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H1B Visa 2015 – Frequently Asked Questions – Updates

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Updated : Dec 9, 2014 (H1B 2016 FAQs )

H1B Visa 2015 season is over. Check below for H1B Visa 2016 Season.

Applying for H1B Visa 2016 ? Did you miss FY 2015 lottery ?

Check out -> H1B Visa 2016 – Start Info, Sponsos, Fees, News , FAQs 

Flash News Update  : 

  • May 5th : USCIS announced today that data entry of all FY15 H-1B cap petitions has been completed. USCIS will now begin returning all H-1B cap petitions that were not selected in the lottery. They have announced it on their twitter and facebook pages.
  • April 18th : USCIS announced that they will begin H1B FY 2015 premium processing from April 28th, 2014. Previously they announced that they will begin, ‘no later than April 28th’. They just clarified that. You can read on USCIS website  
  • April 11th : USCIS announced that it received about 172,500 petitions for the H1B Visa 2015 Quota. Read USCIS : 172,500 Received – H1B Lottery Summary 
  • April 7th :  USCIS H1B Visa 2015 Cap Reached on April 7th. 

H1B Visa 2015 – Latest News Updates , Articles 

Looking for H1B Cap Daily Updates ?  Check  H1B Visa 2015 Cap count Updates Page 

Frequently Asked Questions about H1B Visa FY 2015 

When will H1B Visa 2015 Season Begin ?

USCIS accepted H1B Visa 2015 applications from April 1st, 2014. They had the window open for 5 working days. USCIS stopped accepting H1B Petitions for FY 2015 from Monday April 7th as more applications were received than the required cap of 85,000 petitions.

What would be the Cap count for H1B Visa 2015 quota ?

No changes to the H1B Cap for FY15, the immigration reform discussions did not go through, the cap limit remained same as last year.

  • Regular H1B Quota : 65,000
  • Masters H1B Quota : 20,000
  • It is to be noted that 6,800 visas every year are set aside for Singapore and Chile Free trade agreement filings, which is called as H1B1 program.

Would there be lottery for H1B Visa 2015 ?

We had H1B visa Lottery for fiscal year 2014. USCIS received about 172,500 petitions for FY 2015 . Our predictions were right, you can read the article H1B Visa 2015 Lottery Prediction analysis 

How soon should I start planning for H1B Visa 2015 ?

[ Updated : H1B Sesaon is over for FY 15, plan for next year FY 2016 ] Well, there is nothing like too early… Getting a good H1B Sponsor can be a challenge these days. You need to find a job that fits your profile and find a sponsor that has a job for you.  Some employers want to test out the capabilities of the candidate before they plan to sponsor H1B Visa. Typically, they would like students with masters from US work for them on internship or co-op.  If they like the candidate then they will sponsor H1B visa.  If you are planning to land in US from overseas countries like India, it could be even challenging to find a good sponsor. Maybe you would need to work with global IT services companies and make your way up. It can involve lot of internal process to get the process initiated… You are never early…. Read Step by Step Plan to Apply for H1B 2015 

How do I find Sponsors for H1B visa 2015 ?

This is probably the most asked question.  It can be a challenge to find a good sponsor. We have written quite a few articles on this topic. The fundamental concept of finding a good employer does not change.  You can use our H1B Visa Sponsors Database  and search for sponsors in a city or zip code. Check out the above links under 2015 latest news and updates for the current year’s article to find sponsors. You can also, read our last year’s article :  How to find H1B Visa sponsors, avoid fraud 

What would be the H1B Filing fee for Fiscal year 2015 ? 

There has not been any changes in the filing fee for the past couple of years. It did not change for fiscal year 2014.  The  H1B Visa 2015 filing fee can range anywhere from  $1,575 to $4,325  based on the size of the company (number of employees ). Also, the attorney fee can range from $700 to $3000. If you go for premium processing again that is $1225.  You can check out the detail break up of fee at : H1B Visa Filing Fee Details – Who Pays for What ?  

H1B Visa Immigration Reform – CIR – Proposed Changes ? The comprehensive immigration reform has not passed yet.  But, lets say, if it gets passed, the below changes may happen.

  • Annual H1B Cap will be increased from 65,000 per year to 110,000. If exteme demand, it can go up to a maximum of 180,000.
  • The H1B quota for STEM degree holders from American Schools will increase from 20,000 to 25,000
  • H1B Visa fees can up to USD $10,000.
  • More stringent rules on H1B visa adjudication.
  • Mandatory LCA posting on DOL website for at least 30 days, before it is certified.

You can read Summary of CIR – Immigration reform – H1B Visa and Green Card  . We will keep you posted with updates on CIR and H1B visa changes for this year, if any. Did I miss anything ?  Do you have any other questions ?

Note :  Some of the below comments about H1B Sponsors are negative.  Please be aware that these are comments added by individuals of companies, competitors and many others that may hate such companies. We do NOT vouch for any of the comments made as they are not made by us.

Under federal law (Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act), our Blog RedBus2US.com is NOT legally liable or responsible for information posted by public, general users or third parties that contains remarks that are defamatory for a company or individual.

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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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23,888 Comments

  2. Hello all,
    Based on what I have read from most of the earlier comments, people who have applied under AD/PP/VT stand no chance, if they have not received the receipt number yet. And also can anyone let me know from where are they obtaining the latest receipt number ? And also how to read out the date and number out of it. Sorry for being such a noob !!!
    Thanks !

    Reply

    • They are obtaining it from USCIS’s Case Status Check page, but inputting random receipt numbers into the status check box to try and calculate how many receipts have been issued.

      HOWEVER, I highly recommend against reading too much into these numbers, because the USCIS Status Check page is used for ALL visa types (over 21 different visa types, including H-1B, TN, J1, L1, etc.) and they all show the same message on the status check page. It is impossible to really know how many receipts have been issued just for H-1B, because USCIS is also concurrently processing receipts for all these other visa applicants.

      Reply

  7. Cognizant US & India guys whats the update. Will the Immigration team inform in one go say suppose post May 10th or as and when one’s application is selected.

    Reply

  8. Hi All,
    Just received my receipt number.I was lucky second year… thanks for everyone who had given support to keep up the hope.Congrats to all the who received receipts and all the best for the ones who are waiting.

    RQ\RP\CSC
    wac-14-143-5XXXX

    Notice Date : Apr 24,2014

    Reply

  10. Guys who were not able to track , directly approval status we can see for the below receipt. Till now, it was not found.

    EAC1413554031

    Reply

  12. Hi Guys, One of my friend got a confirmation from my employer(we did with the same employer) saying that his application got picked in the lottery..But i did not get any confirmation yet.. Do you think i have still chances ??? I am thinking all applications will be processed and sent at the same time under each employer..Please help in understanding it guys..killing this wait…

    Reply

    • we never know the process how the lottery is conducted. So that’s not the reason. There may be delay in sending thought they generated. You can see in this forum the people whose receipt where generated long back they are receiving still now.
      So hope for the best . Best of luck 🙂

      Reply

    • To be precise to your question, all receipts for an employer are not generated and sent at the same time..It is random..After all it is USCIS, which is a huge fan of lottery system. 😀

      Reply

  15. Is it fair to say that all the Non-Adv/PP cases should have received the receipts by now, and the ones who have not, should consider themselves out of the H1B race fot this year? thoughts?

    Reply

  16. Hi,

    My employer applied for me and my colleague under Non AD / RP. My colleague got the receipt and I am waiting.

    Should I assume that since mine and her application could have been contiguous and that the selection of my application can be highly remote as the computerized lottery can seldom pick two contiguous applications? What do you think?

    Regards,
    Manik

    Reply

    • we never know the process how the lottery is conducted. So that’s not ther reason. There may be delay in sending thought they generated. You can see in this forum the people whose receipt where generated long back they are receiving still now.
      So hope for the best . Best of luck 🙂

      Reply

  17. I notice, there is no much floating on approvals in premium as I do not much comments from viewers side

    Any body is getting approvals?

    Reply

        • I am in the same boat…..knowing that the checks haven’t even cashed yet is scary, because I feel like that should have happened by now to have any chance and hopes left……I am still crossing my fingers for the best though

          Reply

          • I wonder whether the checks get cashed the same day the receipt gets generated or whether that happens a day after or before……all these questions, I wish I had an answer to….

          • i didnt get any receipt number but the check got cashed last wk. Non – Ad/ RP / VT.. Hope for the best.. Good luck 🙂

  25. So I called my school to find out if there is any change in my Sevis status and they said that my status is ‘Active’. What does that mean?

    And also, what is way to find out based on Sevis status whether there is any chance that my case was selected or not? What will my status change to if my case is selected for lottery?

    Reply

    • Active means there is no change on your SEVIS … once the H1B filling appears on your SEVIS it either changes to “Pending” or “Automatically Extended until Sep30th” which is cap-gap.

      BTW it all depends on when is your current OPT expires, if its going to expire beyond Oct 1st then there will be no change on your SEVIS

      Reply

        • My OPT expires in about 2 weeks. So if there is no change means I wasn’t picked, not as of yet at least. Thanks for your help.

          Reply

          • Well if you do not hear back from USCIS either by receipt or returned package you can request your School DSO to have your OPT extended on temporary basis as USCIS still holds your application …

          • It will not be CAP-GAP extention will be temp basis (may be a month until final decision is made by USCIS)

            My OPT expires in July so I still have time, but people who are waiting for a reply for USCIS and their OPT expires in less than a month I would suggest them to speak to their School DSO and request for temp ext.

  26. Just heard that my wife’s application got picked in AD/RP/VT. Our employer just informed us. No receipt number yet. Waiting for mine Non-AD/RP/VT.

    Reply

  32. Hi guys,

    I was a silent reader here.I just got confirmation from the employer saying mine got picked.Mine RP/NON AD.
    So don’t loose hope wish everyone got selected…
    Good luck to all.

    Reply

    • Good Catch Mate.. if its for you then Congrats…. For the rest of the gang this is what the status for the above receipt says….

      Now this perplexes people…. anywaz until the package is returned we should still have hope for PP/Regular.

      Initial Review
      Your Request for Premium Processing Service for your I129 PETITION FOR A NONIMMIGRANT WORKER was received on April 29, 2014. We mailed you a receipt with information about processing. We will mail you a decision as soon as processing is complete.
      During this step, USCIS initiates the background checks of the applicant/petitioner and identifies issues that may need to be addressed either during an interview or by asking the applicant/petitioner to submit additional information or documentation. USCIS reviews the applicant’s/petitioner’s criminal history, determines if there are national security concerns that need to be addressed, and reviews the application/petition for fraud indicators.

      Reply

      • Thanks, it’s not for me. I’m Non-AD/Reg. Trying to help my PP and AD friends to keep their hopes alive. Best luck to all.

        Reply

    • Don’t think it’s PP. Receipt was mailed out instead of email.

      Also…. once again… for the record …. for the last time …

      Not all receipts with the form I-129 are for H-1B petitions or PP cases. In fact there is really no way to tell which type of visa they fall under just from USCIS’s status page.

      Keep in mind that the form I-129 is applied to the following types of visas: H-1B, H-1C, H-2A, H-2B, H-3, L-1, O-1, O-2, P-1, P-1S, P-2, P-2S, P-3, P-3S, Q-1 or R-1 nonimmigrant worker, along with E-1, E-2, E-3, H-1B1 or TN Entry for Canadian and Mexican citizens.

      Please stop counting case numbers via the USCIS status check page, because there is no way for you to know how many H-1B, H-2A, H-1B extensions there are among the above visa types. Any case “count” you see on this page can be extremely MISLEADING and pure speculation.

      Reply

        • A correction to my above comment.

          The specific Receipt # is for a Premium Processing Case (it’s indicated in the status message as “Premium Processing”).

          HOWEVER, there is no way for any of us to know if it the PP is for H-1B, or for any of other 20 visa types listed above that also use the same I-129 form.

          Reply

          • I won’t be sure if the status itself says Premium Processing. I have applied under PP/Non-AD, and for me it says

            On April 14, 2014, we received this I129 PETITION FOR A NONIMMIGRANT WORKER and we e-mailed you a notice describing how we will process your case. Please follow any instructions on this notice. This case is being processed at our CALIFORNIA SERVICE CENTER location. You will be notified by mail when a decision is made, or if the office needs something from you. If you move while this case is pending, please use our Change of Address online tool to update your case with your new address or call our customer service center at 1-800-375-5283.

            It says the receipt notice was ‘Emailed’ which would mean PP.

  35. Post Decision Activity

    On April 29, 2014, we mailed you a notice that we have approved this I129 PETITION FOR A NONIMMIGRANT WORKER. Please follow any instructions on the notice. If you move before you receive the notice, call customer service at 1-800-375-5283.

    What is a next step?

    Reply

  39. Non-AD/PP/VT

    I am also waiting to check my status like few others.I received my receipt on 15th april.But surprisingly,i can see acceptance when i change from EAC14134XXXXX to WAC14134XXXXX of my receipt number.Not sure though wat does this mean.

    Reply

    • If we go by serial # logic then 2858 generated today, it is mix of all receipts but almost 80% H1B. Keep hope. Signing off from India for today!

      Reply

      • how on earth do you know it is 80% for H-1B? Pure speculation.

        The USCIS status check tool is used for more than 21 different non-immigrant visa types (H-1B, H-1C, H-2A, H-2B, H-3, L-1, O-1, O-2, P-1, P-1S, P-2, P-2S, P-3, P-3S, Q-1, R-1, E-1, E-2, E-3, H-1B1 or TN) that all use the same form: I-129. They can all request Premium Processing, just like H-1B.

        There is absolutely no way for anyone to tell how many new H-1B cases are processed per day. It is only an unknown fraction of the entire non-immigrant visa pool. Stop speculating and misleading others on this forum.

        Reply

        • Mueller – you are so pessimistic. By the way my 80% is based on run down of all 2K+ cases, it’s based fact not a speculation.

          Don’t act like a GURU of H1 forum buddy, get some medicine.

          Reply

    • Its All depends on how your employer decided. He can write authorization to receive all doc to lawyer only or he can choose lawyer and him self.

      Most of the cases only lawyer recive all comunication and then they forwardede to employer.

      Reply

  42. Is it true that among those who got selected in the lottery it is still NOT guaranteed that they get the H1B visa but another 50% will be cut off among those who won the lottery? (according to my lawyer)

    Reply

    • No it is not true.., Only 1-2% of people may not get the Visa among those who selected in the lottery..that too because of not producing correct documents..fake proofs, not providing proper answers in the stamping interview and etc.,,

      Reply

      • Hmmm I am wondering why my lawyer told me otherwise. That means if one got selected through the lottery, one can consider himself/ herself as safe right?

        Reply

        • Almost certain. Until unless there is a valid reason, they will not reject it simply as such. Each denial must be associated with the proper reason. Approval stage it is mostly the denial is because of employer/attorney not producing proper documents..stamping stage it is because of you not answering properly.

          Reply

    • Deboo, my friend, where are you getting info from,

      What is that source, is it reliable…. as far as we know, USCIS do not reveal this info…

      Reply

  44. Still waiting, I see in multiple blog sites people have started getting the receipts for Regular, Non-Masters.
    Keeping a hope…

    Reply

  45. I have a quick question, is it like PP cases are attended first in terms of communicating the receipt results? or the whole processing thing comes into picture after receiving the receipts.

    Reply

    • yes all PP cases are first sent out the receipts via EMAIL, but this time we have seen cases where they have been sent via regular mail… However after lottery PP cases are taken up for processing and then regular..

      This doesnt mean that they will stop sending regular receipts as they have been processing PP, both would happen in Parallel.

      Reply

      • Thanks Raj!
        I am a Non Adv/PP case, looks like I am no more in the race..
        Tough to accept, but cant change the reality.

        Reply

        • Hi to all,

          I am non AD, PP case can anyone share when is the final day to get receipt or anyone got the application kit back…

          Thanks,

          Reply

    • Buddy.. EAC1414752783 is not H1B.. this seems to be EAD application with from I-765. H1B will be I-129 only…. Hence EAC1414752782 seems to be the latest H1b from FY2015 cap.

      Reply

  48. Long waiting time but still no update few of my friends got today from EAC..Is there any hope left still guys pls tell….

    Reply

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