anyone waiting for approval in EAC161495**** series>?
I also waiting for approval for this series :(?
Yes I’m also waiting in the same series but transferred case on 20th May.
This series is moving fast only 750 applications need to be processed
Me too with same series and waiting. 🙁
Status changed to RFE today, don’t know the details.
Guys, it seems all transferred cases got RFEs today.
which series .?
143
Anyone know about EAC161415xx series? Any case processed in this series?
Comments are not moving these days 🙁 not sure everyone got their decision. I’m still waiting for case transferred with jurisdiction but looks like USCIS simply throw RFE for transferred cases.
Really worried after 6 + months of damn waiting time 🙂
Waiting is the only option. Suresh posted he upgraded to premium and his friends.
Anyone from Suresh group received updates?
Please keep us posted and make this page more active 🙂
Yes. RFE cases also . Please update guys. I am in RFE. Don’t know how much time will take to submit and also to get approval.
After RFE, You will have a 30 days time or the time mentioned for you in the mail from USCIS to submit the further documents that has been asked. once you submit the document your case will be changed to repsonce to RFE has been recievied. and after that it might take maximum of 60 days time to give the decision back to you. Wait with patience or go for a PP.
Go for Premium processing, if you need decision soon.
It took me about 2.5 week (regular processing) to get approval from RFE. Keep calm, and good luck!
Who did u Process visa thru?? Desi consultant or a software company???
Could you please share the RFE details?
Anyone knows current available visa stamping date at Kolkata consulate?
Hey guys!
For the people who updated from regular to premium:
How long did it take from USCIS received your upgrade until you got a new response (Approval, RFE) ?.
Thanks!
Hi Premium,
It will take to 15 working days from when you converted from regular to premium process.
Thanks
Hey,
It is actually 15 calendar days processing time for premium (not working days).
I am asking if those who upgraded could share how long it took in their specific case. Not how long it can take.
I see so many people trying to change their sponsor as soon they got approved. Personally i feel people should have moral responsibility to work for their sponsor, after all they invested in you hoping you would work for them.
Little more than 3 years ago, i guess, i had this dialogue with a consultancy marketing guy who said employees are worse than employers to be trusted with H1B. i disagreed at that time.
May be that is why small companies do not even dare to sponsor without bonds and so.
Any way it does not mean you can consultancies with your money. its ok to go with bonds but no money deposits. because most are Nigerian princes
There is no end of Greed. You will find these type of people everywhere in the world. I am agree with you that people should be commited and they should self respect. They should not cheat anyone if they commited.
@Suresh You just chill and keep it up your good work.
Its the way it is !! Some people just go to US so that they can switch the company first.
We have to switch. as only for the H1 B purpose they suck all the blood for more than 3 to 4 years in MNCs and also they wont give immediate changes to the H1B quota immediately after joining to a new company saying that “At least one year they have to serve the company and observe the behavior of the employee.”
We are in the latest trend we have to utilize the opportunities and betterment of career growths. If companies are in recession no one will show you sympathy except pink slips.
H1B Needer
Hi ,
I have got my H1B approved on august 19,2016. My consultancy says they did not receive the hard copy of approval document still and asked me to wait until they receive the document. What would be the next step? When is the next interview slot available in chennai?
Chennai – 6th oct
Hi Saurabh,
Is it possible I will get RFE if I have not submitted transcripts? Though I have submitted all marksheet and certificates. Please guide me.
Thank you
I believe transcripts are needed to get the education evaluation letter. Since you submitting education evaluation letter, you are good to go.
Thank you very much.
Hi Saurabh,
I need your suggestion on Below case.
My H1-B got approved recently.
I planning take my wife with me for visa stamping(Raised H4-S request in my organization).
She had passport, but my (Spouse) name is not added in passport.
But i have added her (Spouse)name in my passport.
Will it be any problem..? Both should have add Spouse name on their passport..?
I am in big confusion. Could you please suggest on this.
Thanks,
Pune_H1B_2ndTimer
Hi Pune_H1B_2ndTimer,
It’s not required. It is more than enough if either of your passport has the spouse name. In my case, my name was there in my wife passport and i’ve traveled to US without any issue.
pune_H1B.. Thank you for the reply. I am waiting for few more people respond. Saurabh… I will be happy, if heard from you. Plz reply me
Its not need man, anyway u should have marriage certificate also.
Having marriage certificate is enough. Me and my husband did not have each others names in passports. They sometimes ask for marriage certificate and to few people i heard they asked for some marriage photos.
Pune_H1B_2ndTimer,
It should be fine as is. The officer just needs to be convinced that you both are married and this can be shown through variety of documents like passports w/ names endorsed, marriage certificate, wedding card and/or wedding album.
All,
at this pace of processing. Assume 300 application are being processed everyday.
Total of 10,000 application remaining in EAC. 10,000/300 = 33.33 ~ 34 DAYS.
For all applicants to receive their processing updates. It would take time till around 10-15 NOVEMBER.
Fingers crossed!
uscic is ridiculously slow. dammmmmm
At 50% RFE rate expect mid JAN or FEB as a deadline. Defly all are processed at least one time by mid Nov
Series EAC161445**** is the slowest,they processed just 50 cases from wed till date!!
Still 1100 approx are pending it would take 5 weeks!
But isnt that ridiculous people r eligible to fly from 01 oct and till now they havent finished .
There should be some deadline!!
Current speed of processing cases indicates Vermont center is not interested in completing the unprocessed case this year, only
109 & 218 cases on Monday and Tuesday.
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1pMsGtKC6sGS2uj4JL3JX5IYytzU5jJO_qJ-UJKXiCr4/edit#gid=237954566
Saurabh,
I have a serious situation. I applied for H1B from employer A and got an approval. Now i want to join employer B, but i have signed offer letter with employer A.
Can employer A create any kind of legal issues?
Urgent.
You can’t work for employer B with employer A’s H1B visa. You will need to ask B to apply H1B transfer and then work for them after approval and stamped. Hope your A don’t create any legal issues.
Riya,
Legally, A is required for pay for H-1 fees. They cannot ask for those fees in retaliation.
Anyone got approval in the series WAC161445****?
Not since last 2 days. This series too going at snail pace.
No still waiting
Mine is in RFE response received status for the past 2months, When can i expect the next move? . Any idea…?
Oh wow, mine has been on Response for RFE received for 3 weeks and I already think is too long, I really hope I get an answer really soon, I’m getting tired of this, good luck hopefully you’ll get your answer this week 🙂
My case number is in EAC1614354XXX series…..still status is in ‘Case Received’….Anyone in the same series still waiting …..?
Yes, similar series..EAC1614352XXX..You can keep a daily track of this series at: https://h1bstat.ru/all-stats/EAC143.html
Lets hope for the best.
That is a great link … I have been using that
@ H1B_Waiting For Approval, Same series still waiting.. EAC16143541XX
Hi all,
Yeah same here, EAC1614355*** series waiting still in received status. All the best to everyone out there.
@ Sunitha — Whats your current case status? Have you applied for Premium?
Hi @J,
Yeah mine has been upgraded to premium on 1st October and still in “Case was received and a receipt notice was Emailed”, waiting for approval.
Hi All,
Today WAC has started the process the cases at 9:00 AM PST and I got notification in my app few of the applications got approved which are converted to premium processing on Sep 23rd.
May I know which App you are using ?
Hi All,
USCIS case status app from Google Play Store.
All,
Could anyone help me with legit consultancy company who could file my H1B next year? I am working for a reputed company in USA. My visa is not picked up in lottery this year and it would be my last chance to apply for H1B next year. Reading through the blogs, I came to know that multiple H1B petitions from different employers are perfectly legal, and I like to opt help from the consulting company as a backup option. I would truly appreciate the suggestion.
As far i know no consultancies do file with their money.
Going with consultancies that charge you is extremely dangerous. They have many ways to cheat you.
for example, what would you do if they kept money as free interest and did not file or filed but kept premium processing money with them.
just a few examples. do not trust consultancies better find genuine sponsors.
Any one got approval with series WAC161475****
Hi,
My H1 got RFE at the end of July and submitted the RFE docs on first week of Aug. Still waiting for approval. May I know when I can expect the approval?
My case number starts with WAC….
Anybody got approval who got RFE around this period???
Whats your series number?
@H1 B
Mee too in the same situation. Got an RFE on July 1st week and submitted documents in last week of july. Still no update on my case !!!
Guys…
9000+ H1 applications are still waiting in Received state for initial review so looking at this, I thing RFE application process will be after 6-8 week later only…
CURRENT WAITING TIME
————————————
Looks promising , Is it realistic.
http://redbus2us.com/h1b-visa-2017/comment-page-113/#comment-1029801
Chennai – 2 Days
Mumbai – 9 Days
Hyderabad – 15 Days
Delhi – 4 Days
Kolkata – 3 Days
Hi Kumar,
Can I have the link to check the Visa Interview slot availability date. ??
https://cgifederal.secure.force.com/
@Saurabh –> Company ‘xyz’ applied H1 for me. And I got good role in big company ‘abc’ , home country. As my h1 approved, can I transfer my h1 to company ‘abc’ even before I enter US. If yes, what should be detailed steps…please email me
I too have the same question. Can any body answer it please.
Yes, You can. If your petition is already approed and you have i797 approval notice (soft copy) with you, your new company can do a H1b with cap Exempt.
Guys,
People who are waiting to book their H1b visa stamping slots the dates are available from 5th OCT for CHENNAI location.
All the best ?
You looks to be sadist !!
@bad on you
Lot of people are waiting to book their visa stamping appointment, if you cannot help others by giving correct information stop commenting, Grow up.
Likes for your comment. Eargerly waiting to book a slot in chennai
Good News for all H1 and L1 Visa!!
Just received following email from USTravel Docs. Please reschedule your appointments.
“Greetings from the U.S. Embassy / Consulate,
Due to Scheduling changes, those applicants who have applied for a H (H1 and H4) or L (L1 and L2) visa appointment in the month of January and February 2017 are hereby requested to reschedule their appointments to a convenient date in the month of October 2016 and November 2016, if it suits your schedule and travel plans. Embassy/Consulate has made appointment available for the H & L visa class in October and November 2016. You may like to avail these ad hoc appointments. All you have to do is reschedule both your Visa Application Center appointment and the Embassy/Consulate appointment. There is NO NEED to contact the call center or customer support— Please login to your profile and reschedule both your appointments.
Please note: This email communication is for all those applicants that have applied for H & L visa appointment. Other visa category applicants may continue with their existing appointment”
~Nero
It doesn’t matter if I still choose to stick to my February appointment right?
Hi guys.
Anyone waiting for approval in eac1614254×××.
Yes 1614254 series I’m also waiting…..
Me too…..EAC1614250XXX
Mine is Receipt number is EAC161475**** and it shows “Case Transferred To Another Office” when can we expect this status change?
Mine is Reciept number is EAC161475**** and it shows “Case Transferred To Another Office” when can we expect this status change?
Can we expect any approval on Monday evening IST (MONDAY MORNING USA)??.
Or real numbers will come only on tuesday evening IST?.
THANK YOU
Hi,
My H1B petition was approved on Sep 1st 2016, my employer saying still my I797B hasn’t been received. .max how many days will it take to receive…please can you help me on this… thanks
Your employer will receive in 2 weeks.
Whats your series number?…
Gajula,
They should receive it in 2 weeks but the SLA is 30 days. After that, they should follow-up w/ USCIS.
Any one from Infy whose petition got approved in USCIS received any update in GICS? My petition got approved on 14-sep but no update in GICS yet, Its already been more than 2 weeks.
H1B_Infy – Buddy, their SLA is 3 weeks to update in the system. Even for me it’s not yet updated and I got my approval on 12th Sept. I had raised an AHD and got to know all this. Please have patience. Your status might get updated this week and I am hoping the same for mine too. 🙂
Thanks for the update 🙂 , Please post in this thread when your status change. I have raised an AHD and got to know they did not receive my approval copy yet.
Are your Cases are RFE one’s?
Yes, I got the same reply from GI Team. The lead time is 4 weeks, mine was approved on 22nd Sep.
Please let us know if you are going for stamping. All the best!!
Sure, I am just eager on getting my status updated GICS cos stamping dates are available in OCT and NOV. Good Luck for stamping!!
Hi Saurabh,
Somewhere in Blog I read that company A( sponsoring company) can withdraw my application prior to September 30 only(H1b filed this year). Now I have got good offer and planning to transfer my H1b to Company B. Now by any chance, company A can withdraw my H1b application as Sept 30 is already passed?
Please note H1b is yet to approve.
2. Is I797C is sufficient to transfer Visa?
I don’t think so. I have seen many examples of my friends and few seniors as well where they tried to negotiate it with their new employer to transfer the H1B with only I-797C and in some cases with the petition approval (I-797B, i guess) too but all in vain. I am in touch with those people and they regret not having their visa stamped before leaving their employer which filed them. As a word of caution, they advise me not to leave my employer before getting the visa stamped (nor do I intend to leave my current employer though).
Missed the ‘not yet approved’ part in your comment. If you’re waiting for your approval then there is no way you can switch employers and expect the new employer to transfer the H1B from your current employer coz your current employer will withdraw your petition as soon as it gets to know that you have resigned. So a big NO.
H1b_Aspirant
Agree w/ H1B_approved’s comment. They can withdraw anytime they want. If it has not been approved, then you cannot use it for cap-exempt (H-1 transfer) purposes. You will have to go through the cap again.
2 days break.
HI,
Did any one from the series EAC1614250XXX get approval?It has been showing as “Case was Received” since April .
HOw can i come to know whether this series has started or not yet. Also is there any website\portal where we can get day to day status.
Any information in this regard is highly helpful for me. Thanks in Avance.
Regards
Radhakrishna
I am from this series EAC16146XXXXX. Its still showing “Case Was Received”.
I’m also waiting in that series. Eac1614652###… hope by end of this month we should get some answer to our waiting..
Download USCIS mobile application and search your series by giving count.
My wife and child is f2 status. If my case approved by this time, will they can fly with f2 visa or they need h4 stamping before they fly in USA? TIA
If you are on F1, then your spouse and child are eligible only for F2 visa, they cannot get H4. Usually H1B dependents get H4 visa.
Currently I m f1, my wife and child is in f2 status, but I m waiting for my h1b approval, I have upgraded it in premium processing last week, that’s why I m asking that question that Will they can fly with f2 or they need to h4 stamping before they fly to USA?Will be greatful if u clear my confusion. Thanks for ur previous reply Kumar.
Samarah,
It totally depends on your status, when they fly. If you are on F1 on the day you fly, they will have to be on F2…if the day they fly, you are on H1B, then they will need to be on H4. Based on the timing and travel, you will need to plan accordingly. The primary reason is that they are your dependents and your status determines their status.
check this out
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1pMsGtKC6sGS2uj4JL3JX5IYytzU5jJO_qJ-UJKXiCr4/htmlview
Thanks for this useful link.
Can you please also explain the figures in this xls ? I mean what does the readings mean ?
Does this EAC16144***** move at all??
I have seen hardly any approvals in the forum for this series.
I am also awaiting in the same series…there are approvals in this series but numbers are less since last week.
Waiting for same series here.
I got approval on 3 sep in same series
Congratulations.
Will you be able to tell 2 more digits?. That would give us some idea.
It looks like they have approved 570 applications in all august and 710 applications in full sept….I am in this series too..
I have been tracking process in https://h1bstat.ru/all-stats/EAC144.html
and https://h1bstat.ru/blog/2016/10/03/day-03-oct-2016/
Hi Saurabh,
I am in a situation that I got h1 approved from xyz company while for ABC company in India. As there are some immediate onsite opening from ABC, Can I get the petition changed and get the h1b stamping from ABC company without creating any problems. Or is it really possible?
Regards
H1b Autum
If you got the i797 approval letter, then you can do a H1 transfer with cap exempt. But your current company should agree for this. If you don’t have i797, then it is difficult. You have to get a copy of it from xyz company somehow. Please make sure you dont have any contract signed with xyz company, it may cause legal issues.
Hello All,
Anyone from TCS who has received approval? I am still waiting for any update on my petition status for the last five months now. 🙁
Same here. Sent many mails to visa dept. in the organisation. Every time they replied back saying ‘You will be notified as soon as your petition Approve or RFE or Denied by USCIS. No follow-ups required from your end.’
Same here. Not sure how long we need to wait.
Same here, my status was updated to ‘Selected in Lottery’ in August last week.
But no update since then.Only getting this reply on emails
‘You will be notified as soon as your petition Approve or RFE or Denied by USCIS. No follow-ups required from your end.’
Not even got the receipt number
Guys can we start a WhatsApp group to discuss on this and to be notified when someone’s gets updated
Last month, I got an email from Chennai visa team about my RFE and I responded them in 10 days. Now, waiting for any further update from them.
Anish, one person in my project got approval notification from Chennai visa cell on 28th Sept. I’m still waiting….
H1b 3rd time : First time I am hearing approval status for TCS folk this FY. Congratulations!
TCS waiting : Not a bad idea. But please update in this forum as it is followed by many people.
TCS_H!B_2nd Time : I have also heard few cases where people has received RFE’s. What all documents did you need to submit for RFE?
Anish,
Received RFE today. Can you please mail me to 668415. Need your help in preparing the documents.
H1b 3rd time
Which location you are from ??
TCS Kolkata
Hi Anish,
Which series your case number falls into? Thanks!
Anish please let us know what is the rfe about and what the mail from fdfu says
Location Chennai.
Received RFE today after long wait. 🙁
I have to submit SOW , End Client letter , BRM Letter, Latest Appraisal structure and Organizational chart.
The mail is directly sent from US Visa cell and not from location FDFU.
Case no not yet shared with me.
Anish : I was also requested to provide the same document to respond to my RFE.
My case is still showing received ..
Have you already responded to RFE? What is the last date of submission? And what is your case no series?
Hi Saurabh, Kumar, All,
My case status is still showing “case was received”. I got a receipt number on the last day of data entry by USCIS.(MAY 2nd 2016).
Are the applications picked for processing is based on their data entry date?…and hence the delay processing?..
Any input is highly appreciated.
Jack,
There is a link mentioned in the comments that shows tracker for different petition series. You can look there to see if your series has been picked-up and progress has been made.
Filed my RFE response and my EAC1614954*** status got changed to RFE response received. Have to wait and see my luck
Hi, what was your RFE about? How much time your employer took to submit RFE .
I am also in the same boat. RFE sent.
My RFE was about Employer-Employee relationship and availability of speciality occupation. My employer took close to 1.5 month to file response to RFE
Thank you for the update. I think I have to wait for at least two months from now for employer to submit RFE response.
I too got the same RFE and its been a month and my employer is still working on the documents.
Did you upgrade to premium while submitting the RFE response?
How long it has been since you submitted the RFE response?
Non-AD/RP/VT
No, did not upgrade to premium. It was submitted last week. What documents are you filing against RFE?
Non-AD/RP/VT,
We submitted documents last week. What document are you planning to submit?
If employer submit RFE response early, then is there any possibility of processing the petition early or uscis wait for their specified period of 90 days?
Employer informed me that he will be submitting documents like
1. Previous year Tax submissions of Employer
2. And client letters to show enough work during the petition period
3. Listing out the required matching skills of me to the current projects
I am thinking whether to upgrade premium for faster processing from USCIS on submitting the documents.
Got an RFE at the last week of Sept. My lawyer told me that the RFE issued is because uscis clerk who happend to review my file is not aware that my field of work or profession needs to be a bachelors degree and required the employer the lists of my duties and responsibilties.
Are they not aware that most of medical professions especially nurses are bachelors degree? Will this be a serious matter? I am worried now. Any advice or suggestions please? Thankyou.
Hello…. Feeling Disappointed
They dont have much idea of about professional courses conducted in India. They want academic credential evaluation from Trustforte or from National Council of state board of nursing USA. I am an Occupational from India. I also got RFE related to academic credentials.
Anand, when you got RFE? When your employer submitting documents?
i got RFE on 8 September and my employer has submitted documents on 28 Sep.
Hi anand,
Thankyou, but I really wonder why they have to question if the applicant is need to be a bachelors degree since as we all know that all applicants for h1b are really suppose be a bachelors degree. Am I right? And also, the documents we submitted before the lottery includes education credential evaluation. For now, all I have to do is to wait and pray that everything will be fine after the submission of rfe response 🙁
Why my question got deleted?
Hello all, can we expect any updates tomorrow?
Hello all, can anyone update the waiting time for interviews? Thanks
Hi Simi, you need to keep a look on the interview dates. As earlier it was showing in Feb 2017 in delhi and i booked that but i kept on checking and luckily got date in end of OCT. Its a homework which we have to do.
FYI, right now earliest date is 3rd Oct in delhi.
I did take a date , but can we check without cancelling or rescheduling the current one?
Yes you can. But need to check d same in different profile, in same we cannot as far as i know.
Hello Guys / Sourabh
Finally my case got approved after 5 months.
Case Received — > Case Approved
Please clear my doubts –
1. I want to file dependent visa when should I do that.Will that be done by the employer or I can also do that.?
2. I can see waiting time in Delhi is showing 128 days .How does that work.Is that the actual time.
Please help.
Thanks
Hi,
Coat would be bear by your employer even for your dependents as wel. You are not supposed to pay a single penny. While raising your Visa request in your company portal add your dependent details along with you.
You need to keep a look on the interview dates. As earlier it was showing in Feb 2017 in delhi and i booked that but i kept on checking and luckily got date in end of OCT. Its a homework which we have to do.
FYI, right now earliest date is 3rd Oct in delhi.
Rubina
when i trying to check at https://cgifederal.secure.force.com/ site for visa availabilty dates, it shows First Available Appointment Is Tuesday October 4, 2016. will this be same after i pay the fee?
H1bApproved,
1. It could be done by either. Talk to your employer to ask their policy on it. Some employers do all the leg work and take care of expenses as well.
2. Look at the wait time again as it has now been reduced to few weeks.
Hi all,
My case has been converted to premium processing, how long does uscis take to review…thanks
Maximum 15 working days. But you will get response way before that.
Hi optimist,
Thanks a lot for your response. Okay will wait for the same.
It seams lot of approvals yesterday. Myself and my teammates 2 of them got approved.
What is your receipt number?
EAC1614653***
After a loooooong wait of around 5+ months, its an RFE. 😀
It clearly shows that, God has some really great and long term plans for me. 😉
Just saw the status on uscis website. Waiting for “the reason” once visa team receives some. Good Luck to all those who are waiting.
Whats your series number?…
EAC16143*****
Ohh great…..Mine is still in received status…
EAC16144*
Waiting!
My employer tells me all cases T/F status will be changed to RFE. Basically they want to buy time 🙁
Not necessarily…..you will have many approvals next week and weeks following…..
they actually have to make a case for RFE too, if an application has all the valid information and documents, then they can not RFE.
The RFE counts would be increased due to higher number of processes, but if you actually see the numbers, the increase is only because of the faster processing than before.
So in my opinion RFE would only come if you didn’t provide enough data, like the education is not dirrectly linked to the job description or relationship between consultancies’ vendor, client ( what ever the analogy in the service world is) hasn’t been provided etc.
After waiting so long, Again need to wait for long as i received RFE yesterday 🙁
case series EAC 1614754XXX
Me also . Received RFE yesterday .
i really dont understand why there are so many RFEs this year. This is unusual looking at the past records.
But anyways lets be positive and face it.
Even I received RFE yesterday.hope it gets approved after submitting the required documents
Saurabh when can we expect RFE mail from USCIS from attorney.Is there any ETA for this.
My receipt number EAC1614250***?
CASE TRANSFERRED ON 18TH MAY
RFE ON 30TH SEP
Any update for series WAC161475**** my case is still showing as recieved
Hi WaitingForApproval,
I am also waiting for the approval from WAC1614250*** serious from last 6 months. I hope we will get the updates by next couple of weeks in Oct.
Thanks
Finally_Approved… case EAC16148522**
Finally got approval today.. All the best to those who are in waiting… Feeling great.. now need to find the first available date at Mumbai consulate……hope will get soon
Was this premium processing?