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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.

Photo of author
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

  1. Got to know from my friends that during lottery selection, they will give preferences to MNC’s, is that true…so that they gain more advantage of lottery selection.

    Reply

    • Lottery selection is/was done by computer software, random pick. At that stage, your package hasn’t been opened yet even thought USCIS assigned a # to get into the software. Being that true, there’s no way for the immigration officers to know your skills, status, background and so on.

      Reply

      • No, They check each application if properly filled (chq and other stuff) then they put to lottery.

        see this from immigrationgiri:

        ”
        Usually for cap-subject H-1Bs, petitions filed without the correct filing fee will be rejected and would not be included in the lottery. Therefore, they would not generate a receipt number.

        ~IG
        “

        Reply

    • Per USCIS announcement, it may go up to 30th may for RP. But the chances are very very slim…me too in the same boat and waiting. As long as the petition is not returned back..some chances. not much.

      Reply

  5. hi friends,

    How long would to take to get decission from initial reveiw? Mine is RP/WAC.
    Receivd date: April 10th.

    Kindly let me know.

    Reply

  6. is there waiting list for sure? because this is what my lawyer emailed me.

    At this point we have not yet received any returned, unselected petitions. As USCIS indicated they had finished issuance of receipts over a week ago, we are not expecting to receive many more receipts – if any. There is still a slim chance we could receive receipts as USCIS does send them by regular mail and they were dealing with a high volume and might have a delayed mailing process. We won’t know definitely until we receive a receipt or returned package.

    Unfortunately there is no wait list.

    Reply

  10. Got an email from OOC today that application is still pending with USCIS for further communication.

    What does that mean… cheque encashed and recipt not eceived OR status not visible completely. I hope OOC folks wud have come to know by now whose cheque has been encashed.

    Not sure what’s going on :O

    Reply

  11. Hi Saurav,

    For H1-B visa stamping, do i need to submit tax returns or need to submit only if i worked in US ?

    awaiting for reply.

    Thanks

    Reply

  14. Guys

    Just received the good news . Mine is NonAD, Reg, VT.

    Receipts are on the way. Stay assured. You will hear the good news at any time !!!

    Reply

  15. It seems chances are less this year. Can you guys please let me know if I work for mnc x in India, one us staffing & consultancy firm is ready to file for my h1 next year. Is it possible that when I work for one company, another company can file for my h1. Please suggest.

    Reply

  16. Hello Friends,

    I have been a silent follower in this group since April. My ODC team had informed me that i got selected in the lottery. My receipt number was logged in the USCIS system on April 10th.

    Good luck for everyone who is waiting.

    Reply

    • We are glad to inform your H1 application is accepted by USCIS in the lottery process and we have received the receipt number. End to end process of H1 approval takes around 4 to 5 months. GIMS team will keep you posted once we have the update. There is every chance application may receive RFE (Request for further evidence), in case of RFE is issued and if GIMS team requires any further documentation from you, we will contact you.

      We are still in process of getting receipts from USCIS, hence please do not encourage your other colleagues to contact GIMS/raise service connect to get the update on their application. We will keep them also posted as and when we have the information. We can expect complete clarity on the applications accepted/rejected in another 3 to 4 weeks.

      Reply

  18. Hi Saurav,

    For H1-B visa stamping, do i need to submit tax returns or need to submit only if i worked in US ?

    awaiting for reply.

    Thanks

    Reply

  19. Any new receipts are generated or yet to be generated ? Please update guys..Waiting kills…..

    Reply

    • Buddy, you are from which location ? I got an email from People Mobility that we have received no update yet from USCIS you need to wait till end of June .

      Reply

      • I am from Mumbai and I have received “waiting” mail too..I think its all over for Accenture, they are waiting for rejection packets only.

        Reply

        • Some of the HYD and MUM folks got the Accepted mails today…. Anyone from Bangalore got Accepted mails?

          Reply

          • But guys I think it cannot be over , its the first time I am seeing someone from Accenture received receipt notice. I still have hope !!

          • I hope so. Out of 3, we have received “selected” for one and “waiting” for two..so it justifies 33%.

            How many from your project got the “selected” mail?

          • Out of 5 .. 1 guy has received acceptance…other 4 have received Waiting email. So what do you think , do we still have hope?

          • Mine got selected from Bangalore – ACN
            They won’t share the receipt number though unless we get an assignment. Anybody knows the rest of the procedure after this ? How does it get approved and when would be the interview ?

          • I also received the acceptance mail from ACN-GGN. Many received the waiting mail here too..

            Congratss to all who received the update ..Good luck to everyone who is waiting !!
            Thanks..

    • Congrats!! Me too received the notification from the employer today that my application has been selected..

      Reply

        • Thanks.. No update has been made either in the status or in the receipt number in the RMS tool as it is clearly stated in the mail “Receipt number will be shared with employees only at the time of visa stamping process”.

          Reply

          • Thanks for the info. So, this makes it clear for me to stop checking RMS tool for any updates as it does not get updated even after selection. Hope still alive !!!

          • Any idea as to how long does it take to get approval after knowing about the selection in lottery ?accenture guys?

  24. Hi,

    After getting receipt no., what are the next steps in process and procedure for the petition approval and visa stamping.

    Can anyone please provide some information on that?

    Reply

  25. how much time usually it take to move to accepted state from initial review for vermount R/non AD h1b application?

    Reply

  26. Hi All,

    I’d like to inform you guys that my employer contacted me and informed that my petition was not selected in the lottery. They expect to receive my rejection package till end of may.

    Congrats to everyone selected, good luck for those non-selected ones in reorganizing plans, best wishes!

    Reply

    • I do not think USCIS sends out an email before ur attorney actually receives the returned package.
      There is no way your employer could know your not selected in they lottery until they actually receive the rejected packet.
      I wonder on what basis your employer/attorney could say that your not selected in the lottery.

      Reply

  27. Non-AD/PP/Vermont,
    hi all,
    Its been very nice reading post and giving my view..the journey went good so far like being selected in lottery,petition approval but wat are the chances of of h1b visa interview success and stamping,my attorney says it should be OK but i am so still not confident.!!??
    Anxious!
    All the best to you all for h1b.
    please give your view.
    Thanks

    Reply

    • can you please tell me when your lottery receipt date and when it got approved ?

      my wife got new from employer that she selected on April 14th NON AD PP still no approval !!!!! and don’t know what is going on ”

      Reply

  28. Can anyone help us to get the list of colleges/universities in California/new york who give us cpt(work permit) from day-1. highly appreciate if any one have any idea.

    Reply

  29. hi capgemini guys,

    Still we are waiting for the inforamtion ? is any body notified from the GX team .

    are the M’s knows about the status whether we have got selected or not ?

    Please tell me if any body knows any information .

    Regards
    kkkkkk

    Reply

    • Capgemini filed around 1365 H1B petitions this year…Can’t believe that even a single one was not selected/informed about the same.

      Reply

      • Why these people not sharing the information to candidate ?

        at least they should notify to the selected people . so that they will plan accrodingly.

        Otherwise people thinks that they got selected in the lottery in otherway around.

        GX team guys are not communicating properly .. when asked for info. they were keep on telling that this week / next week end.

        what is the actual date exepected ?

        may i know your CG id ?

        Reply

        • Well I am not a Capgemini employee but if they are giving such vague answers to all the employees in all capgemini offices around then Capgemini has got to suck in this.

          Reply

      • Hi Tough Luck,

        How do you know that CG filed oly 1365 application ?

        who passed the info that even a single one was not selected ?

        Share the corp id.

        Regards

        Reply

        • You may search the petitions filed by any company on the internet
          You may use the link below and confirm.

          myvisajobs.com/H1B-Visa

          Reply

          • Hi Guys,
            Does any one know what the status means “Certified”?
            Does that means it had been selected in lottery ? Or just the application acceptance status ?

  30. Guys,
    Did OOC notify anyone last week?
    Today got a mail from GIMS that application is still pending with USCIS for further communication.
    When we can expect an update? Did anyone contact OOC? I raised couple of service connect requests, but nothing but the standard response.

    Reply

    • On of team mate got of Sat

      We are glad to inform your H1 application is accepted by USCIS in the lottery process and we have received the receipt number. End to end process of H1 approval takes around 4 to 5 months. GIMS team will keep you posted once we have the update. There is every chance application may receive RFE (Request for further evidence), in case of RFE is issued and if GIMS team requires any further documentation from you, we will contact you.

      We are still in process of getting receipts from USCIS, hence please do not encourage your other colleagues to contact GIMS/raise service connect to get the update on their application. We will keep them also posted as and when we have the information. We can expect complete clarity on the applications accepted/rejected in another 3 to 4 weeks.

      Reply

  32. How much time it takes to get Receipt NO after Check is encashed…
    8 days are over…..still no receipt no….any idea?

    Reply

      • My check also got en cashed on 2 May and my employer got receipt mail on 5 May.
        I guess you should ask your employer.

        Reply

        • I am keep asking the employer and they informed me that they haven’t received the receipt. As it is RP processing, they asked me to wait till end of May.

          Reply

          • Finally got the message from Employer. They have the receipt number with attorney and share the details after petition approval. I was under the wrong impression that they haven’t received the receipt in the first place.

  33. Same day i got mail from them…check encashed…still further mail…waiting eagerly for Receipt No to come….already 8/9 days over…still waiting for their confirmation….any updates, let me know…..

    Reply

    • Don’t worry , you will hear good news soon.Some times after check gets en-cashed it takes 2 weeks.As your employer will receive mail not email so it takes time.But meanwhile just keep on asking your employer about your receipt because sometimes they forget to inform.

      Reply

  34. All Waiting People,

    Thanks a ton for sharing valuable information on this forum.

    As it’s clear that receipt sharing process is almost completed and we will be receiving our packets back. Can we discuss about alternatives ? Being IT professional with 7+ years of experience , paying high EMI against Home loan and responsible for family expenditures , I can think of below options –

    1. Work with employer to initiate L1 Visa.Not sure how this will help but can give try for L1-B.
    I heard rejection ratio for L1-A is low but not aware about eligibility criteria for same. Can someone help here ?

    2. Apply immigration Visa request for Canada/Australia or any other EU countries suitable & affordable for IT professional.
    Can someone help with information on this ?

    3. By now most of us realized that HIGHER/MASTERS EDUCATION is must for professional growth. I am looking for Universities/Colleges where 100& Scholarship/stipend is provided so I can support my family with education.
    Can I expect guidance from AD guys on this ?

    4. Last option which I don’t want to do is Switch employer. But my NO NO to this.

    5. Any other option which you can think of ???/

    Thanks in advance !!!

    Reply

    • Hey,

      check the following my friend.

      http://www.immi.gov.au/Visas/Pages/189.aspx

      Check this other website to see if your career is in high demand in Australia and if you can apply for permanent residency.

      https://www.migration.sa.gov.au/snol_data

      Reply

  35. Guys,

    still am not getting any result from uscis.
    still we have any chances ?
    or Game over?

    please update me………

    Reply

  36. Hi all,
    I am reposting my comments as I made some grammatical error in previous post please excuse me. I’ve been reading the comments for quite a while…and I am in the same boat with all of you who are still waiting anxiously for the results… Please do not give up and lose hope…I spoke with USCIS officer on Thursday, May 15th and she told me that it can take up to 60 days (from the day your petition was submitted for H1B (cap) visa to receive a receipt notice. So there are chances to receive receipt notice up to May, 31st. There can be miracles if you believe.
    Good luck to all of you and may God bless you all.
    Cheers!
    Jason

    Reply

  37. Hi all,
    I’ve been reading the comments for quite a while…and I am in the same boat with all of you who are still waiting anxiously for the results… Please do not give up and lose hope…I spoke with USCIS officer on Thursday, May 15th and I she told that it can take up to 60 days (from the day your petition was submitted for H1B (cap) visa to receive a receipt notice. So there are chances to receive receipt notice up to May, 31st. There can be miracles if you believe.
    Good luck to all of you and may God bless you all.
    Cheer!
    Jason

    Reply

      • Hello ,

        I am also waiting for the same from Capgemini. there is no information from the GX team,

        May be this week end / month end they will notify us

        Reply

  39. Hi Guys,

    I already told in.my previous comments also and asked from my attorney as well….the fane is now over for everyone…..there is a possibility that your employer might not have shared the status with you but USCIS has done and now they started sending rejected packets…so whoever not selected this year wait for your packets…..

    Reply

  40. Anyone from CTS got receipt today? As per GIT, we have chance till this week. Please share if you get any email. Thanks

    Reply

  45. Hello guys,

    I was just told my status has changed to RFE. Is it a good sign, bad sign or just a common thing? My employer is a small IT company(less than 10 people) and currently has one H1B employee. I worked for them last year as a OPT intern. My background is EE and the position offered is web programmer.

    Rumor says that WAC is encouraged to issue superfluous RFEs and more 50% of the petitions (or higher) will receive RFEs, especially for IT petitions. I am just wondering is there anybody has got RFE like me?

    Many thanks!

    Reply

    • Electrical engineering and web programmer as does not match I guess. You and your employer/attorney need to work hard to co relate your job responsibility with your bachelor degree

      as per reference of USCIS visa guide.
      Requirement 3 – Your job must be in a specialty occupation related to your field of study.
      + How do I show that my degree is related to the specialty occupation?

      Some of the evidence you may submit to demonstrate that your degree is related to your position includes:

      A detailed explanation of the specific duties of the position, the product or service your company provides, or the complex nature of the role you will perform, and how your degree relates to the role.
      Written opinions from experts in the field explaining how the degree is related to the role you will perform.
      Printouts from online resources describing the degree fields normally associated with the occupation.
      Evidence that similar companies in your industry require similar degrees for similar positions.

      Reply

    • I am so sorry to hear some desperate comments here, especially at this very moment… I totally understand cuz I may end up with nothing in this H1B fight.

      There is no manipulation or fake involved in my case. My employer doesn’t run body shop and never files numerous petitions as some infamous MNCs.

      The relationship between my degree and Job title may not be so convincing but other than that everything is solid.

      Again, I just want to share my experience and hopefully help the others who are luckily selected in lottery but stuck in RFE hopelessly in similar scenario.

      Good luck to all! 🙂

      Reply

      • Some guys here judges too quick without know what is going behind . I work for a telcom giant and suffering from rubbish output of so called desi mnc (wipro/infy) ..Good luck for ur RFE. dont forget to share ur update with us.

        Reply

      • Get a professional evaluation of your degree done from Trustforte (or any other similar entity) highlighting alignment of your EE subjects with your work responsibilities. When contacting Trustforte, ask for a professor evaluation to personally validate your experience and get a equivalency assessment to an IT or Comp Sci degree. Have you taken at least one IT/ Systems/ Programming subject in your EE program?

        Reply

    • Get a professional evaluation of your degree done from Trustforte (or any other similar entity) highlighting alignment of your EE subjects with your work responsibilities. When contacting Trustforte, ask for a professor evaluation to personally validate your experience and get a equivalency assessment to an IT or Comp Sci degree. Have you taken at least one IT/ Systems/ Programming subject in your EE program?

      Reply

    • RFE is always bad (as USCIS almost never denies an H-1 petition outright.) Yours is particularly so. The EE degree v Web programmer is a lessor concern, since EE is a field related to CS. The big problem is USCIS does not consider level-I Web Programmer a specialty occupation. See a recent court case discussed at murthy.com: http://www.murthy.com/2014/05/15/district-court-on-h1b-specialty-occupation/
      Your employer need to retain a lawyer who is highly experienced on such matters. An experienced atty would not even have been submitted the H-1 petition under that position in the first place.

      Reply

  47. Was planning for H1 application many days, my employer was keep saying go for H1. on 29th of March just 2 days before my H1 application my employer / company and attorney told me it will be a very tough/hard call to go for h1 application as I have no work experience in this field ( though i send all my documents ,certificates, CV, payment in January 2014 ) I just passed my graduation in Business Information Technology (3yrs) from University Of Greenwich ,England last year. Now my question to you all people will they reject my application coz of my Graduation which is 3 yrs instead of 4 years and no experience in I.T field ? Will they give me any chance ? please reply me can’t sleep whole night !!

    Reply

  49. How can we make out from receipt number that whether our filing has been done in prem processing or not is there any thing from which we can distinguish fee etc , if fee is the criteria then what should be the fee for PP

    Reply

  50. Guys,
    Anyone got receipt in this week. Please reply so that others can hope or can plan something else for this year.

    Reply

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