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H1B Visa 2015 – Frequently Asked Questions – Updates

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. EAC141465 series, notified on April-28th, still initial review… please let me know how many days will take to get the approval…

    Reply
  2. Hi All,

    Is it game over ? ?
    My attorney says to stay alive with hopes upto 31st may !! would dat really take so much time, USCIS has notified dat dey have sent all the reciepts’ on 5th of may ryt !!! shud i have hopes or is it game over ??

    Reply
  3. Hi friends..
    is there anyone whose petition got approved – RP/ Non AD/ WAC ??

    Congrats for all who have got picked up in the lottery.. and others please dont loose hope 🙂 All the best..

    Reply
  4. Hello Guys,

    who ever eagerly waiting for the updates from CG, still there is no response from GX team,

    Still they keep on postponing the date to announce .
    as far i know Ms knows the results of candidates 🙁

    Reply
  5. Anyone with Ernst & Young received any news (PP or RP/AD or Non-AD)? Egan are the Lawyers dealing with the application however I have not heard anything as of yet?

    Reply
  6. Yesterday my employer announced me that my application(Non-AD and RP) got picked up in the lottery. All the best for every one who are all waiting and congrats for everyone who got selected.

    Yet to get receive the receipt number from the HR team. Will update you all once I get it.

    Reply
  7. I took 30 cases from my series.

    1) initial review : 16 (53%)
    2)RFE : 7 (30%)
    3)Approved or post decision : 7 (30%)

    Mine is still under initial review ..RP/RQ EAC14148 series.

    Reply
    • correction ::
      I took 30 cases from my series.

      1) initial review : 16 (53%)
      2)RFE : 7 (23%)
      3)Approved or post decision : 7 (23%)

      Reply
      • Hi, mine is also RP/RQ EAC14148*** notice date it April 30. It’s been initial review. How long does it take for initial review? it seems to be really long for the initial review. My company’s other applicant AD/PP/EAC was approved around 4/25. I am worried as we have the same position. What if they say too many same positions for one company? I am an accountant, not IT, and not Indian or Chinese. 1st time applicant.

        Reply
    • How do you know, infact i havent received any communication. I got to know that we can keep hopes till the end of this month.

      Reply
      • They sent an email to all the employees who selected in lottery, and they said that it will take some time to update the receipt in PSFT

        Reply
  8. Hi Guys,
    Called GIT today. They are asking to wait till month end.. I dont think so anyone has got receipt no. in this or last week..

    Reply
    • Many got dudes .. i am also waiting for my case. RM said that, my name may come in next (second) list. not sure which second and thrid list they are talking about. if USCIS has completed the lottery process then where second list is coming from?

      Reply
  9. Hi,

    I have got selected in lottery and my petition is in “Initial Review” status, but my onsite manager (whom i have given during Petition submission) is resigned the job from our organization. Will there be any impact in my approval process?

    Please suggest….

    Reply
          • Heard about a AIMS update on 20th in Bangalore. GI Help desk is not answering any questions, they are giving a standard reply to wait until 15th June. Any rejections so far?

          • Hi,
            Any special reason for tomorrow?
            Has anyone got a rejection till now?
            GI team is not helping at all, they just provide a standard reply to wait till 15th June…..

          • I have heard that they are releasing acknowledgements once a week, mostly on Monday or Friday !

          • dont think they are updating only on monday and Friday, because there are few getting updates on other weekdays also. But based on the numbers from many teams, looks like many more are yet to come. AHD also says they are updating as and when they receive. Also based on last year, AIMS was being updated even in June, so it would be best to wait until rejections start coming in.

  10. Conrates!!! whoever selected in the lottery….rest sad to say that wait for your return packets…..there is no more if and else.

    Reply
  11. Reg/ PP/ EAC.
    Receipt received on 16th April.
    RFE on 2nd May
    RFE received on 5th May
    RFE replied on 12th May
    RFE received by USCIS on 14th May
    Approved on 21st May.

    Reply
  12. AD/RP/VT – RFE Today but online tracking say they sent RFE by mail no May 19th. I filed under in-house project with start date of Oct 1st.

    Reply
    • Could you please share more info?? What’s your job description? IT or Non-IT? If it is IT, is your Bachelors and AD related to IT? Please share these info so that we can have some ideas. Thanks in advance

      Reply
    • Mine is similar to yours. I filed under an long-term in-house project in an IT company and got RFE. I check some chinese websites and it seems lots of people have got RFEs this year. Feel lucky if you don’t get one. 😀

      Reply
  13. Non-AD/PP/VT – RFE:

    To all those RFE’s in this category:

    Notice date: 15th Apr (Case was not found in USCIS tracker until May 7th)
    RFE date: 7th May (Case tracked online; status went to RFE)
    RFE responded date: 13th May (via mail by attorney)
    RFE acknowledged by USCIS : 15th May (Status went back to Initial review)
    Approval date: 21st May (Status jumped to Post decision activity).

    Just thought of sharing this info for those who might be looking for it on how RFE’s are being handled.
    RFE was very simple one (Sorry. I cannot reveal at this point).

    Good Luck everyone.

    Reply
    • Mine is same like yours. Plz share what was the rfe about? I got one for the client letter but my company’s corporate policy foes not allow furnishing client letter to non employees or contractors…. Plz share

      Reply
  14. Any one still waiting on AD / PP / California ?
    I haven’t heard anything from my attorney. Could some one assist me the chances of being in backup pool ? Any expected timeframe I can count on for rejection notice ? Any info is greatly appreciated.

    Reply
    • I’m on the same boat but slightly different. My DSO said I was selected first and they provided me with a receipt number which is still on the acceptance level on the status check site. But USCIS says this receipt number is not valid because I was selected first then was voided for some reason they don’t even know. My lawyer is 100% sure there is an human error made by USCIS but unfortunately there is nothing we can do other than waiting for my package be back.
      I have not received anything from USCIS and want to know when my package will arrive too!

      Reply
      • I too am waiting for the packet. No change in SEVIS, took a manual extension for 2 more weeks until returned packet is received. As of yesterday no news on return packet, lawyer says has not received anything.

        Reply
      • Oh thats bad luck man.
        I mean, after being picked in the lottery, why would they void it.
        My guess are the following :
        1) Error in the application
        2) Error in the amount paid for the process.

        I think the error might be such that they couldnt even process. Request a draft copy from your attorney and go through it line by line. Its very wierd why they would void an AD case

        Reply
        • so for the options you may think of;

          1. If there was an error in the application, what they do is they do an RFE so that you can fix it which has not happened for my case.

          2. I saw the check cut by the employer and was in the exact right amount that has to be paid. So there should not be any problems with that.

          I will review the documents and everything in the package with my lawyer once I receive it back. My question is if we see no error made by us and its totally them, can I file a dispute or something like that?

          Reply
      • the packet will be returned to Employer, not lawyer. So your Employer (and you if they allow) will have a chance to examine what happened.

        Reply
      • At this point I would suggest, you should start looking with other option. As most likely you are not selected in lottery. Explore your option and do not loose hope. I was in same situation last year and year before that but got selected this time. Good luck.

        Reply
    • AD/RP/VT – RFE Today but online tracking say they sent RFE by mail no May 19th. I filed under in-house project with start date of Oct 1st.

      Reply
    • Hello Friend,

      1st list(7th May) is with FDFU, if you haven’t contacted them yet – Please call and find out the status on your application. It appears that in the 1st list only few got through(We are talking as low as 10/300), others are still waiting for the next list.
      No one is clear when that will come. Hopefully, next list will bring smiles to the people who are eagerly waiting.
      Best Luck to everyone!

      Reply
  15. Neither checks haven’t been cashed nor haven’t got package returned. What is going on?. Should I still have hopes?

    Reply
  16. Why the USCIS not returned petitions which are not selected in lottery? USCIS website published they completed the lottery and selected required number of petitions on 04/10 and completed the data entry on 05/02. Almost 13 working days over 05/02, still not received receipt/return petition by snail mail to attorney.

    Reply
  17. Any AD people received receipts or returned application packages back after May 12th ??

    and how many are still waiting ?

    Reply
    • Me too on the same boat. By this month end we should be getting back our packets. It’s game over for all who didn’t receive their receipt numbers till now. Unfortunately i am one of them. Lets hope for the best -next year.

      Reply
  18. Hey Guys,

    I have applied for the first time and my application is picked up in lottery, waiting for final approval. Please let me know when I need to show all the original documents? Somehow I am not able to get one of the educational certificate, although I have photocopy of that certificate. Do they accept photocopy or I have to visit the city from where I did my graduation to get the duplicate certificate. getting duplicate certificate takes lot of time and procedures. I am worried if that would be a big issue. Do they check each and every educational document? I have all the other documents and all documents are 100% true. I have scanned copy of the lost certificate also. Please help. Thanks in advance and all the best for all who is looking for H1B this year.

    Reply
    • During visa interview they might ask for all the original educational transcripts. So better go to the university and get a duplicate copy. It is for your own sake and not for anyone else. You will need it anyway in the future.

      Reply
  19. RQ/RP got receipt number on April28, please let me know how many days will take to get approval…. awaiting for your response…

    Reply
    • some of applicants of my series EAC1414753 (29th April) have already got RFE or approval. Mine is under Initial review :/

      Reply
    • No one can predict. It might be today or tomorrow or a month or two. Stay happy for being selected in the lottery. There are many guys who are still waiting and don’t know whether their application is selected or not.

      Reply

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