H1B 2014 Cap reached on April 5th, 2013. Read : 124,000 H1B Visas Filed. Lottery Process
For this year FY 2015 H1B Info read : H1B Visa 2015 – FAQs
Page Updated : January 18th , 2014
As USCIS is all set to accept H1B Visa petitions for the fiscal year 2014, many of you have questions on various aspects of filing H1B Visa 2014 like fee involved, lottery chances, H1B sponsors, Change of status, start date, end date of accepting H1B Visas, etc. This page will track all the H1B Visa 2014 News updates, Cap count information, FAQs, etc. Bookmark this page ! We have divided the page to various sub sections for your convenience.
FYI. Last year quota,which is H1B visa 2013 cap reached on June 11th, 2012.
H1B Visa 2014 News Updates
- USCIS Update : 124,000 Petitions Received. Lottery Process followed. News Summary
- H1B Visa 2014 Quota Cap reached on April 5th, USCIS official Update
- USCIS First Cap count update FY 2014 – April 8th or 5th ?
- Will there be Lottery for H1B Visa FY 2014 ? USCIS Data Analysis, Prediction
- USCIS Press Release : Petitions accepted from April 1st. Lottery ?
FAQs – All you need to Know !
Over the years, we have observed that prospective H1B visa seekers are always looking for certain pieces of information. We have grouped such information and created FAQs as listed below :
When will H1B Visa filing season start for Fiscal year(FY) 2014 ?
H1B visa filing season for fiscal year 2014 starts from April 1st, 2013. USCIS did a press release confirming the same.
How to find H1B Visa 2014 Sponsors ? Various Ways to find H1B Sponsoring companies
Finding right H1B Sponsor can be a very daunting task. There are few options to find sponsors like checking the H1B Sponsors Database and randomly contacting employers, working with IT outsourcing companies, looking at options in American Universities, Networking with friends. Each of these options are explained in this article :
How to find H1B Visa 2014 Sponsors ? Avoid Fraud
Why do we call H1B Visa 2014, when the petitions are filed in 2013 ?
USCIS operates on a fiscal year basis instead of calendar year ( Jan 1 to Dec 31st). Its fiscal year starts from October 1st and ends on September 30th. On that lines, USCIS’s fiscal year for 2014 starts from October 1st, 2013 and lasts until September 30th, 2014. So, though we file H1B petitions in April of 2013, they are counted towards H1B visa fiscal year 2014 and everyone calls it in short form as H1B visa 2014.
What is H1B visa 2014 Cap count for Regular quota and Masters Quota ?
If you are not aware of H1B cap count, it is the congressionally mandated numeric limits for H1B petitions based on category. Regular quota is for anyone who meets H1B visa requirements and Masters quota is specifically for students who have a Masters degree from US University. Typically, below are the numeric limits… ( we had these H1B cap limits set in 2004, if any changes by USCIS, we will update this page)
- Regular Quota Cap – 65,000
- Masters Degree Quota Cap – 20,000
Also, typically USCIS sets aside 6,800 visas for Singapore and Chile Free Trade agreement filings, which is H1B1 Program. Also, read article All about H1B Caps – Basics Calculations, Lottery
H1B Visa 2014 filing deadline – What is the last date ?
Well, there is no set deadline as such by USCIS. They start to accept petitions from April 1st, 2013 and will continue to accept H1B petitions until the H1B cap (85,000) is reached. It can vary based on the H1B visa demand.
- For H1B Visa 2012, the cap was complete on November 22nd,2011
- For H1B visa 2011, the cap reached on January 26th , 2011
Will there be Lottery for H1B Visa 2014 ?
This is most commonly speculated question by many H1B seekers. Due to very high demand and hype for H1B workers, we had lottery in some of the previous years. But we do not know, we just have to speculate based on past data and economic conditions. As done in previous years, here is our analysis:
Check out H1B Visa 2014 Lottery prediction- USCIS Data Analysis
. You can also check out last year’s: H1B Visa 2013 lottery prediction
What will be H1B visa 2014 filing fee ? Any changes ?
There has not been any changes to the filing fee for the fiscal year 2014. Check out the article : H1B visa 2014 filing fee – Who Pays for what ?. In general, it can range from $1,575 to $4,325 based on the number of employees ( this does not does not include attorney fee and premium processing fee).
International Students – Can we do Change of Status ( COS) from F1 Visa to H1B visa for FY 2014 ?
Yes, international students pursing their Bachelors, Masters or PhD programs from US Universities, who may be working on OPT, can file a H1B Visa petition to USCIS with Change of Status(COS) option. The advantage of COS from F1 visa to H1B visa is that you can continue to work after OPT expiration starting from October 1st, 2013 without leaving the country. You have to do the COS before your OPT expires to maintain legal status in America.
How soon Can I start working, if I file for H1B visa 2014 fiscal year ?
One can start working from October 1st, 2013 , if you have an approved H1B petition. You may need to get H1B visa stamping done, if you file your petition from overseas and wish to come to America on H1B visa.. Unlike, if you are filing for a COS by staying in US, you can start to work without leaving US for H1B visa stamping.
What is current H1B visa 2014 cap count ?
The H1B season for FY 2014 will begin on April 1st, 2013. We will keep track of the USCIS cap count updates with analysis.
All H1B Cap counts will be tracked at : H1B visa 2014 Cap Count Tracker .
In the mean time, you can check out our FY 2013’s : H1B visa 2013 Cap count Tracker
Would you like to be informed about H1B visa 2014 ?
Hi,
My reciept number starts with WAC1313851**** .
It is in Initial review for past 1 month. Any 1 else with same series waiting for the approval?
plz update if yes..
Mine is WAC1313850***, still in IR.
They have started processing 138th day now.
thnx for reply..
any idea on how many days approx might it take to process urs n mine from IR
Most probably by the end of this month so we don’t need to check it again and again..
Team at California center has processed around 21k cases out of 55k.
Hi Vic,
How do you know that series 138 has started. I am also in 138 would really like to see some activity there. 🙂
Hope we don’t have to wait for another month.
Thanks.
hey vic,
Just curious , where did u get diz update from? any specific site.. if yes kindly send the same. 🙂
Hi Zzzzzzz, I can understand the reason of this name.. 🙂
I have checked randomly and they have picked this case WAC1313850699 and approved on 25 of June.
Hi H1b Guy,
They have been updating it on official website and below is the link with detail of I-129 processed at national and California center. WAC almost process 60% of the total cases.
http://dashboard.uscis.gov/index.cfm?formtype=13&office=2&charttype=2
Hi Vic,
You got it right!!
I assume the info is as of Arp-13 so there could be more changes. Anyway, I tried to look up for other 138 series and and can’t find and action. the one which you give could be a one off.
lets see when this series gets some attention. hoping for best and prepared for the worst!!
thanks
Hi Zzzzzz,
Yes, they have started i have seen couple of case..
Hi H1B Guy,
The have been updating on web offical site and below is the link.
http://dashboard.uscis.gov/index.cfm?formtype=13&office=2&charttype=2
Hi guys ,
any 1 here whose h1b visa has been applied by ExperisIT North America ?
kindly reply if u r ..
I have only seen Approvals and RFEs and no Denials. Iam afraid all in Intial Review are Denials.. 🙁
think positive bacche..Go and have drink
I am also waiting and mine also WAC13138 ***** series only. I hope, USCIS may process end of July’13 or starting of Aug’13.
yes mine is EAC13138***** still Initial Review.
Hi Saurabh,
My case got approved on June 4th. RQ/RP – WAC13135515XX
I contacted my employer yesretday to check did he got my approval documents, But he ahs not received them yet.
So my question is, instead of asking him to contact USCIS, can i call the customer service to track the documents?
Please let me know, so that i will act accordingly.
Hi,
You told, u got approval on 4th June, please tell me ur cheque encashed date by uscis, and how do u know ur cheque was encashed, your employer informed you or you personally track ur status.
In my case, I didn’t get approve notices or reject packet. how can I track my packet.
Hi Saurabh,
Quite a long time,i m getting this message,say about 2 weeks by now when i check the status.Infact i called them up to know the info,but they are not ready to disclose any info.
The message is ;
At this time USCIS cannot provide you with information for your case. Please contact the NCSC 1 (800) 375-5283 for additional information.
Kindly help me out in getting the right info asap.
Regards,
Anu
Anu,
Did you ask your attorney to call USCIS and follow-up on the case? Only they can provide more clarification.
Hello Saurabh,
Generally we get this message : At this time USCIS cannot provide you with information for your case. Please contact the NCSC 1 (800) 375-5283 for additional information.
is a sign of getting RFE soon? Although I am not sure about it. But somebody posted that most probably this will be RFE. As I am also in the same status from past week and same message has been displayed when I serach my petition number. Please guide if you have any knowledge in this regard. Thanks.
H1B Seeker !!,
It can be either RFE or approval. Wait for sometime and if it doesn’t change, then ask your employer/attorney to follow-up w/ USCIS.
Hi all,
Guys any one interested in websphere Maximo
Or tivoli , Datapower , wps .. Please email me
Varun621 at gmail dot com
If you don’t have any knowledge we will train you.
Hi Saurabh,
My H1B petition got picked up in the lottery, then I received an RFE and eventually the petition got denied due to the lack of client letter. I have applied for COS from F1 to H1B. I am currently on 40 hr CPT and can continue to work. My question is, is there a way to transfer this denied petition to another company? To do this successfully, I am planning to change the project, where I can get a client letter and then apply for the transfer, so that at least the transfer of the denied petition would be successful, what do you suggest??
Thanks,
SV,
IMO, as you don’t have any approved petition, another company cannot file a cap-exempt petition for you. However, there was another member who posted some comments by an attorney who said that it can still be filed. Their opinion was that once the person makes through the lottery, they are eligible for cap-exempt even if the petition gets denied. That case is still pending, so I don’t know what was USCIS’ take on it.
So my suggestion will be talk to an attorney and get their opinion on it. Also, let your DSO know about the H-1 progress so that your SEVIS remains active until the correct time.
Hi Saurabh,
Thanks for the reply, my employer wants to file for an MTR, hopefully with the client letter and some other additional evidence, could you please tell me what are the processing times for the MTR/appeals and also what are the chances of my petition getting approved,w hen the requested evidence is submitted??
SV
Hi Saurabh,
Please help my query.
I work for Employer A. B is my Vendor and C is my Client. I am contractor for Client C thru the vendor B. I worked 9 months as contractor to client C and Client C offered me Full time and I accepted. Client C transferred my H1B and its approved and my joining date is next week.
Client C informed about my full time to Vendor B and they accepted it.
When i gave 2 weeks notice to Employer A, he mentioned the below statement stating i have signed the aggrement.
6.01. During the term of this Agreement, the Employee shall not, directly or indirectly, either as an employee, employer, consultant, agent, principal, partner, stockholder, corporate4 office, director, or in any other individual or representative capacity, engage or participate in or solicit, recruit, or hire any employees for any business that is an active client of or in competition in any manner whatever with the business of the Employer. Furthermore, for a period of 6 months after on the termination of this Agreement for any reason, the Employee shall not, directly or indirectly, either as an employee, employer, consultant, agent, principal, partner, stockholder, corporate officer, director, or in any other individual or representative capacity, engage or participate in or solicit, recruit, or hire any employees for any business that is an active client of or in competition in any manner whatever with the business of the Employer.
He says my agreement with Employee A is till Mar 2016
1) Can Employer A go legally and file a case against me or against Client C?
2) If he goes legally and file a case, how much i should end up paying
3) section 6.02 – Liquidated Damages says – I need to pay him my 2 weeks salary – does it applies to the above scenario?
Also, when my employer A applied my H1b he applied as an inhouse project. But i was working with Client C from the very first day of my H1b approval( which is around 9months). Employer A didn’t do the amendment saying that i am working with Client C. As per USCIS, i am still doing the In House project at Employer A. Does this help me anyways?
H1B_PP_DD,
1. Yes, they can file a case against you
2. I don’t know. You should contact a labor attorney as soon as possible
3. Again, I am not sure.
You need to talk to C ASAP and talk to a labor attorney as well.
Hi Saurabh,
From what i have observed for more than 2 months on this website, I see that the approvals are being made in a random order. Could you please tell me if this is correct?
Also, please let me know when I could expect my approval.
Receipt Date : 25th April.
Receipt Number : EAC13145*****
Thanks in advance.
Regards,
Abhilash Rao.
Abhilash,
Processing can take 2-6 months. Mostly it happens in serial order but some petitions may be approved off-order as well.
Hi Saurabh,
I have few questions in my mind. Please care to answer
1. If VO denied VISA during H1 Interview, can we attend interview again? If so, do we need to wait for any days to schedule and attend interview again?
2. I am from Hyd, Do I need to attend interview only in Hyd or can I go for Chennai also? (I heard that Chennai Consulate has more approval chances)
Hi guys,
I submitted my H1B under pp. I got RFE in April and responded on June 20th.
I just checked my case status, and it shows that my 15 pp clock stopped again on June 28th.
What could this be? Second RFE or Approval??? Thanks!
Status hasn’t changed since last Saturday… This whole process is so annoying.
Has anyone has this situation before? Please help!!! Thank you!
Possibly they are asking for more evidence. Denial or Approval would have changed the status to decision/post decision?
Time is the only answer. Try to be calm and be indifferent to this outcome. we know its hard, but there isnt much we could do.
Also please let us know about the outcome.
Hi Saurabh/all,
My H1b got approved. It will start from Oct 1st. My Masters OPT is valid until July 2014 and I have a valid VISA until September 2014. I am thinking to go to Canada next month for H1b stamping. Can I re-enter to USA in case it is denied or gone for admin processing?
Thank you advance.
Raj
Raj,
Any specific reason for getting H-1 visa stamped? If the H-1 was approved w/ COS, then stamping is not required in your case to begin H-1 employment.
Saurabh,
Thanks for the reply. I am going out of the country (Europe) in October for around 2 weeks and unfortunately, I can not go to my country. I am hoping to get stamped prior that date and if I can not re-enter after denial due to admin processing I will not take that risk.
Thanks again!!!
Raj
Saurabh,
Thanks for the reply. I am going out of the country (Europe) in October for around 2 weeks and unfortunately, I can not go to my country. I am hoping to get stamped prior that date and if I can not re-enter after denial or due to admin processing I will not take that risk.
Thanks again!!!
Raj
Raj,
As you have done Masters in US, you can appear for stamping in CA or MX. However, there is always a chance of running into issues/delays. Talk to your attorney about the chances of succes in your case. You can return on F-1 visa if the same is still valid and has not expired.
Hello Everyone!
I am a silent viewer of this excellent forum and I just wanted to update that my visa has gone to RFE state 🙁 but no issues I guess they might be looking for some silly docs which my company will definitely arrange (hopefully finger crossed). I just wanted to share part of
my receipt # WAC1313753*** and on june26 i got this status change from initial review.
Hope this info helps for those who r waiting to go beyond Initial Review , best luck.
AJ,
I got RFE for 10 documents. Dnt know my company will even provide all those 10 docs . I’m worried.
Copy of Employment Agreement
Copy of Employment Offer Letter
Copy of Valid contract, Statement of Work, Work Orders, Service Agreement
Copy of Documentations that describes the skills
Copy My Company’s Federal Income Tax Return
Copy of Company Brochure, Pamphlet, Internet Website
Evidence of Sufficient Production Space and Equipment to support the candidate’s speciality occupation work
Copy of Critical Review of the Software
Copy of Marketing Analysis of the Final Software Product
Copy of Cost Analysis of the Software Product
what if my company dnt even bother to give all these document for my case ???? 🙁 🙁
RFE_MMM,
If they don’t provide the documents, then the petition will be denied.
Hi Saurabh,
is there any time limit ?? My attorney told me that she will give me an update within 2 wks.
Receipt Notice : April 18,2013
RFE Notice : June 18,2013
Mine is WAC-131365XXXX.
RFE_MMM,
RFE carries a date by which response should be made. You can get that date from your attorney/employer.
RFE needs to replied within 90 days.
My H1b got approved on jun 28, 2013
Receipt number EAC13143XXXXX
RECEIPT DATE 23, April
It is a regular processing.
How do you know ur receipt date? its ur cheque encashed date?
Hi Saurabh,
Please update!
Am still not getting my visa accept receipt notices or rejection notices, my cheque also not encashed, so what is my situation, Is there any hope?
My employer filed for 9 candidates out of which 5 were selected in the lottery , and 3 got their packets back . My situation neither of this case. What is the hope?
Same here, no updates yet – and my employer suggested that it is 99.99% rejected.
Ok, How do u know, did they really applied for you? & any acknowledgement you received from your employer. do you have any updates, please let me know
H1B Status,
Your employer can follow-up w/ USCIS about the case, but at this point chances of getting through the lottery are bleak.
Thanks for your update Saurabh,
I have a doubt, did my employer really applied for me? how should I know whether my employer applied for me or not? Is there any way to find?
Its really helpful for those who are waiting in my situation.
H1B status,
There is no way to be 100% sure unless you receive a rejection letter for not making through the lottery. You can ask them for a copy of I-129 and then see if it looks acceptable (they may still have prepared it but not filed it).
Did you pay anything for this H-1?
YES Saurabh, I paid 3k, but my employer told, if we will receive ur rejection packet, surely we will send ur money back, let see till 15th july.
Am really worried about my unknown situation,
Please guide me.
H1B status,
There is not much you can do except to wait. BTW, is it possible that your employer has received the package back, but hasn’t informed you as he will have to return the money?
EAC1313952XXX, Still in Initial review. When WILL IT CHANGE ??
Am still not getting my visa accept receipt notices or rejection notices, my cheque also not cashed, so what is my situation, Is there any hope?
Waiting4approval
Waiting paitiently for 2 months ever since received my receipt EAC131425****. Any one from 142 series received approval or RFE?
Hi all,
I got approval today.
Receipt Number : WAC13136XXXXX
Petition Received : April 8th 2013
Notice Date : April 23 2013
Approval Date : 27th June 2013
Please be patient everyone will get approval soon. Dont loose hope!!
Congrats to all those who got approval..
Thanks to this wonderful forum.
Thx….
Hello everyone….
I have a question regarding to H1b clock reset.
I worked in US in L1b visa for almost 2 years and I left US in Dec 2012. This year, my H1b passed the lottery and I do not have the plan to go to US before Mar 2014.
I heard that if one stay out of US more than 1 year, his H1b clock will be reset. But someone says, one needs to stay out of US for 1 year, after that he can apply for fresh H1b, then the clock will be reset.
Please advise on this. Thanks.
Immigration Bill inching ahead. Hopes are bright for persons rejected from lottery, wait & watch:
http://edition.cnn.com/2013/06/27/politics/immigration/index.html?hpt=hp_t3
Hi Saurabh,
Hope you are doing good.
I was on L1B visa and also applied H1B visa this year with COS.
In May beginging i went to INDIA without my visa approval and came back to USA making my COS invalid.Now my visa is approved and cos is rejected.Here are my question below:-
1. I can again apply for COS from L1B to H1B being in USA and start working in USA.No need to go out for stamping
2. Since i am having approved petiton from a company can i get it transfered to a third company and he can apply COS from L1B to H1B.
Above both i can do while being in USA and before 1st october anytime??
Thanks in Advance
Aks_123,
1. Yes
2. Yes
After a long wait my petition got approved.
WAC13136XXXXX
There is no ordered processing of petition. So patience is virtue.
When is ur petition approved
Hi..
any news for the series EAC13137XXXXX series / RQ /RP ?
has anyone got approved from this series recently ?
Any valid updates are welcome
Mine is in initial review since 8th April 🙁
Many thanks!
Mine is Reciept #: WAC13144****
Recieved Date: 8th April 2013
Notice Date: 26th Jun 2013
Harish posted and got the approval for EAC13143*** series two days ago but I guess WAC series are not in sync with EAC series otherwise WAC13144**** should have heard by now?
Oops– Notice date was April 26, 2013 not June 26 🙂
Dear Saurab,
Currently I am outside USA with employer A. Another employer B from USA had applied for H1B for me this year. We have not got any response from USCIS yet; Selected or not in the lottery, Check not encashed, Package not returned yet. Practically, we are waiting to receive the package returned from USCIS.
Meanwhile, this forum really helped me to find an alternate opportunity- Cap Exempt. I had my H1B petition approved in 2008 by the employer A; I stayed in USA for 2 years. When checked with employer B, they said they can process under cap exempt but they are waiting to receive the returned package to start this process.
My questions are, do we really wait at this point? Instead can start processing under cap exempt now itself? What is the fee amount to process under cap exempt? How long will it take to complete the entire processing? Also, say what would be the case if both the new petition and the cap exempt are approved? Can we use the new petition in future?
Please advice in this regard. Much appreciate your informative responses.
H1B Cap Exempt,
They can start the new processing while waiting for current petition (which will most likely be returned). The cost will be similar to their new petition cost and the processing will take 2-4 months under regular processing. Maybe they want to wait for current case in order not to spend extra money on the attorney.
If both are approved, I will suggest using the new petition. This way your clock will be reset and you will be eligible for 6 years of H-1. If you use the cap-exempt petition, then previous stay gets counted and you get 4 years of H-1.
Saurab,
Thanks much for your response. Could you please advice for the below queries. How much will it cost for the attorney fee? How much will it cost for filing the petition? I am not aware of the fee structure as I did not receive fee particulars from my employer B; just paid a deposit amount only with specific terms.
Also, if both are approved, can I first use the cap exempt say for the next 2-2.5 years then can I use the new petition (assuming that the new petition will have 3 years validity)? Is this possible?
The reason I am asking is, I am planning to ask my employer, instead of waiting, to start the cap exempt processing. Their concern would be, if both are approved, it would be double expense for them. In that case, I would bare the fee for the cap exempt processing. The same applies to the attorney fees as well. Can you please advice if this is not making sense?
H1B Cap Exempt,
Attorney fees can be anywhere from few hundred dollars to couple of thousand dollars. H-1 fees itself can range from 1700-4000 USD. The actual amount will depend upon the employer and how its employee structure is build-up.
Chances of the cap-subject petition to make through the lottery seem pretty low now as you haven’t received any communication from USCIS. So it may be a better idea to start working on the cap-exempt petition. Legally, the fees need to be paid by the employer and not you.
If both petition get approved, then use the cap-subject one only so that your H-1 clock is reset. Cap-exempt petition gives you 4 years in US (as you have already spent 2 years), while cap-subject gives you 6 years of H-1. You can later have H-1 extension filed against this cap-subject petition.
Hi all,
My package has been picked up since the 28th of April, then it’s in initial review FOREVER.
My receipt number starts with EAC13138. It has been two months. I saw people with numbers like 13139,13140 getting results. Is there anybody in the same shoes? It takes forever to even hear from the first stage… sigh.
I am in the same series. same case man, no update initial review
My series are also the same EAC13144 and the status is initial review since April. Have no idea whats on. If anyone comes to know anything, please inform.
Hi,
PLZZZZZ HELP !!!!
I applied through an indian consultancy for my H1B( 2013 lottery) n it did not get picked up in the lottery sadly :((((( n now the consultancy fellow is not giving back my money….
My husband n I have been calling him everyday since May 15th( dat was when consultancy got my packet back) but no use. Please suggest some way we can get our money back!!!!!
can you tell me what is the name of this consultancy? do you have any proof that you transferred the money?
If you are in India there is nothing much you can do. If you are in US tell him that you are going to file a complaint in DOL , for doing this you need to have a solid proof that you have transferred him money(i.e emails, money transfer) to file for H1. according to law employer has to bear all expenses to file H1.
ya..i do have emails in which he has given me the acc.details (of that person from the consultancy)…will that help??
This is a long shot you have to hire a attorney if you want to move forward with this. first scare him that you are going to lodge a compliant in DOL with all the proofs that he asked money to file H1.
Please let us know the consultancy name so that we can see if there are others in this forum with the same prob, ll be helpful to u to get a grp of such ppl.
A sincere request from everyone in this group !!
Please lemme know if anyone else is facing the same situation as mine…Has your consultancy promptly returned ur money once ur packet did not get selected in d lottery??
@ Ron : If people are facing the same problem from many other consultancies then we need to address the problem being faced by us and not the consultancies..
Lakshmi ,
Are you not aware that if the company is potential enough you don’t need to pay the H1 B fee ? it lo0oks to me that even you were ready to take some risk …. so pray god that he will return ur money
Hi,I am aware that one can apply for multiple H1’s with different companies when applying for new H1B quota. Lets say one applied for new H1B with Company ‘A’ and ‘B’. In case both the H1’s get approved one has to pick one company and go for stamping.In case one picks company ‘A’ and goes for H1B stamping lets say in Sept 2013 and it gets rejected, can the same person go for stamping again with company ‘B’ in the same year? If yes then how quickly can one go for stamping with the company ‘B’ if for stamping with H1B with Company ‘A’ was rejected in Sept 2013.
Please guide me
Because of people like you many applicants didnt get their H1 .
This persont should not get H1b selected either from A or B…
even if he has an option.
not getting selected in lottery really sucks!!!!!!!!!!!
Shaina,
I understand your situation and am sorry that my post has been misinterpreted. I didn’t apply for 2 petitions this year.
Company “A” applied for my petition last year (FY 2012) and it got approved same year, but they are not allowing me to go to stamping till now. So I’ve applied for H1 again this year through Company “B”.
I asked the question yesterday just in case my visa stamping doesn’t make through company “B”, what other options will I have?
It would be great help if someone can answer my original question.
SK_Ind,
Yes, you can re-appear for stamping through the other employers. There is no set waiting period b/w the 2 interview dates, and you can schedule them as per your convenience and availability.
My friend got laid off today from the company they are keeping him on payroll till july 15(2.5 weeks). He got a new job who is willing to transfer his visa but he didn’t tell them that he got laid off. But they looking for him to start on july 20 but submit his paperwork and all that stuff earlier. So is that ok or does he need to ask them to prepone his start date?
Granil,
So there will be a gap of 5 days b/w the two jobs. 15th is a Monday while 20th is a Saturday. I don’t think this 1 week will cause an issue as he may be relocating, taking some time off etc.
How about this – he asks B’s attorney that his last day at A is July 15 (not mention lay-off). So is it ok for him to join B 1 week later.
Saurabh and other Experts,
Situation:
* H1b approved and stamped for FY13 with employer X. Did not travel to US on this visa and not ever before.
* Then new H1b applied by employer Y for FY14 while I am still in India (I tried convincing employer Y to do a transfer of my previously approved petition but did not agree for reasons unknown)
* The new H1b filed by employer Y for FY14 approved and employer Y asking me to go for re-stamping.
Concerns:
* I feel its a unnecessary risk to go for stamping again; as I have not used my previous visa probably I would be asked all sorts of questions in the interview
*what should i do if employer Y forces me to go for re-stamping.
Let me know your thoughts asap pls…
REstamping,
As the new petition was subject to cap and not a cap-exempt petition (aka H-1 transfer), I think its better to get it re-stamped. If Y wants you to go for stamping, then you should do that. Talk to their attorney to get all the required documents.
How big an employer is Y?
Employer is well established and big US Consultancy. But isnt it true that with any visa one should be able to enter US. Do you see any risk at POE if I go with the old visa
REstamping,
Under cap-exempt situations I know you can use the old stamp for sure. As you went for a new cap-subject visa, you need to get it restamped.
Let me give another example. A person entered US in 2007 w/ petition of 3 years and a visa stamp valid until 2010. He returned in 2008, and stayed outside US for 1 year. In 2009, he had another cap-subject petition filed in order to reset the H-1 clock. Although his visa stamp is still valid, he needs to go for stamping as he has a new cap-subject petition.
In your case, there is no clock re-setting as you haven’t been to US, but the underlying logic remains the same. Its a new cap-subject petition and hence the visa stamping.
That’s what I think about it.
Thanks a lot Saurabh for your thoughts.
No status after initial Review with below notes. It seems to be RFE
At this time USCIS cannot provide you with information for your case. Please contact the NCSC 1 (800) 375-5283 for additional information.
going to get a RFE soon, telling you from my experience ..:D
Finally received the RFE Notice from USCIS.
USCIS requires 13 documents from my Employer.
Copy of Employment Agreement
Copy of Employment Offer Letter
Copy of Valid contract, Statement of work, Work Order, Service Agreement
Copy of Position Description, Copy of Payment method
Income Tax Return
and some other bullshit stuffs…
……..
Its not BS stuff..that is required stuff..especially when they think you or your consultant is faking..and let me tell you..there are many fakes for H1B.
@ Not BS
You are correct!
@ RFE_MMM
How come your employer did not submit the most important documents (which leads to RFE later) that are necessary to process your H1B? Whatever they have requested was absolutely must and REQUIRED for USCIS and those are the docs they are keen to see and dig into… It will take about 2 more months to resume your case. Make sure you will not miss all of them this time which leads to further delay. All the best. Good Luck!
Thanks,
VSIND
VSIND,
Thanks VSIND.
hmm, I was also thinking the same thing. Actually this is my 1st time and I’m from outside USA. My Attorney told me that My Employer has to deliver all the docz and I dnt need to submit any more docz. let’s see…..
How long it took from status changed to RFE to get the letter?
How long did it take from changing the status on line to get the actual letter with RFE?
Hi,
I received RFE for 5 documents.
If u don’t mind can we know the list of documents? Mine is 13148***** …waiting @ intial review since 28th April.Hope to see your reply.
Hi Ambarih, Mine is also EAC13148***** and initial review since 29th April. we should get some news around same time. lets keep each other updated. you can email me at crjrmp at gmail.
Hi Ambarish, Mine is also EAC13148***** and initial review since 29th April. we should get some news around same time. lets keep each other updated. you can email me at crjrmp at gmail.
Mine is also EAC13148** still in Intial Review since 30th April
H1B RFE,
and What are those 5 docs ?
me received RFE for 13 documents. 🙁
Compensation Letter, SOW, Validity Letter, Organization chart, Responsibilities document
Hello Friends,
I m from Hyderabad city,I m Interested to apply for USA work permit H1B VISA.as I dnot know much how to start the process and how to file petition?
I have Middle East work exp from Dubai,U.A.E 3 years & 3 years from Jeddah-KSA.
I worked as Document Controller & as Call center representatives in Middle East.
Can any one guide me,how to start to USA H1BVISA work permit and what I have to do?
Looking forward to hear,
Regards,
Shuja Ali
Meer Shuja Ali,
Go through the article page above. It has information to help you get started. You are already late for FY-14 and FY-15 filings start in April 2014.
waiting for the petition to be approved…frustrated to see so many petitions getting approved while mine is not even been touched yet.. 🙁 :'(
EAC13137XXXXX series / RQ /RP
have anyone got approved from this series ?
any positive response is appreciated
many thanks!
same here EAC13137 is not moving at all. Majority of application are in Initial review status. Not sure what approach they follow in selecting petitions.
True !!! 🙁
Hi..
USCIS may take 90-120 days to approve the H1B. Though we get the H1B approved and VISA scheduled. we cann’t travel till October . Dont get panic, as you would get satus by July end positively.
Hi miles to go,
Mine is in the same series got approved on june 20th hopefully u will get approval by end of the week.Goodluck.
hopefully I will soon get the good news!
thanks!
Hi all,
My H1B petition got approved today. Thanks to the forum and everyone contributing here.
Recp No: EAC13143*****
Rec Date: 26th April 2013
Approval Date: 24th Jun 2013
Petition reached USCIS on 5th Apr 2013.
How can we schedule the interview and tentatively when will be that, does our spouse need to have our name in their passport…
Any guidance to me could be of great help at this stage.
All the best for all people awaiting for their updates. Next time better luck for people lost to the lottery and in other steps.
Thanks
Harish
Harish,
There are blog posts on this site which explain the new interview process. You can go through them.
It is not mandatory to have spouses’ name in each other’s passport, but its better to have that way. If you plan to do that, then do it before stamping. If you don’t do that, then make sure you have other documents like marriage certificate, wedding card/album etc to show that you are married.
Hey Saurabh,
Thanks for your inputs. This is a good effort by you to pull people together and make them help each other as well. Your efforts are highly appreciated.
Regards
Harish
Hey Guys,
My H1B petition got approved today. Thanks to the forum and everyone contributing here.
Recp No: WAC1313751***
Rec Date: 8th April 2013
Approval Date: 24th Jun 2013
Petition reached USCIS on 1st Apr 2013.
Let me know any more info you people need, I will provide as much as i can!!
Its a big US consultancy and have lots of clients…
Hope they quickly get my visa stamped and call me there… 🙂
Congrats! So you applied while you were in India?
Tats good!
Would you mind sharing the details of consultancy since one of my friend in india is trying to catch hold of a good consultancy so i can suggest this to him for next yr
If possible pl msg me at k.troots1 at gmail.
Please let me know the consultancy name too
toravikumar2003 at yahoo dot co dot in
Congrats:)
Can you please share the details of consultancy, I wanted to applly for india for FY2014
My email id is sowjanya dot ibs09 at gmail dot com
Thanks!!
Hi Saurabh, All.
We have applied for my wife’s COS from H4 to H1. My H1 is expiring by sep 30th 2013 and so is her H4. last year my H1 receipt date was jun 21 but it was only oct 21 that they approved my case. Going by this scenario, if its going to take more than 4 months for my wife’s approval to come through, what are our choices? Can she stay in the US after sep 30th since her COS is in progress? Please reply.
Thanks.
oncloudnine,
I think she can stay based on her pending H-1 COS. A cleaner solution would be to upgrade the petition to PP to get quicker result. You can discuss this option w/ your attorney. This will give you enough time to file for H-4 extension in case H-1 is denied.
I saw this update in USCIS for my receipt. On June 24, 2013, we transferred this case I129 PETITION FOR A NONIMMIGRANT WORKER to another office for processing and sent you a notice explaining this action.
Any idea what it means?
UG,
Seems like it was transfered from EAC to WAC or vice-versa. Where is your employer location (US state) and which center was the petition sent to (EAC/WAC)?
Mine is still WAC but it says its transferred to a different center. My employer is in east coast. I got the receipt notice from CSC when it was selected in the lottery !
UG,
If the employer is in the east coast, why did they file it at CSC? Did you talk to your employer/attorney about it?
Is anyone still waiting to hear back for receipt or package?
me:-(
I am waiting for my result as well, no receipt nor package returned.
My employer spoke with the customer service personal at the Uscis, she replied ” there are no more receipts to be issued, they are sending back the packages but they are sending slowly or may be in batches” , this is just what the lady said to my employer.
Me too 🙁
me too ..still waiting ..
Me too waiting….didn’t get receipt number nor rejected package…..but I hear there is something like waiting list too…is that true?
My joining date in second company is before relieving date of first company so is there any chance of getting RFE?
My H1B petition is approved. Working for an IT firm in India. I would like to process Dependent visa for my spouse and child. So will this be processed at the same time with my H1B Visa interview or what is the procedure for dependent visa.
Also As I am from India. so for H1B which consulate ususally takes the interview from the choices below:-
Delhi
Mumbai
Kolkatta
Chennai
Hyderabad
Thanks in advance for the reply.
Congrats! Your company must have opted a consulate while applying your H1B petition. You must go to that consulate only. If you want to go to different consulate, there is again defined procedure to be done. Check with your employer first.
H1b-approved,
I think you can go to any consulate within India along w/ your dependents, but you can call the consulate if you can go to any location or the specific one mentioned in your 797.
Check w/ your IT firm if they schedule interview for their employees and dependents. If they do, then you don’t need to do anything. Otherwise the process includes – submitting fees for each applicant, completing and submitting DS-160 form for each applicant, scheduling interview date for everyone together, appearing for biometrics and appearing for interview.
Saurabh,
Yesy my company processes visa and other documents for my dependents. So I do not have to worry about anything.
Thanks for your reply.
Hi,
I lost my initial passport which was already expired in 2007. I have renewed the passport and taken new passport. All the pages in the current passport are completed. I am going to apply for new passport. When i attend the US Consulate for stamping, is the initial passport mandatory? Could any body clarify my concern?
Thanks in advance.
Sekhar,
It is better to carry the old passports. It may not be asked but if they do want to see your previous visits to US/other countries, you should be prepared to hand-over the passport.
If you got RFE and you already know what USCIS needed from you or from your employer, please share with us.
Hi Saurabh,
My petition got approved on June 4th. WAC1313551XXX. But still my employer haven’t got the approval documents. Its been more than 2 and 1/2 weeks. Can you please let me know how to track it. Thanks in advance.
It takes exact 1 month time
Thanks Raj.
what is the document generally they demand for RFE stage. What are the different possible cases when RFE can come ??
Hi Saurabh/Anyone
My wife is on L2 visa right now and this year I hv filed for H1B myself and H-4 for her and her L2 visa is valid till DEC 2013. Is it safe for her to travel to India now while L-2 to H-4 is in process and come back before 1st Oct. or there is a risk?
Thanks
Rahul
Good news for all F1 and opt guys who lost there H1BS by end of next week senate will pass and it will be initiated to house i hope july 4th you guys will hear good news from house…
http://www.mercurynews.com/breaking-news/ci_23509153/senate-immigration-bill-boosted-by-border-deal
where does the provision say that the one who didnt get the h1b this year will get it after passing the immi reform…nowhere…
chicaggo60,
Once the bill is signed into law, it will go into effect from next fiscal year. So if it becomes a law before Oct 1 (highly doubtful about it though), it will go into effect from Oct 1, which is FY-14 cap. If it becomes law after Oct 1, then it will go into effect from Oct 1 2014, which is FY-15 cap.
Even if the bill is passed in senate it still needs to be approved in senate and signed by the president to take effect. This process takes till the end of the year. So who lost h1bs this year need to wait till next year to apply .
My status still in IntialReview any one in series EAC13143***** still in IntialReview
Waiting from long time….
me too waiting from April 29th….on the same series
Me too 🙁
me too 🙁
S Me too. Any updates?
No updates Still waiting…. If some one in series EAC13143* get approval please post here
Go To Hell then……
Hello Anybody from Infosys . My Wife’s H1 Visa was applied . Her manager told her that she got selected in lottery.When she Checked the status in Portal (AIMS) in Infosys it was showing ready for printing.She is not sure where to check this recipt number.
She didnt receive any Email. On Opening AIMS there is a hyperlink against H1B.She said when you Click the link “Ready for printing” Comes. I am thinking that may be she’s not properly able to see where that recipt number will be exactly shown.
She says there is a number next to Hyperlink. Can that be her Recipt Number.
please advise
Once the application is selected in the lottery, you will notification from USCIS. The Status in Aims changes from ‘ Ready for Printing’ to ‘Acknowledgment notice received from USCIS’. Once you click ont he hyperlink the receipt number is displayed under the heading File Number. It starts with ‘EAC 13********’ or ‘WAC 13********’
Click on H1B reference number ,at top u will able to see , but in ur case it is in ready for printing stage it means theywere not received ur case details . Wait for Some time
How many numbers VALID receipts are there between WAC1313460000 to WAC1313560000 ?
Just want to calculate number of VALID receipt in any seriels like WAC13134 , WAC13135 , WAC13136 …..
Any idea about this. How much time USCIS take to clear one series i.e. 13136 , 13137 ?
These are not series.
EAC=Vermont Service Center
WAC=California Service Center
13=The year 2013
135-136-137-138-xxx is the computer working day when the fee was taken.
then the next five digits are the serial number for a particular applicant. off course they are working according to computer working day. But in last few days I am seeing 13-145 approved, and I am on 13-144, I am in initial review now.
So under stand the first 2 digits and next 3 digits, and next five digits.
ok thanks for this info.
my number is also 13-143 xyz .. when can we expect some change in status from initial review. ??
How much time uscis takes to process each day series 13-137, 13138 ??
Our team thinks u are on BENCH!!! you have so much time to do all these crappy stuff….
Hi there,
my receipt number eac1314XXXXX, comes up with notification as ” At this time USCIS cannot provide you with information for your case. Please contact the NCSC 1 (800) 375-5283 for additional information.” what does this mean.
thanks.
u r going to get a RFE soon. This also happened with me ..:(
what was the RFE for though? thanks.
still dnt know.hopefully, my Lawyer gonna receive the mail within this wk