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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. Did anyone applying via BAL Global (Berry Appleman & Leiden Corporate Attorney) receive their Receipt # on your online Status Check account? Just curious as BAL is the attorney for several large corporation in Silicon Valley and Wall Street banks…

    Reply

    • Same company here. Still no updates so far.
      Are you under AD or just regular? I’m just regular so I’m really worried.

      Reply

      • I’m doing Premium Processing / AD.

        I think BAL is pretty reliable and knows what they are doing. Many large Silicon Valley firms and investment banks use their services. My attorney just advised me to pay attention to my online Status Check account, as that’s the first thing they’ll update once they receive the Receipt #.

        Reply

        • Yeah I got the same advice. So sit tight and fingers crossed. It seems the people who got the receipt number here are AD, so chances are high that you’ll know before me

          Reply

          • Well I don’t think it matters whether AD or Bachelor. You’ll get notified earlier if you filed Premium Processing. Did you do that with BAL?

          • Yeah my employer filed my petition with PP. At least I won’t have to wait for too long in the worst case… Still praying for the best 🙂

          • Btw, also, BAL is based in California, so it might take them a while to update your online Status Check account. Only 6:46 am in SF right now…

          • BAL is known to be super slow. They updated that my h-1b package was complete on April 30. They had a year to complete the package and review but they waited till the very last moment. Plus their lawyers seem to be arrogant to me; their responses are very short and not informative at all. I think they’ll update our status 24hrs after they hear about them..

          • My experience has been pleasant so far. Indeed they waited until the 29th to complete my package, but it’s just logistics and I don’t see the problem with it as long as they send the petition on time

  3. Congrats to those who have received approvals and good luck for others waiting for the news.

    Please list the following:
    Receipt Number: WAC14132XXXXX
    Date Received:
    AD or REG/PP or Non PP/California or Vermont
    Did your company file only one petition ?: Yes or No

    Thanks.

    Reply

  4. Hello Guys,

    Just got the confirmation from my lawyer that my petition has been selected.
    Please see the following email from USCIS. My lawyer just send that.

    The California Service Center has received the following
    I-129 Petition for Nonimmigrant Worker
    that had been filed under the Premium Processing Program:

    Receipt Number: WAC14132506XX
    Date Received: 04/10/2014
    Petitioner:

    AD/PP/California

    ALL THE BEST ALL…!!!

    Reply

  5. Good morning guy,
    Just got a confirmation from the lawyer that my pettition was accepted and he recieved an email from USCIS confirming that. I applied for the AD with PP at the vermont office.
    Good luck for everyone 🙂

    Reply

    • USCIS has probably just started issuing receipts yesterday (April 10) or later today (April 11), for Premium Cases first.

      At this point, no one on this site has reported any receipt notices. Everything posted so far has been speculation and estimates…no one on this comment board has received anything as of April 11th.

      So, relax and sit tight. My attorneys at a very authoritative immigration law firm confirmed that it will take up to April 28th to issue all Premium Processing receipts, and even later for some Regular Processing receipts. So if you haven’t received yours so far, relax. Everyone’s waiting.

      Reply

      • My lawyer is pretty famous too, and they said the same thing: no receipts till end of April or early May. but I believe the WAC (California center) has already started issuing receipts. Anyway, good luck to everyone.

        Reply

  9. 2704 a day – Looks like it would take ages to process 85K petitions !! Apart from WAC* series, I do not see any progress in EAC series.

    Reply

    • Actually it is 78200 plus any left over cap from 6,800 visas that were set aside last year for Singapore and Chile Free trade agreement filings.

      So, better calculate it just as 78200 only and not 85k 🙂

      Reply

    • Hi Sk,

      EAC series also started from April 8 onwards only if i am not wrong.
      check this EAC-14-129-5-2-000 or EAC-14-130-5-2000.
      On April 8, 2014, we received this I129 PETITION FOR A NONIMMIGRANT WORKER, and mailed you a notice describing how we will process your case. Please follow any instructions on this notice. 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 contact our customer service center at 1-800-375-5283.

      Check it out!!!

      Reply

    • WAC-14-129-5-1685 on April 8 last petition including all petitions.

      WAC-14-130-5-0988 on April 9 last petition including all petitions.

      So what we are assuming is wrong!!! They are processing Premium and I also see some NON- Premium (might be Advanced Degree Quota).

      Regular Quota guys and NON- PP petitions might need to wait till may end only.
      AD quota with premium and NON-premium they started receiving approvals.

      Hope for the best. That’s it.

      Reply

      • Hi Rushi,

        USCIS completed a computer-generated random selection process, or lottery on April 10, 2014.

        Why are you checking the petitions from April 8 Onwards?

        Reply

          • Then what about the EAC-14-130-5-2000.

            On April 8, 2014, we received this I129 PETITION FOR A NONIMMIGRANT WORKER, and mailed you a notice describing how we will process your case. Please follow any instructions on this notice. 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 contact our customer service center at 1-800-375-5283.

            These are also for H1B right. Do you think these petitions are from last year.
            Just clarify may be i am wrong!!

          • That might cap Cap Exempted Visa. I129 can filled for 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.

  10. Unnecessary speculation and heartburns.. Wait and see what your employer/attorney says. If your application is selected in lottery, then they will let you know the receipt #. Patience is the virtue.

    Reply

  11. THIS IS NOT FAIR AT ALL – USCIS SHOULD DO LOTTERY ONLY THOSE COMAPANIES FILING MORE THAN 10 VISA AND SO ON .

    THE COMPANIES THOSE FILES SINGLE DIGIT VISAS SHOULD NOT BE IN LOTTERY , COMAPNIES FILING SINGLE VISAS ARE VERY LESS. COMPANIES FILING VISAS 100,500,1000, 2000 UPTO 32000 THAT IS CRAZY.

    Reply

  12. I have noticed 1 thing…not in all the WAC # it has mentioned PP.
    For an instance…
    WAC1413250001

    Acceptance

    On April 10, 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.

    so what does this mean…is this for regular one??

    Reply

    • Yes, Because for the case WAC1413252702 it is mentioned as below

      Your Request for Premium Processing Service for your I129 PETITION FOR A NONIMMIGRANT WORKER was received on April 10, 2014. We mailed you a receipt with information about processing. We will mail you a decision as soon as processing is complete.

      Reply

  17. One Hundred and Seventy Two Thousand Applications – LOT isn’t it???
    For everyone who did their mathematics (probability) over the last week – Guys NUMBERS out

    Reply

  18. Hi guys,

    I have a question regarding how the number of petition for US master impacts the possibility of pick up in general petition of 65,000. I was wondering if 20,000 is firstly allocated to those petitions for US master, then does the number of petition for US master really matter when we think about the possibility of pick up in general petition of 65,000.
    For example, if the number of general petition is 140,000, and the number of US master petition is 30,000, first 20,000 out of 30,000 will be picked up in the lottery, and then remaining 10,000 will be added to the general petition of 140,000, and as a result, the population of the lottery for the general petition will be 150,000.
    150,000 will be same in the case where the number of the petition of US master is 50,000, and the number of the general petition is 120,000, first 20,000 out of 50,000 will be picked up in the lottery and then remaining 30,000 will be added to the general petition of 120,000, and as a result, the population of the lottery for the general petition will be 150,000.

    I mean if we know the total number of petition for general and US master, then breakdown between the general and US master does not matter when it comes to the possibility of pick up in the lottery for general petition.

    Does my understanding is correct?

    Reply

    • Te,
      That is correct. Number of petitions going into regular cap lottery will remain the same irrespective of what the number is for advanced degree.

      Reply

      • Hi Saurabh,

        Thank you so much for your reply.
        I understood.
        All we can do is just to bless god and wait till we get the result of the lottery.

        Hope god bless us!

        Reply

  19. My Employer submitted by H1B petition with wrong name. my name is Harikrishna Reddy Munagala but in application he submitted like Harikumar Reddy Munagala.

    is that a problem? can we correct it later?

    Reply

      • Even you can do that:
        Goto the site: https://egov.uscis.gov/cris/Dashboard/CaseStatus.do
        try giving the case number as entered by me…you should get the updates right there…

        Reply

        • hmm..interesting…which means…i posted my comment on last filed WAC ending 51968 at 10:34 pm. Around 11:05 pm it came to 52205..
          So does that mean….in 30 mins..they have processed 52205-51968 = 237 applications? then going by that logic in few weeks 85k should be known…..Does that make sense…???

          Reply

        • You need to read the petition’s status message to decipher whether it is a new cap-subject petition or not. Cap-exempt petition, I-539s etc all will have similar receipt number.

          For example, WAC1413252205 is an extension petition.

          Reply

          • Thanks. Then it looks like very few are processed as ‘new’. I saw most as under ‘initial review’…sorry!

  25. So, I tried different permutations and combinations to see if if USCIS has started issuing receipts. And, the answer is yes. Check out WAC1413251111 at Case Status. Since, the receipt date is lottery date, I think this was a CAP PP H1B petition.
    **********************

    Initial Review

    Your Request for Premium Processing Service for your I129 PETITION FOR A NONIMMIGRANT WORKER was received on April 10, 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

      • Narender, It says the petition was received on April 10, 2014. I read the posts in last year’s forum and found that everyone had posted ‘On April 8, 2013, we received this I129 PETITION FOR A NONIMMIGRANT WORKER ……”. April 8, 2013 was the date USCIS announced the cap count and random selection process last year.

        So, based on last year’s patterns, I am assuming USCIS has started issuing receipts. If you try entering WAC-14-132-50001 and run the last 4 digits sequentially from 0001 to 1400, I saw that most of them were I129 petitions with April 10, received date. In between, I saw some cases related to OPT or PERM.

        However, I tried doing the same process to see if any EAC receipts have been issued since my attorney has filed my petition in Vermont. But, I couldn’t find anything.

        All in all, I think they have started opening packets and issuing receipts. Let’s wait and see who are the lucky ones to get the receipt number 🙂

        Reply

      • I don’t think it means the case was filed on Feb 13 because you can only file H1B cases from April 1.

        Check out this thread – http://redbus2us.com/received-h1b-2014-receipt-number-with-eac-wac-what-next-check-status/

        EAC/WAC (depending on USCIS California/Vermont Service Center) – 14 (the year 2014) – 132 ( the fiscal day) – 5XXXX
        I used that formula to stalk the USCIS case status web site.

        Reply

    • MastersRP2015,
      The message is consistent with someone upgrading the petition to PP. It is not necessary that it was filed in the new cap.

      Reply

  26. My colleague got accepted in lottery she got the receipt number she had filed under premium processing / master degree from US .

    Reply

    • Hi Komal,Please tell me is this correct or not?Please dont play jokes.Because lots of people were waiting for thier status.Please tell me

      Reply

    • Hi Komal,

      Please give us more information, if possible. Which processing center issued the receipt number- VSC or CSC? Also, can you let us know the first 6 digits of receipt number? This information will be useful for people like me, who can only wait and hope for the best 🙁

      Reply

    • Nothing yet from my attorney. Premium Case receipts will be emailed directly to the applicant or your attorney. Regular Case receipts will be sent via regular mail, taking much longer.

      I will inform everyone on here if I hear anything from my attorney 🙂 Good or bad news.

      Reply

      • I went through last year’s forum and it looks like USCIS started sending receipts two calendar days after the lottery since they conducted the lottery on Sunday 04/07/2013. People reported receipt starting 04/09/2013 for premium processing regardless of AD or Reg. I guess with this year’s volume of both PP, PP receipts will be sent starting tomorrow until somewhere around 25th.
        There were many instances where receipts were received by Attorneys but they did not inform their clients until 2 or 3 days later.

        So, sit tight and good luck 🙂

        Reply

  30. They open the package. Look for pages 17 thru 19 of form I129. It provides them enough information about candidate and the company. Beneficiary’s passport number to make sure that if multiple applications are selected for same employee from different employers, then those applications consume only 1 count of quota. they also look for proper documentation attached to the package. That’s how they trace duplicate filing. They know what they are doing

    Reply

  31. Worked on list of all combinations and probabilities here…

    https://www.dropbox.com/s/h46lrbsyu1jjxow/MastersProb.jpg

    Reply

      • Say single application probability is 0.75 according to the chart I provided…. With two applications it is

        0.75 + 0.75 – (0.75*0.75) = 0.94

        You know, it is never 100%… 🙂 and my name is Narender, not Narendra…

        Reply

        • Sorry for not spelling your name correctly.

          So, on that probability chart you provided, if someone under masters quota applied through ‘n’ different employers, his/her chances are gonna be: –

          n times 0.75 – (0.75)^n?

          for example a candidate applied through 6 employers, his chances are

          6*0.75 – (0.75)^6= 4.5-0.177= 4.323 viz greater than one????

          Reply

          • Do not generalize the formula… it is only nearest approximation for two events… for three it would be different…

          • Considering for single filing the probability is 0.75
            For dual it becomes 0.94
            and For three applications it can be approximated to
            0.94 + 0.75 – (0.94*0.75) = 0.98

  33. You guys are forgetting the Singapore and Chile quota of 6800 in that 65K.. So based on the number of H-1B applications are there in the 152.5K, the chances will vary from 38.36% to 40.06%..

    Reply

      • You read this wrong… these quota will first be used to full fill applications from those two countries. If not used up, then it will go in to the poll. The ‘random’ would be more complicated than you thought.

        Reply

        • I am not sure.. But if its not used up why would they put that in the pool (what if someone from singapore wants to apply next month assuming that it never gets filled so they can apply later).. Not fair for them 🙂

          Reply

          • Don’t talk about fair to a Chinese or Indian who is eligible for EB2. We have to wait for 10 years while the others just need to wait for 1 year.

      • yah true..taking all the speculations into consideration..for Non AD the probably of being picked is around 41%.. AD depends on how may AD petitions have been filed. Cant do anything now but wait..wait and wait.

        Reply

        • This waiting stuff is KILLING ME !

          I suffered a lot to enter to the USA. I worked for 3 years days and nights to make enough money for trip and VISA. My parents werent able to help me. I worked my ass off to get assistantships. After I graduated I find this job with lots of pain. I was applying days and nights for months and months and now I faced wit something that is not even fair! a random generator that chooses without understanding all these pains that people like me had !

          What was my fault that I did not born in the USA? I worked 100 times of an asshole american to be doomed by a random generator ! USCIS I hope you hear this !

          Reply

    • Since the total number is so large.. there wouldn’t be a lot differences between general and advanced quota. x% at most…

      Reply

      • Total Masters Remaining Masters Probability Bachelors Probability Masters Total Probability
        172500 40000 132500 20000/40000 = 50.00% 65000/152000 = 42.62% 0.50 + 0.43 – 0.22 = 71%
        172500 35000 137500 20000/35000 = 57.14% 65000/152000 = 42.62% 0.57 + 0.43 – 0.25 = 75%
        172500 30000 142500 20000/30000 = 66.67% 65000/152500 = 42.62% 0.67 + 0.43 – 0.28 = 82%
        172500 25000 147500 20000/25000 = 80.00% 65000/152500 = 42.62% 0.80 + 0.43 – 0.34 = 89%
        172500 22000 150500 20000/22000 = 91.00% 65000/152500 = 42.62% 0.91 + 0.43 – 0.39 = 95%
        172500 20000 152500 20000/20000 = 100.00% 65000/152500 = 42.62% 1.00 + 0.43 – 0.43 = 100%

        Reply

        • So, the probably for Non AD is always 43% approximately..whereas for AD it can vary based on number of AD petitions starting from 71% for 40k petitions to 100% for 20k petitions etc

          Reply

        • well, my bad while assuming there is a x:y relation between totally number and master number. But the truth is. if the number of the master degree holder goes to 60000 or higher, the whole master cap would worth nothing.

          Reply

          • Even for 60k AD petitions..the difference in probability between AD and Non AD is ~20%. More calculations below. simple probability calculation dude:)

            Total Masters Remaining Masters Probability Bachelors Probability Masters Total Probability
            172500 60000 112500 20000/60000 = 33.33% 65000/152000 = 42.62% 0.33 + 0.43 – 0.14 = 62%
            172500 50000 122500 20000/50000 = 40.00% 65000/152000 = 42.62% 0.4 + 0.43 – 0.17 = 66%

          • You are right. The other thing is when the ad is increased from 20000 to 25000. the % drops 11%. when increased from 35000 to 40000. the % drops 4%. It’s not linear obviously. There for when both of the number is high enough. every 1000 of AD increase and decrease makes little different.

          • I agree. from somewhere around 60K the yield will be the same as general quota ! However, based on what I saw in the statistics like the number of international students in the US that are graduated around 2010 (including STEM EXT) we should expect something around 40K.

          • My impression from those years when it took months before the cap was reached is that approximately 1/4 of all applications is AD. So I’d expect around 43K applications to go through Masters quota first. Therefore, 69% probability. If it’s 1/3 – around 62%. Roughly 1 out of 3 will get his application returned.

          • The number of people graduated from US graduate school is stable. Public schools do not expand a lot and so does private schools.

  36. Is it true that all employer gets a chance ..I read some where that lottery algorithm is designed so that every employer gets some of the applications selected . Don’t know if this correct.

    Reply

    • It could be correct.

      For example Infosys and TCS applies 1000 times more than small companies then the possibility of small company petitions not being selected in lottery will be very very high

      Reply

      • I don’t think so. I wish it’s not pure lottery though……
        USCIS said it’s random, then it’s random. They do not lie.

        Reply

      • Based on my information, they don’t even open the package and assign a number to each package and do the lottery. They don’t know about the company in advance, so it is irrespective of the company and truly a random process to select.

        Reply

          • FYI… Attorneys have to mention the masters information on the package. In any case the package is not opened.

          • Guys…the lottery has nothing to do with physical package being opened or not. Do you think they performed human data entry of all the applications in 72hours. On top of it its prone to mistakes. I believe there is a step to electronically file the petition before sending in the package.

          • Why do you think they have only 72 hours? Then could have started data entry on April 1st and so on.

            They definitely need a way to determine if this is US MS or not.
            And they also might need some other data values, if they have any other parameters which affect selection. Unless they go with pure random approach.

        • It is definitely random by nature but not exact Mega lottery. There should be some selection criteria during random process. If it is lottery, USCIS doesn’t need 2 to 3 day to run the computer-generated random process.

          Reply

    • Sethu,
      I highly doubt that. If this would have been true they would have published it so that employers can plan accordingly. If it is called random, then it is really random.

      Reply

      • And if USCIS do that way and also announce, then each big company will file 100K applications knowing that the final chances are only 5%.. So they can get 5K people selected for sure from their company and also will get back the fees for remaining 95K.. They just increased or guaranteed their chances for nothing…

        Reply

  40. Dose anybody know what was the Masters CAP to Regular quota ratio last year ?

    if we know that ratio we can calculate the probability for being selected this year since there is like 20% increase in the number of applicants !

    Reply

      • Assuming that it was 25000 and assuming that that 20% is applied to that 25000 then we will have:

        25000*.20 = 5000

        25000+5000 = 30000

        20000/30000 = 66.7 % chance of being selected for Masters.

        P.S. this is a rough estimate with the above mentioned assumptions and just for Masters quota.

        The rest of that 33.3% of Masters will be in that 65000 pool so there is also a small chance for that 33.3 % as well.

        Reply

          • I really love to be wrong since your number is higher and love to have a higher percentage in a rough environment like this !

        • I don’t think there are only 25000 master+phd ( I applied as Master )

          But let’s say if only 25000 master+phd,

          then the chance I got reject is
          1 – [ ( 25000-20000)/25000 ] * [(172500-20000-65000)/(172500-20000)]
          = 1 – (5000/25000) * (87500/152500)
          = 1 – 0.2 * 0.57
          = 0.885

          So adv degree got 88% chance of being accepted IF THERE ARE ONLY 25000 adv degree.

          Reply

          • My assumption was that this year there is like 20% increase in the total number of applications. So if last year we had 25000 applications this year probably we had 30000.

          • I just digged into 2009 statics which said –

            U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) today announced a preliminary number of nearly 163,000 H-1B petitions received during the filing period ending on April 7, 2008. More than 31,200 of those petitions were for the advanced degree category.

            So may be nearly 30-35k for masters …

          • 30,000 for master is too low. Approximately 60,000 is my guess, depending the STEM students graduated last year, STEM students and Business students this year, and portion ratio of master/total petitions last year with a growth rate. While if that is the case, the % will be 58% around. Good luck to all of us.

  42. USCIS Reaches FY 2015 H-1B Cap
    Release Date: April 10, 2014
    WASHINGTON—U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced on April 7 that it has received a sufficient number of H-1B petitions to reach the statutory cap of 65,000 visas for fiscal year (FY) 2015. USCIS has also received more than the limit of 20,000 H-1B petitions filed under the advanced degree exemption.

    USCIS received about 172,500 H-1B petitions during the filing period which began April 1, including petitions filed for the advanced degree exemption. On April 10, 2014, USCIS completed a computer-generated random selection process, or lottery, to select enough petitions to meet the 65,000 general-category cap and 20,000 cap under the advanced degree exemption. For cap-subject petitions not randomly selected, USCIS will reject and return the petition with filing fees, unless it is found to be a duplicate filing.

    The agency conducted the selection process for the advanced degree exemption first. All advanced degree petitions not selected then became part of the random selection process for the 65,000 limit.
    On March 25, USCIS announced that they would begin premium processing for H-1B cap cases no later than April 28. For more information on premium processing for FY 2015 cap-subject petitions, see the related USCIS Alert.
    USCIS will continue to accept and process petitions that are otherwise exempt from the cap. Petitions filed on behalf of current H-1B workers who have been counted previously against the cap will not be counted towards the congressionally mandated FY 2015 H-1B cap. USCIS will continue to accept and process petitions filed to:

    • Extend the amount of time a current H-1B worker may remain in the United States;
    •Change the terms of employment for current H-1B workers;
    •Allow current H-1B workers to change employers; and
    •Allow current H-1B workers to work concurrently in a second H-1B position.
    U.S. businesses use the H-1B program to employ foreign workers in occupations that require highly specialized knowledge in fields such as science, engineering, and computer programming.

    For more information on USCIS and its programs, please visit www.uscis.gov or follow us on Facebook (/uscis), Twitter (@uscis), YouTube (/uscis) and the USCIS blog The Beacon.

    Reply

    • WASHINGTON—U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced on April 7 that it has received a sufficient number of H-1B petitions to reach the statutory cap of 65,000 visas for fiscal year (FY) 2015. USCIS has also received more than the limit of 20,000 H-1B petitions filed under the advanced degree exemption.

      USCIS received about 172,500 H-1B petitions during the filing period which began April 1, including petitions filed for the advanced degree exemption. On April 10, 2014, USCIS completed a computer-generated random selection process, or lottery, to select enough petitions to meet the 65,000 general-category cap and 20,000 cap under the advanced degree exemption. For cap-subject petitions not randomly selected, USCIS will reject and return the petition with filing fees, unless it is found to be a duplicate filing.

      The agency conducted the selection process for the advanced degree exemption first. All advanced degree petitions not selected then became part of the random selection process for the 65,000 limit.
      On March 25, USCIS announced that they would begin premium processing for H-1B cap cases no later than April 28. For more information on premium processing for FY 2015 cap-subject petitions, see the related USCIS Alert.
      USCIS will continue to accept and process petitions that are otherwise exempt from the cap. Petitions filed on behalf of current H-1B workers who have been counted previously against the cap will not be counted towards the congressionally mandated FY 2015 H-1B cap. USCIS will continue to accept and process petitions filed to:

      Extend the amount of time a current H-1B worker may remain in the United States;
      Change the terms of employment for current H-1B workers;
      Allow current H-1B workers to change employers; and
      Allow current H-1B workers to work concurrently in a second H-1B position.
      U.S. businesses use the H-1B program to employ foreign workers in occupations that require highly specialized knowledge in fields such as science, engineering, and computer programming.

      Reply

      • Guys, why are you re-posting the same announcement over and over again… at this point I think everybody is pretty clear that the number is 172,500…

        Reply

    • LAST YEAR, after the USCIS announced lottery was done, I had some of my friends call their International Students Office at their Universities and ask them if there is any change in their SEVIS. If there is a change (something like waiting for review or something), it means they made it in the lottery. This happened even before the receipt number was received. So you could call your Univ’s International Students Office and see.

      Reply

    • USCIS received about 172,500 H-1B petitions during the filing period which began April 1, including petitions filed for the advanced degree exemption. On April 10, 2014, USCIS completed a computer-generated random selection process, or lottery, to select enough petitions to meet the 65,000 general-category cap and 20,000 cap under the advanced degree exemption. For cap-subject petitions not randomly selected, USCIS will reject and return the petition with filing fees, unless it is found to be a duplicate filing.

      Reply

  44. Hi Sourabh / experts,

    I heard that who applied for H1 visa from H4 Visa is not considered in lottery and we have to wait till the bill pass of H4 visa work permit…

    Is this news true??? please guys update me with correct information

    Reply

    • Nothing like that.. As of now this proposal has not yet been implemented. So anyone who is on H4.. and has applied for H1B, they will be counted in the yearly CAP amounts.

      – Dave

      Reply

    • Venkat,
      April is the rumor season. Unless you see an official source on this, do not believe it. Everyone was part of the lottery.

      Reply

        • Arthur,
          Historically I have seen all or none petitions getting selected for candidates filing through multiple employers. So that makes me guess that all such petitions take up only 1 number in the cap, but don’t know for sure.

          Reply

  46. Total no of petitions: 172500

    Selected AD petitions: 20000
    Selected Chile..petns : 6800
    ——————————
    Left over quota : 85000 – (20000 + 6800) = 58,200
    No. of petitions participated in the final lottery : 172500 – 26800 = 145700

    Success Rate : 145700 / 58, 200 = 2.5

    Summary:
    ———–
    So, For every 2.5 non AD applicants, 1 member got selected in the lottery.
    If we round the decimals, 2 petitions out of 5 got selected,

    Reply

  49. Brother Barrack told me that all H4 to H1’s will be rejected outright. Sorry Venus’s. U got to wait till the new bill is passed.

    Reply

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