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H1B 2016 – After Lottery – Premium, Regular Processing Receipts, Time

As I read the comments on our H1B Visa 2016 page, I can empathize what all emotions everyone are going through…some happy to be picked in lottery, some anxiously waiting for the result, some frustrated with the wait…some upset with the overall system and how it is abused… some swearing at others as they abused the system…when someone posts a comment telling that they have received the case number, the anxiousness or pressure among the ones waiting goes up by a big factor…Let me shed some light on the reality on the premium processing and regular processing times from a historical standpoint, so that all of you have a realistic expectations.

Let’s be realistic about results of H1B Lottery?  About 2 in 3 H1B petitions would be rejected !

I can imagine all the pain everyone has to go through, but let’s be realistic folks…Unfortunately, H1B is a lottery and only 85,000 petitions are selected from 233,000 petitions received for H1B 2016 quota.  Not being too picky on the precise probability…Just about 1 in every 3 H1B applications will be selected in the lottery process. It is very harsh on many who have spent thousands of dollars studying in US and on many who have been working at MNC companies waiting for years to get an opportunity to work in US, including many others like H4 holders who have found a job, sponsor and waiting to work…but unfortunately, it is the truth and reality…so, do not get disappointed with the results, it has nothing to do with your talent or hard work! It is pure gamble and luck…Not getting in H1B lottery is not the end of the world, stay positive…if you get it, great…if not, maybe there are better things that are coming for you in life ! Anyways, enough of the lecture 🙂 …

Keep the above truth in context and read below…

H1B 2016 Premium processing time – Case Receipts, Typical steps.

USCIS originally mentioned that the premium processing for FY 2016 applications will start no later than May 11th, later they issued a news alert that the H1B 2016 premium processing will start from April 27th.   Some of our readers are receiving the case receipts for the premium processing applications. You can check the status of selected petitions in our H1B Visa Case Tracker ….But, if you have not received your case receipt yet, you do NOT need to be in panic…You still have a week or so to get the premium processing receipts.

Usually for premium processing, the employer/ immigration attorney will get an email from USCIS informing about your H1B case with the receipt number. You can use that receipt number to track the status at USCIS site .  Ideally, all the receipts of selected H1B petitions should flow in on or before April 27th, or at least by 30th of April. Having said that, sometimes they may keep coming in the first few days of May too. What USCIS has promised is that the 15 calendar day premium processing SLA or Clock starts from April 27th. What it means is that the premium processing petitions have to be adjudicated by May 11th ( 15 calendar days from April 27th ). Also, one catch is that, if say your petition ends up in an RFE ( Request for evidence) while the adjudication of the petition, this will halt the premium processing clock for your petition and will restart after the RFE response is submitted by employer.

All in all, what I trying to articulate is that, just do not get nervous or more anxious when someone posts a comment that they have got the receipt and you have not. The lottery is done, if you were selected, you will get it…nothing will change that…stay positive!

H1B 2016 Regular Processing Time –Case Receipts, next steps

Typically, H1B petitions filed under regular processing do not have any mandatory SLA from USCIS, unlike in premium processing. They can take their own time based on their work load.  This is one of the most frustrating things many regular processing folks experience as they have to wait a lot of time… Anyways, if your regular processing petition was selected in lottery, your employer/ attorney would get the H1B case receipt notice in traditional postal mail from the USCIS. There will NOT be any email receipt notice. You as an employee needs to be in close touch with your employer/ attorney to know the status of your case.  If you were selected and your employer received the H1B receipt notice, the receipt notice will have the case number, which can be used on the USCIS website to check the status of your case.

As there is NO fixed SLA for the processing of the regular processing petitions, the receipts keep coming in sporadically from USCIS. Typically they would start to arrive from about 2 weeks from lottery date all the way till end of May or maybe even in early June for some cases. Again, this can be very frustrating to keep waiting on this receipts, but there is no choice.

Once you have the receipt number of your regular processing petition, you may upgrade it to  premium processing to get the adjudication done in 15 days…but, unfortunately, now you cannot upgrade the case now…you will have to wait for the receipt number to arrive in mail to take any further action like upgrade to premium processing…!

When you see a comment or status on our H1B tracker that regular processing petition case number received, do not panic and get worried about your case… You just need to wait for couple of months to conclude your luck…Over the years, I have seen the frustration of applicants and can empathize the pain that regular processing applicants go through…it is very tough ! All I can say is, stay calm and keep doing your day to day stuff, do NOT stress yourself.

Tracking your H1B Visa Application Case

We have created the H1B Visa Case Tracker with the goal that everyone can see the status of many people like you and have an approximation on timelines. Instead of adding status comments on blog, I request all of you to add your case and keep the status up to date on the H1B Visa Case Tracker as your case status changes…We will try to enhance, for more options..

Have you applied for H1B last year ? Any words of wisdom for new H1B filing candidates ?  Share your thoughts.

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Satheesh Kumar Ilu, commonly known as Kumar, is the founder of RedBus2US.com. He is an Immigration and Study Abroad expert. He holds an MS from the University of Houston–Clear Lake and an MBA from the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee. He studied, lived, and worked in the U.S. and Singapore for nearly two decades, and has traveled to over 25 countries.

   

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2,359 Comments

  1. Non AD/RP

    I have applied through a consultant. He said that the check was cleared a long ago but he did not receive any Receipt till date.
    What might be the reason. The consultant is located in US.

    Reply
    • Its been told over the USCIS status check portal thaf If you do not receive your receipt notice by May 13, 2015, please call Customer Service at 1-800-375-5283.But no idea what reference you will quote to them to get any information?.

      Reply
    • same is the case with me . cheque got enchashed on may 1st . regular / VT but still no update on the receipt number

      Reply
  2. Hi All,

    Case Was Approved

    On June 5, 2015, we approved your Form I-129, Petition for a Nonimmigrant Worker, Receipt Number EAC15146xxxxx. We will mail your approval notice. Please follow the instructions in the notice.

    All The Best

    God Is Great!!!!

    Best Regards

    Reply
    • Congrats!!
      What sort of Case was yours?
      AD/PP
      AD/RP
      NONAD/PP
      NONAD/RP
      AD-Advanced Degree
      NON-AD-Bachelors Degree
      PP-Premium Processing
      RP-Regular Processing
      Kindly reply.
      -Regards;
      Rajat

      Reply
        • Thanks for responding.
          Even mine is NONAD/RP-Vermont Center but no change in status ever since I got my receipt on 11th May 2015.

          Reply
          • Whomever discussing on the approvals, looks like you are making fun of others. There are many who doesn’t even have a clue if they r selected r not. But you people even after getting your lottery result and that too through a very big MNC, don’u u people just have a common sense that your case would be approved sooner or lateras you know yours is a genuine and at max it can go for an RFE and would get cleared with another month lag. So, get out of this site and leave the worried people alone.

            All, pls post if you receive any new receipts from any of your MNC’s.

        • Hi. Please give us details when you received notice that your application was selected in the lottery so we can estimate the processing period. Congrats by the way! God is so great!

          Reply
  3. Guys,

    I am worried… no update yet.. close to mid June now…. is game over? or we still can expect something positive… not getting any update from employer…

    anyone recently got update from ECOMNET? please mention date when received update.

    Reply
  4. Any one got packet returned from 1st June to till date? Also, any one has got confirmation their application is picked up in lottery since last one week i.e June 1st to till date? I heard there is 3 batch results is yet to know ( I read in this forum – I am not sure it is authenticated message).

    Reply
  5. Anybody got update regarding selection / rejection from AVERON Infotech???
    Anybody came to know whether the cheque has been enchased???

    Reply
  6. I got an email from my employer that my application got picked in the lotrery… its been 3 weeks now i have not received receipt number… Should I wait for it… its RP….
    please comment…

    Reply
  7. Is anyone have any update from CTS.Is there any chance to have lottery update now or we can consider it over for this year.

    Reply
    • we need to wait till june 2nd week. not sure for whether we get rejection email /selected . it hurts lot

      Reply
  8. Hi,
    Anyone applied through Ecomnets? I am yet to know my status..even today my Employer said they have no update. Anyone got update through this company?

    Reply
  9. ANYONE, PLEASE HELP ME WITH THE CAP EXEMPT H1B PROCESSING TIME. HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE IF THE EMPLOYER APPLY THIS WEEK?
    RP SPECIALLY.

    MANY THANKS

    Reply
    • Just spoke to Immigration team, they say, there is still time until Mid july. As that’s the time frame receipts were still coming in for FY15.

      So they are expecting even for FY16, receipts slowly but steadily to receive until Mid july. But i guess, the numbers will be very very low.

      Reply
  10. My application package is returned back. I am happy that the wait is over and look for something else. God is great!! i I expected this after May 1st week and it turned TRUE.

    Reply
  11. Hello Guys,

    Is there any way to cehck the time taken to process our application?
    Where can we check.
    My USCIS page still displays the same initial message since 1 month now.
    Can anyone tell me , what will be the next update against our case no. in the USCIS site?

    Njoy ur weekend!

    Reply
  12. My Application was picked in lottery, Can my employer still revoke or withdraw my application for any reasons? is there a chance ?

    Reply
  13. Employer gets the rejection information but they do not disclose as they have to return money.hence they take time.

    Reply
  14. guys i have got a valid question to ask… i made a Call to my employer he said he received few reciepts in which everything is a rejected ones and mine yet to come. so would like to know rejected one comes sooner r selected one comes sooner:)

    Reply
    • There is nothing like “rejected receipt”. Cheque Receipt came means petition selected in lottery & ofcourse the selected petition receipts would come first before the returned package of non-selected ones.

      Reply
      • my employer asked me to wait for a month. .. so there’s a chance for getting selected too right? ??

        Reply
        • Hope for the best! But the selection chances are less now. You might get your returned package in next 1 month incase not selected.

          Reply
          • how u saying chances r less now… so the selected ones should have got updates sooner wat?? i heard from many of my seniors that they got in august months and all. ..

          • Thia is what immigration girl replied to one of the guy:
            Hi IG, Did USCIS over picked applications in lottery, than the actual 65000?

            Yes, they do in order to account for those that are later withdrawn or revoked or denied.

      • If your employer gave you Lottery pick receipt than its has Service Center code EAC for vermont.If your employer mailed you the courier receipt while filing your petition,that receipt will have the center name to which it was sent and received.

        Reply
  15. Does anyone know what happens if your application is not selected in lottery? Will the employer get a “not selected” letter? Thanks in advance. Suresh

    Reply
  16. hello cts guys… did anyone in cts get receipt last friday or this week till now? is there any hope left for cts hyd

    Reply
    • hi tina, i also applied through clearlite inc. No news yet. Is swati your HR. She is telling no update as of now.

      Reply
  17. Can we call customer center given by USCIS for status results without reciept number.Will i get the status based on name and date of birth.

    Please reply!!

    Reply
  18. Me too still waiting for the lottery results? it is frustrating to wait……can any one help with information employer has not shared receipt number. Do I also still have chance?

    Reply
  19. Still waiting for the H1b lottery results.Employer says that need to wait till mid of june 2015 is this true?

    Do I still have any chance?

    Reply
      • Thanks Raju atleast I got reply on my question related to H1b.Now a days tired of asking my employer same question every week and getting an answer that anything can happen till June end.i have lost my hope.

        Reply
        • My employer said its over. That USCIS is not sending any more acceptances..that means the rest of us have not got thru the lottery. 🙁 they are waiting for the rejection letters.

          Reply
  20. Hi All,
    I am from NTTDATA. Finally heard from my Account manager that my application got picked in the lottery.
    God is great! Thanks for all your support.
    In My Account Total 14 applications filed, Till now 7 got picked.

    Reply
  21. Hi All,

    Now system updated with File No. – EAC 15 *** *****

    Seems got selected….

    God is gr8!!

    All the best to all!!!!!

    Reply
  22. Hi,
    My employer has filed for H1B via regular processing and says that they have not received the receipt number till 5/26/15. M I not selected for the H1B lottery? or do I still have chances?

    Reply
  23. I want to know if non-profit financial charity organization is exempt from cap if they want to hire me on H1B application.
    Should it be only through any institute or university?

    *Any CPT universities in Dallas?
    Response appreciated.

    Reply
  24. What’s the funda in hiding the receipt number? My employer confirmed that my case has been selected but informed me that they will not share the receipt number now and will be given only during stamping process. Any idea why they are trying to hide the receipt number now?

    Reply
      • Hi,
        I also Selected in Lottery and My employer also confirmed that my case has been selected but when I ask for file no. they told me that file no. is not given by USCIS..Can anybody tell me how long wait for file number..? or my employer hide this information from me.?

        Reply
  25. In IGATE almost 99% cases were rejected.. And strange thing is everyone received rejection email on same day. I.e. 13th May 2015.
    And content of an email is “This is to keep you informed that the USCIS has concluded the H-1B lottery and we have a final confirmation on the cases that were selected

    With regret, we would like to inform you that your case was not selected in the Random Selection process carried out by the USCIS this year.”

    Reply
    • And everyone believe s that case wasn’t filed at first place, but IGATE wanted their employees to be retained. So they played their cards.. Now attrition rate is at its high.

      Reply
    • Hey im also from ACN but still waiting, so when you came to know today itself? you got email from mobility team or someone informed you? is this second list?

      Reply
    • Hi there, I am also from ACN but did not received any updates from PMSD team. So did you got mail from PMSD today ?

      Reply
      • It looks most of us from our project have got selected in the lottery. we have got email from PMSD. A few were received email from PMSD their case is still waiting, they will get the updates in June.

        Reply
  26. I have heard from my employer that there will be no more list, who ever has been selected that list is out. But most Service based sw companies are keeping quite coz they believe there will be a mass exodus of ppl leaving the company coz they did not get selected for H1B.
    Carrots that Service based companies give to employees are
    1) Promotion
    2) Hike in next apprisal cycle
    3) US visa
    point 3 is done, point 1 and 2 are pending but looking at the current revenue figures God save the HR folks

    Reply

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