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.
Stupid Lottery system , giving the power to a computer to select t candidates . Am not gonna blame myself its the system that needs to be blamed.. Next year again triple more people will apply , again t same story continues…
Qualification , hardwork , honesty nothing matters ., judging people based on luck.
can we still hope for non AD/RP/ single app?
May be a week or less thats it… Probably we made a mistake of applying single petition 🙁 🙁
Yes i would agree ,as my employer asked me if i want to apply multiples apps through diff employers and said NO.
it’s okay I still have a serious Back up.
There is hope. I had applied in 2013, there was 124K total received. I got my EAC no. around May 2nd week. And I remember reading ppl saying they got in June 1st week.
This year its almost twice the number. There is hope till end of May, even mid June I would say.
called school yesterday and they said there is no change on sevis status.
that’s why i am loosing hope!! 🙁
Non AD/RP/VSC …. checks not cashed yet…Non IT company, one application….still no hope…3rd time try !!!
we both in same boat mate…
Any AD/RP/CSC still waiting to hear back? I aint sure if I’m the only one here. Never been this stressed my entire life
+1 I think we should not lose hope till next week.
+1. AD/RP/VSC I am not sure if there is any point in waiting now..Most of the people around me have heard from the attorney
I feel it is fair enough to wait till the end of next week. I know for a fact that both VSC/CSC are looking to complete data entry ASAP. So if they are still entering data, we still have a chance
How did you know they’re still entering data?
Still waiting for attorney to receive the receipt. Stupid attorney is based in Canada. Not sure, if that’s the reason it might take longer. Anyone else here from PwC waiting?
What is PwC? Forgive my ignorance
PriwaterhouseCoopers
Few PwC NYC AD/RP folks got receipts yesterday. Good luck!
I’m from PWC NYC NOn-Ad/RP – nothing yet
I was thinking about Toronto as the reason of delay too
I submitted my H1B petition under AD/ RP/ Service center unknown. I’ve been seeing my peers get their receipt notices who filed under the same quota from the same company. Is there any hope for me or is it no user waiting any longer? I’m going through myriad of emotions and deeply frustrated with all this.
hi nikhila, same here too just dont loose hope we have other one week more…
Any news from NYC guys? It seems that USCIS forgot the big apple.
Nothing from NYC yet……..
Non AD/pp I’m also from nyc. but never got anything. is it same for all nyc guys?
I don’t know, but it seems all people from NYC here didn’t get their notice yet. I’m in the same boat. Non AD/PP
My lawyer is from New York City and told me he has received 2 receipts from Vermont.
Didnt clarify if was RP/PP or nonAD/ AD.
Is there anybody here not in IT/not from India/not with a large company? I feel like the cheese standing alone waiting.
I’m here. I feel lost
non ad/rp/ca for a job in statistic, have an Msc from Europe and based in Europe… no news so far..darn
Here I am…Mechanical/Regular/H4 to H1B/Vermont/small medical device consulting company/single application…I feel lost too…40 years old…
_o/ NonAD/RP/VSC with Fragomen… still nothing, doing a COS.
non-AD/PP/CA
It’s good to know I’m not alone. Coming from the Caribbean, company is a small CA company, in an urban planning specialty, have US and UK degrees but had to apply non-AD since my AD is from the UK. The lawyer has said not to give up yet but…
Non-AD/RP/Ca
Accountant for a not-so-big company.
Lawyer received the notification Last 28th. Hurray!
Hi Guys,
Any one from California center with RP/NON AD got their receipts?
Got our receipt last 28th. Non AD/RP/Non-IT from CA
Any Updates for NON AD /RP /CSC for infy
any body from Wipro received updates?
When I check my status @ USCIS I get message as below –
“On April 13, 2015, we received your Form I-129, Petition for a Nonimmigrant Worker, Receipt Number EAC15143XXXXX, and sent you the receipt notice that describes how we will process your case. Please follow the instructions in the notice. If you do not receive your receipt notice by May 13, 2015, please call Customer Service at 1-800-375-5283. ”
Do we get to see actual receipts or employer will never share those with us, any idea?
Best luck to all dear ones.
(I know the pain of waiting since got thru the lottery in 3rd attempt this year)
I didnt recieved any update from my employer till now my one is regular processing from india,till how many days can keep hopes for the check encash by USCIS
What are the Chances for regular processing processed single petition from India,till how many days we can keep hopes there was no single update from my employer
Hi,
I am not getting any information anywhere for NAD/PP. Is it all over for Premium Processing or are there any chances still? I am not even finding any of NAD/PP guys picked in the lottery.
I’m in the same boat pal. It’s weird.
Got selected in lottery……received phone call from my Attorney. Still waiting for my receipt number.
congrats !! U mean ur cheque got cashed ??? Can u specify t exact date
Yes cheque got en cashed and received receipt now as well.
WAC-14-145-XXXX
Recieved date:13 Apr 2015
Notification Date:27 Apr 2015
“At this time USCIS cannot provide you with information for your case. Please contact the NCSC 1 (800) 375-5283 for additional information”.
I’m getting above message while checking my case status. What does it mean ?
any one heard from employers, RP?
In 3rd attempt, my H1B petition picked up in lottery.
In last 2 years, I didn’t get selected in lottery.
Just cheque encashed. Didn’t get Receipt number.
Filed under RQ / RP.
Congratulations. Would be helpful if you have further information like the dates on the notices for other people anxiously waiting.
Congrats dude . CAL or VT ?
congrats !!! Dude plzzz specify ur cheque encash date
Still i have not got any receipt and information from my employer. for H1B is there any hope to wait upto may 1st week or else can i confirmed that am not picked in lottery please do suggest. However i Congrat to all who has been picked up in lottery. remaining to all i wish you a good luck to get it!….
RP or PP?
I dont know in which employer has filled. RP/PP but when i asked he said he will update in may
Then it would be RP most probably.
Will it come true? RP/NonAd
I know you have no idea but still asking out of frustration, by when should I be positive?
May 15
Will uscis run lottery again for unappoved/rejected/withdrawn h1 applications which are selected in the lottery ?
Non-AD/RP–not yet received any update from consultant.Till when should we wait?
One week after the USCIS announces that they have finished data entry.
Which should be early next week. Last year it was May 2nd.
Thanks for info :)…fingers crossed..Eagerly Waiting for the mail.
Omg !!! God plzz help !! I haven’t received anything yet… 2nd attempt.
Just received the receipt number from my Employer …
right this instant?
haven’t seen much nonAD/RP/CSC
still waiting for updates myself, 2nd timer, depending on this opportunity
Check cashed on Monday, AD\RP\Vermont. Waiting for receipt number. Good luck!!
After this process I have very little respect for the H1B system and foreign IT workers.
I take it back. Just angry. Nothing personal.
I have no respect at all. They don’t deserve my respect. Filthy animals.
Talking about those who abused the system with multiple applications by the way.
I think all selected petitions get case numbers by this Friday 1st May. And it may be announced officially on May 5th.
Good luck to all including myself ! God bless all of us.
Is ur check cashed?
Not yet, pray for me.
Good luck bro.
Godisgreat when does USCIS cash the check any idea? I mean since lottery has been done long back they should have cashed the check. Very little hope now.
cash get checked once case number is assigned to the petition. Each service center may assign around 4000 cases each day. So they may complete all case number assignments by this week.
Cal Non AD/RP check not cashed yet. Safe to assume i wasnt selected?
When will be the last date for Premium process people to know the results?
what result? lottery or petition approval?
Is my application is picked up in lottery or not?
When will the last date to know the lottery results for premium processing people?
unofficially its all done for PP people as they have started processing applications from 27th Apr.
There is very less chance you get picked.
Please keep faith in god.
Anybody still waiting to hear from AD/RP/CA ?
+1
+1
AD/RP/CA should come faster than NAD/RP/CA
You can wait another week
will USCIS inform the PP petitions by May 11th if the case was not picked or should we wait till the petitions are returned by snail mail ? i haven’t received anything from the lawyers so i want to plan ahead .
In my case last year it was through snail mail(PP). PP is faster only when you are picked up in the lottery which is bad.. but probably this is due to small # of waitlisted petitions they keep in case of rejection, just a guess.
Hi All
AD/RP/ Cal – cleared the lottery, got to know from employer today.
This website really helped me keeping up to date with the process and results. I never posted before, but some of the posts really helped me in staying hopeful. All the best to everyone.
Thanks
Hi DPal,
Have you got ack from USCIS or your check got encashed ?
Hi Raj
My employer told me that my case has been selected in lottery. Have not received any other details yet.
Dpal
I have applied through consultancy for Non-AD/RP/VT. Not heard anything from attorney or my employer. Fingers crossed, really tensed. Sleepless nights!!!!
My H1B has been approved today for AD PP VT.
Decision has been emailed to my employer.
Best of luck to all of you 🙂
wat was ur date on the receipt & what was the date for received status on website?
Receipt date was 14 April on receipt.
On USCIS it said 20th April.
Today it got approved.
Thank you. few more days for me i think….
Did your DSO confirm any?
[AD/RP/filed from eastcoast, don’t know exact location]
I checked with my school DSO that my Cap gap has been extended to 9/30/2015. I didn’t ask about receipt number or check cahsed. But as of today, my lawyer didn’t receive any notices from the USCIS. I know the fact that Non-AD/RP has been receiving receipts last couple of days. Does this situation mean that I have to wait more? Or Did my DSO made a mistake? I just want to stick on to my last hope. Any comments will be helpful. Thanks in advance.
hopefully you should receive the mail in 1 or 2 days
If cap gap has been extended and you information updated this month, you’re golden. You were selected in the lottery.
It takes a week for the mail to get to the destination and checks to show up in the account.
Mine is approved today but my DSO said sevis is not updated yet.
How many of us are still waiting to hear for AD, RP, California applications?
What’s the status? Should I give up hope yet?
I’m waiting. Checks not cashed.
ImmigrationGirl says AD lottery is 70% rate. We must be in the unlucky 30% not to get selected.
Many are still waiting. None of us have heard anything
I believe they will be done with data entry this week. They will probably announce it early next week that the data entry is done.
There is hope for one more week I suppose but that’s it.
If it’s this late in the game, most selected have already been entered.
It would be prudent to prepare for rejection from the lottery.
I’m AD/RP/CSC(CA) and waiting..
Got lucky Yesterday! AD/RP/CA..
congrats sister,.
Please pray for me too..
Did anyone had ‘GIT-Immigration Specialist to assign LCA’ updated as completed with date after 4/15/15? I had it updated with the date 4/21/15. Just curious to know
Yes. For me it was “GIT-Immigration Specialist to assign LCA Completed Apr 24 2015”
Did you have any I129 – filing pdf loaded today?
Yes thats right.
sure!!!
It is independent of lottery.
Please post in here if you receive any updates
Do not lose hope guys..!!! receipts are still being generated EAC1514854104 from vermont. as of now almost 4104 have been generated.. they contain other applications too but most of them are H1 B so hope for the good..!!
i dint check calif though it should be starting from wac1514850001 and so on
I randomly entered numbers and it went from EAC1514854104 to EAC1514854350 when i tried EAC1514854375 it dint work.
What does this mean??? Does USCIS go only in this order for H1 receipt numbers
@All is well.
Your method doesn’t make any sense in determining number of receipt generated
How come I don’t see any news from NYC?
I’m in NYC Non AD/PP, I haven’t heard a word around here. No idea what’s happening.
i’m working in Nj but haven’t heard a word either
NAD/RP
is god is really great? Loosing hopes….
Praise the Devil…
Devil live long
being part os such system , we are big devils
Hence the statement – “Devil live long”
True bro.
Non-Premium, Regular Cap, California (probably).
I did it!
Message received yesterday.
Checks still not cashed as of today and no SEVIS status change (according to DSO). Do I still have hope as it is already April 29? (Filed bachelor/Regular with Vermont)
if checks not cashed. you were not selected probably.
all selected candidates checks were cashed already.
only sending notices is pending..
hope this information helpful
@Krish : “all selected candidates checks were cashed already.”
Is that for sure? Because I haven’t had my check cashed yet.
Non AD / RP
Still waiting for my receipt, Non-Ad/RP/Vermont.
All the cases received on USCIS site says “On April 13, 2015, we received your Form I-129……….If you do not receive your receipt notice by May 13, 2015, please call Customer Service at 1-800-375-5283.”
This makes me think that they will be done sending all the receipts by around 8th may, only then people will get it by 13th May.
Just a thought
U may be right.. am planning to wait till may 15th.. thats it
It’s so ironic, for RP they send the reciepts by mail and only after you recieve the receipt is that you can check your case status online and they tell you to contact USCIS toll free number if you do not receive it by May13th.
The only way to read this on USCIS website is if you get an Reciept
thanks friend i got selected all the help appreciated
Just got selected?
Under AD/PP/VT, why my PP fee check was cashed two weeks ago but I still didn’t receive the receipt? Does anybody have any clues here I am selected or not?? Appreciate!
As long as ur check has been cashed, your case was selected 100% for sure. Be patient with your receipt, you will receive it soon. Congratulation
Thanks for the comforting! but it’s been two weeks already… and people saying that 17th was the deadline for PP
Don’t worry. Contact your attorney or employer, they are the one that should receive ur receipt. Otherwise, maybe USCIS lost it and I don’t know how to deal with this situation. Anyway, your case must have been picked in the lottery, don’t be too worry
Mine is a regular h1b case from california centre. Please let me know by when will I be able to know if mine is picked up in the lottery or not…..?
Leena, if you applied through your employer then ask to employer.
Else waiting game…
Checked with employer. … They haven’t received any information so far. Till when should we wait?
They notify the people who got selected in the lottery first. The rejected ones are sent at the middle/end of May and will reach early June to late June.
USCIS will usually announce if the data entry is done or not around the time of next week. You have hope for one more week for the letter to arrive.
I would say the first or second week of May is when you give up.
Hate this stupid lottery system. All other lottery will know the result all at the same time. but not this one. sucks…
non-AD/RP just dont knw wat to say… feeling like everything around me is crumbling. very afraid. please god pick me…
any hope left for us?? see lot of ppl getting theirs and no email from my lawyer or attorney… expecting them soon…
I haven’t heard back from my lawyers . so i’m considering my case wasn’t picked. So will they inform the unlucky ones on May 11th or if the sevis status hasn’t changed by then, is it time to move on ?
Me neither… but my check for PP got cashed two weeks ago, and then nothing happened! I think I will move on… under AD/PP/VT
call your school and check your sevis status . if the check is cashed then most probably your case was picked in lottery there might be delay in sending receipt don’t worry u got it.
Thank you! But really it’s been two weeks but still no receipt… I feel anxious
Hi All, Anyone cleared lottery for Non-AD/RP/CSC? Please share….. Also, please do write in case anybody is still waiting…. for the above category. Thanks!
I think they should release all the results on same day right after lottery.So people don’t have to wait so long.I lost motivation at work.
I see people are going mental because of this lottery.Sorry for everyone who is tortured by this lottery.Being selected doesn’t mean approved so some of them will go into depression later on when they get rejected.
Hope things will work out for people who deserve it.
i am not selected in lottery. Bye bye USA.
…
How do you conclude that?
I totally agree man. When I applied, I was like fuc* that sh*it. If I got picked nice, if don’t nice. But this lottery is driving me crazy. Even though I wasn’t picked, I can’t say FOR SURE that I’m out. It’s horrible to wait until June to get the package back.
If my case has been picked, how long usually does it take to be appoved? Adv/RP/VT?
Uscis says they take 4-6 months to verify.. Are they kidding me?