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H1B Visa 2016 – FAQs – Lottery, Quota, Immigration Reform, News

Updated : November 25th, 2015

H1B Visa 2016 Filing Season Complete, Cap reached on April 7th, 2015.

Planning for next H1B season, Check out H1B Visa 2017 FAQs

As many of you know, H1B Visa 2015 quota was over in the first week and a whopping 172,500 H1B petitions were received in first week by USCIS.  H1B Lottery / random selection was held by USCIS to select 85,000 H1B petitions to fulfil the work permit cap. Many of the unlucky ones are already wondering about next year H1B Visa quota. Also, some of you are planning for H1B visa for next year, you also would be wondering regarding the same. This article addresses many of the common questions, it will be updated constantly, whenever any changes to info.  Bookmark this page !  To start with, firstly the news updates on this season, followed by many commonly asked questions.

Official & Unofficial USCIS News Updates Regarding H1B 2016 Season 

When will the H1B season for fiscal 2016 begin ?

USCIS will accept petitions for H1B Visa 2016 season starting from April 1st, 2015.  USCIS did a press release on March 12th outlining the details. Read summary of press release by USCIS on H1B 2016 .

Will there be lottery again for H1B Visa 2016 ? Predictions ?

We had lottery for FY 2015 and FY 2014. The total number of petitions filed for FY 14 were about 125,000 and for  FY 2015, there were about 172,500 petitions… As H1B Quota did not increase for FY 2016, and the demand does not seem to decrease, we would very likely have lottery for FY 2016.  Read H1B Visa 2016 Lottery Predictions, Dates, Results

What is the H1B Visa quota Cap Count ? Would there be any changes to H1B 2016 count ?

H1B Visa quota cap count is the total number of petitions that USCIS will accept for a fiscal year to provide temporary work permit for highly skilled workers.  For the 2016 fiscal year, the cap count is as below :

  • Regular H1B Quota : 65,000
  • H1B Masters Degree Quota ( only US Degrees) : 20,000
  • Out of the above, a total of 6,800 is usually set aside for Singapore and Chile citizens as part of the free trade agreement between them.

As per the press release in March 2015, the quota did not increase.  To give some background, as per the Obama executive action in Nov 2014, no changes were announced to the H1B Cap count. There was proposal in 2013 to increase H1B cap from 65,000 to 110,000 and Masters quota to increase from 20,000 to 25,000 did not go through as of March 2015. At least, for this FY 2016 season, the quota is fixed and it will be as above and no changes.

When should I start planning for H1B Visa 2016 ? What are the steps ?

It depends on your situation. Below are few scenarios and your plan.

  • If you are a student on F1 Visa in USA, you need to plan for your internship/ CPT or OPT employment  at a company that can sponsor your H1B Visa for FY 2016. In my view, you should start now to find something for the fall 2014 and continue that for next spring so that you can file for FY 2016
  • If you are in other country and planning for H1B, it is good to start your process around the end of this year 2014. It will give you enough time to find sponsors, search for job, etc.
  • If you are on H4, L1 or other visa in USA and planning for H1B for FY 2016, you also should consider looking around end of this year i.e. December 2014.

We have published step by step plan, you can read the article How to plan for H1B Visa 2016 ?Step by Step Guide 

Most asked Question – How do I Find H1B Sponsors for FY 2016 ?

This is a million dollar question !  One of the biggest challenges is to find a good sponsor that can offer you a job and wait for you to start work after 6 months of filing your petition.  You should review the detail article on How to find H1B Sponsors for FY 2015. Your first place of start is to find the H1B Sponsors in an area or by company. Use our H1B Visa Sponsors Database to search and filter. Read this article on details on how to search in our H1B Sponsor database. We keep the database updated as DOL publishes data. Do NOT share your email or phone number on our website as comments, there are many people do H1B Sponsorship fraud by requesting money using your contact info. RedBus2US.com never provides personal guidance on H1B sponsors or seeks money from anyone, we only display publicly available data on our H1B Sponsors Database page. We DO NOT sponsor H1Bs or guide anyone. Beware of H1B sponsorship Fraud ! 

What about Comprehensive Immigration Reform ( CIR) – H1B Visa Changes ? What are they ?

There have been some proposed changes to the H1B Visa program to cater to the demand in the  US economy as part of the Comprehensive Immigration reform. Below are some of the proposed changes.

  • H1B Cap to be increased from 65,000 to 110,000 per year.  Also have provisions to have it up to 180,000 in case of extreme demand.
  • Advanced degree from US cap quota to increase from 20,000 to 25,000
  • The Filing fee for H1B could go up to 10,000 USD
  • Additional H1B rules to avoid H1B Visa fraud by employers
  • Mandatory LCA posting for 30 days before it is certified.

These were proposed in 2013, but nothing has moved significantly and all the above are just proposed rules. We are not sure when they will be implemented. You can read  Summary of CIR – Immigration reform – H1B Visa and Green Card  to get an idea. The latest update is that Obama has taken executive action on Immigration in Nov  2014  and none of the below are included as part of that.  Stay tuned for updates.

H1B Visa 2016 Fees – Any changes ? How much does it cost ?

There are various components of the fee. The H1B Application filing fee could range anywhere from $1,600 USD to $4,400 depending on the size of the company. The attorney fee can range from $500 to $3000 depending on the attorney. If you apply for premium processing that is another $1,225. The fees has not changed in the past couple of years for FY 2014 and FY 2015. Unless USCIS revises fee based on immigration reform, it should be same. We will keep you all posted. For complete details of the fee by components and break up, read the article H1B Visa  Fees and Who Pays for What ?

H4 Visa EAD rule impact on H1B Visa 2016 Season ?

As you know, certain H4 visa holders are now eligible for EAD. The H4 Visa EAD Rule Passed earlier in 2015 and is effective from May 26, 2015.  USCIS will start accepting applications for EAD from those eligible H4 visa holders starting from May 26th. The question is that will that have an impact on number of H1B petitions for this fiscal year  ?  It very likely will have certain impact on the number of H1B applications that are filed for this year 2016 quota. Many of the H4 holders, who would now be eligible for EAD, may not apply for H1B visa, just because it gives them more flexibility to work and more choices to work as well. We would have to wait and see, how much of an impact that would have, but it is very straightforward and no brainer for eligible H4 visa holder to avoid the H1B processing.

H1B visa Premium Processing Changes to H1B Visa 2016 quota ? 

USCIS updated in their press release that the premium processing will be accepted for FY 2016 quota and they will only begin that “no later than May 11, 2015”. What it means for the petitioners is that the official 15 day premium processing clock starts from May 11th, 2015 and their petition could be adjudicated within 15 days from May 11th, which would be May 26th, 2015.  USCIS can process them earlier as well, but their new timeline is just indication for setting the right expectations to meet the stipulated time frame for premium processing.

Track H1B Visa 2016 Cap Count updates ?

As in previous years, we have created a page, where would track the cap count updates for FY 2016. You may check out  H1B visa 2016 Cap Count Tracker.

While you wait, you can check out April 1st – USCIS H1B Visa 2016 Season Starts Today, When to expect Lottery ?

H1B Lottery Completed – Official Tweet and Press Release 

H1B Cap Reached – Official USCIS Tweet and Link to Press release :


Any other questions ?

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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28,610 Comments

  1. heard a rumor, lottery selection is also based on experience.. is it true? i can see my experience mentioned in I-129 form.

    Reply
  2. Is it really random lottery. I am in usa since 4 years now and I observed that this year all my friends AD/NonAD who works in reputed firms (eg Intel, Twitter and other non IT firms) got through the lottery no matter AD non AD on the other hand I have friend’s who work in cognizant CapG ( I don’t mean they are not reputed ) and other consultants or even non IT small companies where very few less than 20 percent got selected. My sample will be 50 in each category but it makes me wonder.

    Probably this analysis or observation may help some of you for next year.

    Reply
    • I highly doubt it is “random” Nothing the US government does is random. I reckon they have some kind of algorithm that focuses on STEM competencies and Fortune 500s. Of course, some others will get it but I think it must be weighted towards certain roles and companies. Everything the USA does will be in its social and economic interest. That is not a criticism at all but just a fact. Having said that, nobody really knows what goes on at USCIS.

      Reply
      • Hi Sir ,

        According to the mail,You will get an email within 2-3 business working days once it is uploaded in myvisa . It’s a generic statement . They sent this mail so that noone will approach them for any updates . Kindly wait !!!

        Reply
        • It means,

          So far, we have not got any updates on your profile. If we get any future updates, we will update, which is a polite way of saying “better luck next time.”

          Reply
  3. I still didn’t receive any news on my AD/PP filing nor got my package returned yet . whats going on really ??
    Anyone in the same boat as me .I have given up hope , but just asking

    Reply
  4. Hi,

    I am from Infosys and so far have not received any update on my case.
    All these days I have been a silent spectator at this site and I am posting here today because I want to share some info that might be useful to some from my organisation.

    One of my friend’s case has been picked in lottery and she got this update yesterday. Quite a few of her friends from the same unit as her have got a reject.
    So this means that statuses are indeed being updated on a real time basis irrespective of selection or rejection and hence it is not correct to infer that no update so far is definitely a reject.

    Meanwhile I contacted a GI team personnel through communicator for update on my case. She responded that so far there is no update on my case and I will need to wait.

    Hope this post helps my fellow Infoscions !!

    Reply
    • Can u plz tell frm which location ur friend got receipt update i mean california or vermont?
      I hve heard that vermont is still sending receipts….

      Reply
    • 23,800 of the 2,33,000 applications… that is 10% of the total applications! … there should be a cap to the number of applications each company can apply

      Reply
    • Hi,
      Thanks for the info. Not sure why they are taking so much time to provide us update. At least they should inform if visa is selected or not. This wait is killing me

      Reply
      • Thank you. It’s expected due to low odds. Seyfarth Shaw is my lawfirm. We’re looking at H-2B now or transfer to other country. They recommend day 1 CPT, but Im not sure if Im going to go for that.

        Reply
        • I am AD/RP. No hopes left. Day 1 CPT univs are shady. But all recommend it.
          RFE is sure next year if we do that.

          Reply
  5. Hi there

    Non ad rp vt centre- first name starting with S …. Check encashed – got the receipts??? Are they sending in alphabetical order??

    Thanks

    Reply
    • Hey Dude,

      Mine was a L1-H1 COS transfer. Receipt received on April 17 and Approval came on May 13th in regular processing. All the best.

      Reply
  6. Hey guys, looks like the RP approvals are starting to flow in. my brother’s petition is APPROVED. RP/EAC/non-AD.
    Good luck Guys.

    Reply
  7. Have anyone received an update today (may 19)? Just waiting for an update. Any idea until what date did USCIS send out receipts in the last fiscal year ?

    Reply
  8. I have been following this site from past few months and it seems it is time to bid goodbye to everyone with a heavy heart. Received the “pending status” mail from Accenture yesterday, which is just a cruel way of just playing with the hopes of employees. A lot was at stake here, now I will have to resign and go on H4 and be a housewife in spite of being highly qualified. There has not been a single day when I didn’t pray to God for the visa, but it seems he is not on my side.

    Please suggest me other options if any or don’t. Nobody gives a shit anyways! :'(

    Reply
    • Apply for Canada PR which is valid for 5 years, After working there for two years, you can directly work in US. There are lot of opportunities in Canada now. Dont loose hope 🙂

      Reply
    • If you are so qualified then apply for jobs in USA and ask them to sponsor your H1B visa next year. Or ask your husband to talk to his employer for GC EB2 or EB1 category as applicable. Once you get I 140 approved you can get EAD and start working. But please for everyone’s sake don’t go to any fake consultancy and apply for H1B. Another possible option would be to go for Masters in USA. That way you will get two shots one in the 20000 quota and another in the general category. There are options available so please open your eyes. But please use your qualification in a right manner and not through fake consultancy route.

      All the best !!!!!

      Reply
        • You can look for H-1B Cap-Exempt employers that hire professionals on H-1B visa throughout the year regardless of the H-1B quota situation.

          A not for profit institution of higher education

          A not for profit entity related or affiliated to an institution of higher education

          A not for profit research organization or a governmental research organization

          Certain for-profit (e.g. consulting/contracting) firms.

          You need to search for that type of jobs. They will pay you.

          All the best!!!

          Reply
    • Not trying to be rude. Since you are well qualified, why dont you remain in india? Life is going to be pathetic if you are planning to be house wife and if you are like some of my friends from Blr (who enjoys life), your husbands salary wont be enough.

      Reply
  9. Guys any update from 8k Miles receipts ? Anyone received ? They said they didnot disclose receipt no.s till now to anyone and they will wait till month end to receive some more. True ?

    Reply
    • I also got the same information from them . I am also in your same boat.. waiting. But here one guy named ‘Robin’ claimed that he got receipt from 8kMiles.

      Reply
      • They claim they got for 70 and asks me to wait till month end. But I haven’t seen any one updates. Did any of you cal them

        Reply
  10. Guys,
    In my organization whosoever is holding B1 did not selected this year H1,whereas all the others guys those are not having US Business Visa got selected in lottery. Is it just a coincident or make any sense ?
    Thanks
    Vatsin

    Reply
  11. hi i got receipt number but it is confusing whether i am selected in lottery or not some one telling i am picked up in lottery and someone telling i am not.

    the case in USCIS says
    On April 13, 2015, we received your Form I-129, Petition for a Nonimmigrant Worker, Receipt Number WAC15451XXXX, and sent you the receipt notice that describes how we will process your case. Please follow the instructions in the notice. If you do not receive your receipt notice by May 13, 2015, please call Customer Service at 1-800-375-5283.

    Please suggest i am in state of confusion and tension

    Reply
          • you are not taken by birth by all knowledge…

            You are also not known to some of the points which we know.

            Nothing wrong in getting info in this blog… this is not your baaps site….
            If you want to answer, answer properly else fu*** offf

        • Hi ravish, take it easy… people commenting in this blog are very much confused and tired of waiting for lottery result. cool and enjoy that you got selected. May be god knows why you deserve this. Be cool!!!

          Reply
        • No one knows all this info by birth. But I guess common sense comes naturally or at least should be easier to find. I think you should at least try reading what the current situation in the blog is. There are almost 16k comments as of now. If you spent a little time looking at previous comments rather than posting whatever doubts that come to your mind, I’m sure you would have had all your answers and much less swears from other people.

          You are coming to the US, learn to look for info before pestering people with doubts. FYI : You cannot stop on the road to ask the route to the nearest restaurant here in the US. You are supposed to look it online and figure it out yourself.

          Reply
    • Ravish dude
      Congrats , you are selected! , and receipt number is with you

      Receipt no format is : is WAC15 DDD 5 2 XXXX — your number seems wrong ( u intentionally pasted wrong format ??)

      case status on Uscis confirms so : next good step shall be “Case was Approved”

      keep following the forum for better understanding ( had you followed since april , you would have got knowledge so far — this is what people mean here )

      Chill , all the best for you US career

      Reply
  12. God…Please help me!!! 🙁 🙁 🙁
    Many things are depend on this.. I know things fall in place only when correct time is there.. Very sad by the fact that my petition is not been selected in lottery..

    Please push my luck with your hands!!!!

    Reply
    • God is not seating in front of computer and looking this blog, neither he is going to get know your feelings through your comment on this page , if you want god to help you.. pray him from heart..

      Reply
  13. Hi, i have received receipt number WAC15…… what does this mean am i selected in lottery or not. someone telling i am selected and someone telling i am not.

    Could any one kill my tension and confusion.
    the case status in USCIS says

    Case Was Received
    On April 13, 2015, we received your Form I-129, Petition for a Nonimmigrant Worker, Receipt Number WAC15…….., and sent you the receipt notice that describes how we will process your case. Please follow the instructions in the notice. If you do not receive your receipt notice by May 13, 2015, please call Customer Service at 1-800-375-5283. If you move, go to uscis.gov/addresschange to give us your new mailing address.

    what does this mean am i selected or not in lottery.

    Can anyone guide plse

    Reply
  14. Hi Wipro members, still there is no update from GIMS, latest update was the yesterday’s mail sent by GIMS to wait another 1 r 2 weeks. Let v all pray thats wat we can do from our side.(CDC). Any one got any new updates plz share.

    Reply
    • No update yet(PDC)
      This wait is frustrating. Selected/Rejected whatever it is, we all should get update.
      Mind says application is rejected but heart says some miracle would happen.

      God….Please kill this time ASAP!!!!

      Reply
  15. My application got picked in lottery. however now i see that there is no surname in my passport.
    Surname: Blank.
    Given name: BABU SURESH

    I can change in the passport like this:
    Surname: BABU
    Given Name: SURESH.

    As you know that my application went for approval and might get my I-797 having old passport name. in that case do we need to go for approval again? if yes what is the time taken for that?
    Is it really required to have surname in the passport for getting Driving Licence, SSN, Tax filing, Bank accounts etc?

    Please advise.

    Reply
    • The name you have in your Visa and I 94 will be the name that you can have on your Lease, DL, State ID etc
      So in case you want your correct name to reflect then get a new passport if the old one does not have the first name and surname clearly mentioned. Otherwise you need to continue with this name in USA. No surname for you and will be mentioned as XXXXXXXXX something.

      Reply
    • no , new approval required

      1. if u use same passport , then in DS 160 form ( while going for stamping) : Fill “FNU” = first name unknown as first name as rest as Surname ( Google more for clarity)

      2. if u get new passport : Given : Su…. , LAst : B…
      then in Ds 160 you need to fill like that : and I think u need to mark : yes for : Name changed field?

      SSN , DL , Bank etc. may use your Passport name ( Same is name on Visa actually) : I am not much sure , but my guess is right

      Suresh : Are you in Noida / SEL ?

      Reply
  16. Guys,
    Can anyone confirm if they received any updates from Collabera for H1B?Is that a fake consultancy company or am I just pure simple unlucky to have not been picked up in this year’s lottery?

    -Bunty

    Reply
      • Nope I did not pay any money but the actual recruitment process was quite thorough.The HR round was held through Skype and it seemed to me that they are pretty serious about the whole filing thing.God knows if I am unlucky or just that I got stuck with a fake consultancy firm?I also want to understand why would a firm take so much pain if there aim is just to be part of the whole game.I mean why would you have interviews scheduled,HR rounds on Skype if you are not serious about filing the visa. Strange logic that!!!!!!

        Reply
        • Do you think filing a visa is easier compared to conducting HR Rounds on Skype? Filing a visa has a butt load of pain and money involved than scheduling a simple HR Interview on Skype (which is free by the way). We can jolt down a gazillion different reasons for the company to conduct all different kind of interviews over Skype but still not file for the visa.

          Reply
          • Hmmm…I guess I am learning the tricks of the trade ….May be they have a thousand reasons but good luck to them if they think this is the way to do great business…Anyways,if you get through let me know .As far as I am concerned,I will try next year as well…

    • I do not know if it is only for me or not but they do not seem to communicate well with their prospective employees.I got frustrated and called them about a week back and they told that by May 27th,they will get all the rejection letters.Once they receive it,they will let the individual know about it.I was interested to see if any one actually got through the lottery with Collabera.I personally know that receipts are delivered throughout the month of May but most of the approved ones are generally notified by the 3rd week.Do you guys know anyone who got through with Collabera.

      Reply
    • In same boat as you, they asked me to wait till may End, not sure if they informed anyone about selection, rather not sure if they even filed for anyone 😉

      Reply
    • BTW Did u get a call from them recently – I got around April end & they said they will update me immediately if I get through… They also said that they had received ~51 receipts out of 200 but no update on my case…

      Reply
      • Collabera filed my petition after I got through their interview. I called them couple of days back and got to know like they received 51 receipts out of 144 and they are waiting to hear about my case. I think its over by now. But as far they said till May end we can have hope.

        Reply
        • Hi Guys, I also went thru the same interview process with collabera.Called them yesterday,they told like they got 51 out of 140 & mine is not in list .Asked to wait till end of May for rejection.I really doubt did they actually filed & anyone got picked in lottery?

          Reply
  17. Hi folks,
    It’s time to pack up now, drama is over and my employer said it rolled out every single result by 15th may, its just big guns like tcs, infy or cts are keeping their results and not disclosing to their employees.

    Now move on.. drink wine and party. Make peace with your fate that it’s not this fiscal year.. and the almighty decided something better for you.

    Let’s catch up next year :).. All the best !!

    Reply
  18. Hello Wipro guys!!

    What do you think? Is there any ray of hope remain for us???
    Please update with any info you have.

    Reply
    • No need to call yourself as unlucky. Still lot of time remained. Since wipro, Infy & TCS has their own process, it will take time. Till June 15th don’t worry unless your status is changed as rejected in GIMS portal. Let’s wait for good.

      Reply
  19. Hi
    For all Infy folks, call GI team, tell ur emp id and get the status. Guys can u pls tell me that any one from Infy having name starting with ‘A’ got selected in lottery ?

    Reply
  20. My case status ..we received your form i-129 petition for a nonimmigrant worker receipt number.what does it mean and what is the next step.Kindly advice any one. Thanks

    Reply
    • HI,

      I am also having the same issue, like I having receipt number and don’t know the further update. Can you got any update.

      Reply
    • Look at these guys… Who the hell filed H1B for u guys ???
      Asking so dumb questions here…
      Cant u guys dig out at least on general process???
      I think you guys just trying to catch attention here…

      Reply
    • Seems like a dumb question but I wonder if they have been waitlisted. I believe that in the past, people have received a receipt no. but then all quiet until June. By mid June, duplicate applications are accounted for and people have been rejected after RFE open up spots — USCIS are mandated to fill the quota. I do not know if there is a waitlist this year. However, I am an F-1 in the USA on OPT and on my new I-20 it says “H1–B petition status – waitlisted”. Sevis is different from USCIS but I wonder…. Unfortunately I still have not received a receipt number so I’m quite confused. All you can do is play the waiting game. You will only know for sure when you physically receive your packet back with the checks.

      Reply
  21. I am working for Accenture too. Yesterday, I received an email from PMSD stating that my case is still pending and that I may have to wait for the subsequent batches of results to be released. Could anyone let me know what are the chances in such cases? Are they usually rejections in the final phases? Would also like to know what is the success rate in Accenture so far for the year… This is the first time that I am applying, so would be a great help if someone can throw light on the above queries..

    Reply

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