Home » US Immigration - Visas » H1B Visa » H1B Visa 2016 – FAQs – Lottery, Quota, Immigration Reform, News

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.

   

Other Articles

28,610 Comments

  1. Any one from TechMahindra who have received update. The RMG Visa cell teams have replied to my query, stating – the details were sent out to the IBU/IBG heads in 2 batches(first one on 8th May, and another during last week). While my manager and even DH seems to have not received any info yet.

    Does it mean the case hasn’t been selected? How long do you think it would take?

    Reply
    • No update from BAL. ‘Cap-subject H-1B petition filed. Awaiting receipt.’ status was again updated on 5/20. Not sure why they updated same status which was updated on 3/31

      Reply
    • Hey Vik, Here is the latest mail update from BAL attorney on my VISA status.
      As of today no new notification has been received from USCIS regarding your H-1B Cap petition. Most likely your petition was not selected in the lottery. However, we cannot confirm this until we receive either a receipt notice, or the returned petition filing from USCIS. Once we receive either of these, we will notify you.

      As per this mail no hopes for me. Do you have any update.

      Reply
  2. Hi Guys…. I got Status awaited mailer from Accenture last Monday.
    Are we expecting lot 2 results to be announced today ??

    Or we need to wait till June End for the results ?

    Reply
    • If money is the only reason you want to go to US then I guess with 30 LPA in India, I don’t think you should go there.

      Reply
    • Depends where are you going in the US. California or NY in 110k is not better than 30 LPA in India but if you are going to less expensive places, it may still make sense. I am in a similar situation plus my wife will have to sacrifice her career for my sake so even if I have to go, it will just be me for a year or so..

      Reply
    • Why was it denied.. ? Can u plz share reason… I have done Bsc in zoology
      And I have 1 yr exp on web designing. I m worried.. I got picked in lottery..

      Reply
  3. randomly checke d on USCIS …Still some hope left….hang on people !!!

    ***On May 21, 2015, we approved your Form I-140, Immigrant Petition for Alien Worker , Receipt Number SRC1515450321, and emailed you an approval notice. Please follow any instructions on the approval notice. If you move, go to uscis.gov/addresschange to give us your new mailing address.***

    Reply
  4. Havn’t receive anything yet but quite sure that my petition has been sent to the wrong center (RP/AD in CA, but the attorney sent it to VT). Can I quit my current OPT job before receiving the rejection packet? Wonder if the company has associated with the attorney, once I quit the job, will the attorney still inform me about the rejection? Will the quit affect anything afterwards? like if it was sent to the wrong location, can i still ask my money back from the attorney? Thanks.

    Reply
  5. I am RP/California/STEM about to expire (non IT)

    I haven’t heard anything from my employer; other’s have gotten picked in the lottery;

    what options do I have going forward; I can’t afford to go back to India since I still have to pay off my college loans;

    Also congratulations to all those who have been picked in the lottery.

    Never knew a lottery could change my life and stress me out so badly!

    All the best to all the others (and myself 🙂

    Thank you,
    V

    Reply
    • I have been wondering the same. How stupid it is when we say it loud! “I can’t work anymore because i didn’t get picked in the lottery.”

      I have trained American fresh grads as part of my job and I don’t deserve a visa 🙂 … It’s just ridiculous. So i just drink up on that until I can move on. For many, they can’t understand how this changes someone’s life. They just argue its all fair whether it’s AD or Non-AD! Seriously, screw them all!

      Reply
  6. I am also wondering, what are the Infosys, CTS etc employees currently in the US with visas expiring in 2015 doing? Are they returning to India or what?

    Reply
    • No, they don’t come back. they jump to another company to get a greencard and stay… Why are you interested to know?

      Reply
  7. My manager informed 6 out of 8 members that H1 is through but none of them received any receipt number until now..
    Really confused….

    Reply
    • I called them recently, they communicated to all selected candidates already and by this month end we will get likely to get confirmation. Hope this helps.

      Reply
      • Hi,
        Could anyone who got selected from Collabera put in a few words here?I received a mail couple of days back stating that a long weekend will result in the offices being closed till tomm.Did anyone else get some thing like this?I told them repeatedly that if I am not selected,then please inform me.However,I am still waiting for a definite ‘No’ so that I can move on to some other goals.

        Reply
          • Hi CEO, are you talking about specifically TCS Pune or other branches ? For TCS Pune, i have not seen a single person posting his/her status in Knome or at any other sources ?

          • Hi,

            Are you sure that the 3rd list is out? If so, can you pls let us know when was it? My manager said the 3rd list will be out after 10-14 days from the day 2nd list was published, and the 2nd list was out on 20th May. So, I m surprised to know abt the 3rd list.

          • Checked with Siruseri FDFU. They told 3rd list is NOT out. If anybody has more info, please post.

    • How many list we are expecting to come ? And how long we should wait for that ? Any pointer from last yr exp will help . Bcz waiting for the plan B.

      Reply
  8. Although chances are less but still there is hope till June 1st week..
    Last year I saw people got receipts till mid june.

    Reply
  9. When we will start receiving approval notice for regular processing?

    my receipt date is 13th April.

    Reply
  10. So is it commonly seen that the current TCS, Infosys, etc H1B employees whose visas are expiring in 2015 to return to India?

    Reply
  11. All the time I visit this site is to read some comments others have posted, some good news makes me happy and keep my hopes alive. Never know if I will be sharing same good news with you people here or not. But reading some you guys got h1b petition approved makes me happy.

    All the best for the people who are still waiting for results.
    And Congrats for the one’s who got lucky this year. Happy for you guys

    Reply
    • Exactly same here 🙂

      Sometimes, I try to imagine, how it would feel like if I would get selected 😀
      anyways, hope is still there, working on plan B though.

      have a good time guys.
      JMD!!!

      Reply
      • Same here bro, Lets wait till end
        if we get thru that will be great, if not there are other opportunities which one can take staying back in India.

        No Plan B to me, I would rather prefer stay here and be with my family and get settled

        Reply
  12. Those who are still waiting to get a positive update from USCIS/Employer, don’t lose hope. You may still get a positive update till june second week based on my analysis.

    My employer updated my petition status on 18th May. My receipt number is WAC-15-143-5****. As you aware the third part of the receipt number is denoting when was the data entered for the petition. In my case it is 143 which is April 13th. You know the USCIS completed their data entry on May 5th. May 5th is 154(nth working day from Oct, 01 last year). You also know that you can verify your case status in following USCIS site. egov.uscis.gov/casestatus/landing.do
    I checked the status of a random california center receipt number which was processed on May 5th(WAC-15-154-50911) on this site.

    It says “On May 4, 2015, we received your Form I-129, Petition for a Nonimmigrant Worker, Receipt Number WAC1515450911, 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 June 3, 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”.

    If you try a case on May 6th i.e 155, it is some other petition not a H1b one. So data entry certainly is completed on May 5th.

    Say your petition is picked in lottery and data entry for your case happened on May 5th. According to USCIS, it may took one month at the max for sponsor/employer to receive the receipt(regular processing). In this case you sponsor/employer get the receipt till June 5th and Employer might take a week to notify you(Update in the system). In my case USCIS completed data entry on April 13th, but my employer updated the system only on May 18th.

    So, if I am right, You may still get a positive update till june second week.

    Reply
    • You are wrong sir. My receipt no. is WAC-15-142-*****.

      So does that mean mine was entered on April 12th ? Cant be…because April 13th is when lottery happened, so it cant be before lottery. There is a date called ‘Receipt Notice date’…which for me is April 23rd, I think this is when USCIS has entered in their system.

      Reply
      • You are right but what is the date they show in the USCIS link?

        “On May 4, 2015, we received your Form I-129”

        Reply
        • For every case they will mention “On April 13, 2015, we received your Form I-129, Petition for a Nonimmigrant Worker” …. thats because thats the date when lottery is taken so for them it is the receiving date. But there will be another date called ‘Receipt Notice date’ .. which for me in April 23rd.

          Reply
          • No that date varies. For example if you try WAC-15-154-50911. It is saying “On May 4, 2015, we received your Form I-129″

  13. Wipro banglore.
    Anyone got receipt on thursday or friends?
    Any idea if wipro banglore done with receipt or yet to declare some more receipt?

    Reply
    • Buddy. It is over for CTS. If you were selected in the lottery you would have got the mail by now. For those whose status is not updated in the app , consider the petition is not selected. This is not my opinion but conclusion after getting receiving multiple inputs from various sources. I am not sure what would USCIS do if multiple petitions were selected for a single person. Would they re-select from the lot or push this no’s to the next lottery? Any way the lottery is a mystery.

      Reply
    • I wrote to one of the GIT-manager regarding the status and his replied as follows:
      on 20-May-2015
      Hi XXXXX,
      We have started receiving receipt and we are notifying associate as an when we have them. currently there is no back log on the notification so please wait for further communication
      Regards
      XXXXX
      ———————
      I think it is over.

      Reply
  14. Finally !!!!

    After two years of wait and big disappointment last year, my Lord has shown mercy on me. Got petition has got through lottery and I received my file number.

    Good luck to all !!!!

    Reply
      • It is really difficult to wait for the results at this stage. All the employers seem to be informing their employees on the receipt status. I heard from someone that they will inform after 21st May but that is a very subjective statement. I tried calling them but no response.

        Reply
      • Fat chance earning one crore on Indian MNC H1 salaries. You simply can’t save anything like that on a 70 k salary with wife (assuming she does not work on an h4) and kids

        Reply
      • Only few will switch companies because hardly few permanent openings are there in US companies.Very rarely they hire the H1B people.They consider only green card holders and citizens for employment. Other reason is contract jobs in USA is not secured and it is troublesome with Desi consultancies. They will return back after earning 1 crore becos nowadays their parents die in the ages 57 to 65 mostly. so they want to spend life in India with their parents till they die.

        Reply
  15. Still no updates received from TCS Mumbai for our account.. List not shared with associates yet.. Fingers crossed

    Reply
  16. Applied for H1B visa through regular processing. Came to know yesterday that my check is not cashed. So is it really over for me?? or I still stand some chance?

    Reply
  17. Any AD/RP or AD/PP still waiting.
    Also any Non-IT engineers ?? Anyone from the Other India which is not south?

    Reply
  18. I have been following this blog since last year. I tried last year and luck is not in my side. Felt bad and continued a year hard.

    Yesterday many of my collegues go the email from FDFU stating the “waiting for the Receipt” and I didn’t got it. I was tensed and mailed FDFU asking what is that mail about and asked my status. After 15 mins I got reply saying “Selected in Lottery”.

    Those are the lightest moments I felt ever.
    And another good news is my wife also selected as well and both are very happy.
    Congratulations to whom selected and best of luck who are waiting. Have good time with your family and friends.
    From internal news I heard two more batches are coming in next week.
    Thanks to Redbus. This blog helped me alot to follow the current trends in H1b.

    Bye bye Redbus Signing off with Happy moments..

    All the best guys.

    Reply
    • This site appears to be filled with whining kids!!
      The site is intended to be used for sharing information which might help others with their VISA process.
      Instead of cursing others, why don’t you simply join TCS and reap the same benefits that these so called cheap people are availing. Pretty sure if you are smarter than these guys, getting into TCS would be a walk in the park for you.

      Reply
      • STFU man…If you want to join the cheap Indian companies and get H1B,You can do that..Dont advise others…I am not a butt licker similar to you who can grow in these CHEAP companies…

        Reply
    • Congratulations!!! I have sent a mail to Chennai FDFU and got a reply from them saying that “you contact your branch FDFU”. When I am sending a mail to Bangalore FDFU, not getting any response from them. What should I assume??? Is it rejected that’s why they are not replying???

      Reply
      • Ya… Chennai is hub for all visa processings..

        They released list to local FDFU.. All of my friends who called or mailed got reply… this is for hyd branch… not sure of other branches..

        Bettet call ur local FDFU…

        Best of luck buddy….

        Reply
    • This is too much Mr. Psycho. If others got luck at least don’t blame even you don’t appreciate. Judgement day will never come as like you fools unless you stop believe in humanity and helping/appreciating tendency. Mr. Psychic.

      Reply
    • This is too much Mr. Psycho. If others got luck at least don’t blame even you don’t appreciate. Judgement day will never come as like you fools unless you stop believe in humanity and helping/appreciating tendency. Mr. Psychic.

      Reply
    • Dude… did I ever said I am 2 yrs exp and from cheap college?

      I am from one of the great colleges in india and have genuine 9 yrs of exp in IT.

      This h1b is crap. Last year 1 yr exp guy got selected and I didn’t. He went onsite and I am reporting to him. You can feel the pain for the inequality in the system..

      H1b shud be overhauled and design new rules.

      luck playing instead of hard work is not accepted..

      Anyway…I will pray for you dude.. hope everybody shud get it…

      God bless to all…

      Reply
  19. These h1bs should be awarded only to people having higher degrees from US universities and not to the IT people. H1bs r provided for foreigners with more talent and more skill sets which americans lack and not just any one working in IT and wants to move to US.

    Just my thought.

    Reply
    • How US universities are different from the ones in other countries? Your suggestions is contradicting the essential nature of the United States – equal opportunity to everyone. At least now everyone gets the same chance. They should work on reform though, by maybe introducing some additional labor and skills qualification prior to petition submission or some other candidates rating system like in Canada, then we at lease will be able to control our entry and not rely on some random algorithm.nn

      Reply

Leave a Comment