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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. Hi All, Another week came to an end. I believe another 50% who are awaiting the result will get the result 2nd week of June. Let us hope for the best. Happy Weekend.

    Reply
  2. Any approval for RP/AD/VT??? Please do share.
    Please suggest how long it takes to get approval from RP/VT. It has been 50 days since I received the receipt notice but still waiting for approval.

    Reply
  3. Hi guys my status got updated from “received” to the message mentioned below. Are there others getting a similar case status?? What does it mean??

    Validation Error(s)
    You must correct the following error(s) before proceeding:

    My Case Status does not recognize the receipt number entered. Please check your receipt number and try again. If you need further assistance, please call the National Customer Service Center at 1-800-375-5283.”

    Reply
    • Have you made sure that you have removed all the – in your receipt number before checking the status, if not do so.

      Reply
    • It’s usually good news, it happens when there is update of the status on website and this happens couple of days before approval.

      Reply
  4. Please help..

    Currently I am on H4 visa which is getting expired on 30th Sep 2015 . I have applied for h1b visa this year and got approved petition but I can work from 1st Oct 2015. My spouse h1b visa extension process started because her h1b visa is also getting expired on 30th Sept 2015.

    Could you please confirm do i need to initiate my h4 extension process with my wife h1b extension process as I am having approved h1b petition which is valid from 1st of Oct 2015 on the other side my h4 is getting expired on 30th Sept 2015?

    Please suggest.

    Thanks..

    Reply
    • you dont need to extend your H4, however that would need you to go out of US and your H1B stamped on your passport and can enter anytime after Sep 21st (10 days earlier to 1st Oct).

      Reply
  5. In myvisa after opened the H1B it shows the Status Simply as “in progress” with red color.Have you come across this scenario now or last year ? Please let me what does it represents ? Please reply.

    Reply
    • Hey that was the Visa request created by or your supervisor in MyVisa. In that request only you submitted all yous documents and CTS submitted it to USCIS, thats it. It will be in “In progress” as GIT needs to update the status with approval number if you are selected in lottery. This process is different from the actual USCIS process.

      Reply
      • Thank you very much for your response.My Concern
        In myvisa after opened the H1B it shows the Status Simply as “in progress” with red color (none of the stage displayed) since 29-May-2015 before that “Not started”(For all the stages).Have not updated receipt number and not received any email.Have you come across this scenario now or last year ? Please let me what does it represents(“Selected or not selected in lottery”)? Please reply.

        Reply
        • @krish… If it is picked in lottery u would have got receipt number as I heard cts GIT team updated all selected employees and sent mail with receipt numbers starts with WAC …once check in visa nomination app.. If u won’t find any receipt number check with GIT… Good luck

          Reply
          • Thank you very much for your response.My Concern
            In myvisa after opened the H1B it shows the Status Simply as “in progress” with red color (none of the stage displayed) since 29-May-2015 before that “Not started”(For all the stages).Have not updated receipt number and not received any email.
            Please let me any body with same status.

          • Guys from CTS,

            Forget it. GMT has informed that no more applications are pending to be received from the USCIS. Get back to your desk and look beyond.

          • Thank you very much.At present have you selected in lottery with the
            Status Simply as “in progress” with red color (none of the stage displayed) ?

  6. Hi, from many comments i can infer that many consultants told that they havent heard anything from uscis (atleast they must hv known whi h cheque got encashed)…. I am wondering is it actually a delayed process from uscis or consultancies are just trying to hold on the matter so that we dont jump on them for money return…if the latter is true then it s bad cuz they dont understand that anxiety is more for future n nt d money…

    Reply
    • Hi,

      I am also in the same boat. I fed up following up with my Consultancy.
      They are not telling anything. Asking me to wait. Why cant they understand our situation.

      Reply
      • Why can’t you understand their situation? They cannot confirm anything until they hear anything! Around a 140,000 applications will still be with the USCIS – without a receipt number and not yet returned. So even if you follow up with your consultancy for a 1000 times, they cannot say anything for sure until they get your application back. You are not selected. Accept that fact and wait for a miracle if you want to.

        Reply
  7. Hello guys, I just got informed by my lawyer that my checks were cashed. I have not received my receipt yet. I am just posting this to tell you that it is not over yet until you get your rejection package. Thank you and keep praying.

    Reply
    • It will take 7 working days i guess. When was ur petition approved? Can you share ur receipt date and first 6 digits of ur receipt number. Which center VT/CSC, PP/Reg, AD/non-AD.

      Reply
  8. Any new batches are we expecting on selected candidates as first week of June is also over. GI team still says wait till end of this month. Just wanted to know if there is still a chance of getting selected.

    Reply
  9. Did anyone received receipt number from Continental Technology Solutions,Houston,TX (www.ctsincorp.com)?

    Reply
  10. I didn’t get any communication upto that time. However VISA Team tell me that I can wait upto 30th Jun. However, no rejection is received upto that time. Is there is any chance of getting selected now as well.
    Is our receipt number will be provided even if we are rejected.

    Reply
      • You can check if your Lca was submitted by the company through visadoor.com
        ..atleast This will give u an idea of how many LCAs are verified by uscis for submitting h1b

        Reply
          • If everything matches…like my salary n place of work did…it means it could b urs n of LCA is verified then H1b docs. Were posted to uscis otherwise why someone will submit LCA petition n if LCA is submitted bt visa application wasnt submitted then it will decrease the ratio of h1 applied to lca submitted n this will bring bad reputation of company

          • Your case number is mentioned in your LCA document. You can search via your LCA ID. In this site search by case feature is available.

      • I am sorry my friend… I don’t think there is any way that you can check if your company really filed H1b for you or not…. You need an LCA for filing H1, but getting an LCA doesn’t mean that they actually filed for H1….

        Reply
  11. Any one called them yesterday? I am fed up of calling them few days back they said they will notify on last week of May then first week of June now 2nd week. Don’t know what’s really happening

    Reply
  12. Thank God, I just received the receipt number on yesterday (Vermont – Regular)… This was my third attempt…. Good luck to everyone!

    Reply
  13. Any approval for AD/RP/VT???

    Received the receipt notice on 15 April but still the case status is showing that Case is received. How long it will take to get the approval.
    Any suggestion on how long it will take to get the approval??

    Thanks

    Reply
  14. Any approvals for regular processing CALI center ?
    Any idea what applications are getting processed currently ? what receipt date?

    Reply
    • No luck…
      Already L1B blanket reject…
      can someone tell what all communication u received from them (~ from April 1 till date)

      Reply
  15. Hi All,

    I have applied for H1b through a consultancy here in US. I have 5+ years of experience in reputed MNC from India, currently on H4.
    I am yet to get update on my visa, still don’t know whether its picked in lottery or not.
    I have not heard anyone on H4 picked in lottery this year.
    Anybody on the same boat from H4 to H1 conversion?

    Reply
  16. Hi,

    Any approvals received for Non-AD/RP/CA ? Any updates like what is the case selection from USICS to process the case.

    Reply
  17. y i am not able to accept the fact that it is over…everything is infront of us …but we are just not able to loose hope….

    Reply
  18. Hi Guys,
    Any guys here shortlisted from Collabera?If shortlisted,does anyone have any idea about the next steps in the process?

    Regards
    -Bunty

    Reply
    • Seems like
      1) no-one got through them or
      2) they will reveal only after getting result for all or
      3) they didn’t apply at all for us

      Reply
    • I called them up and they told me that my name has been short listed.However nothing much will progress in the next 2 months except for the receipts which will be forwarded to our email ids.Once you receive the receipts,you can basically get an update from the USCIS website directly.They gave me a hint that not all those who are shortlisted will travel simultaneously since it will be driven by the requirements as well as the profile of the candidate.

      Reply
  19. Hi Guys,

    Need ur suggestion. Got selected in lottery and received an RFE . M waiting for h1 petition to get approved. My company is pushing for one european country too. It wont be less than 1 year. What shall I do? Will it hamper my H1, H1 is priority.

    Reply
    • What is your receipt date, which center VT/CSC, Reg/PP, AD/non-AD.
      As per my knowlegde, RFEs will be cleared, if the requested evidence is provided on time. Other country visas won’t hamper your H1B approval.

      Reply
    • This is what i would do:
      i would go to EU, then after say 2 years go to US stay there for 6 years

      Why?
      1. H1B means you can work in US for 6 years, doesnt matter which 6 years, even if you do not consume in first stamping you can always extend, untill you consume all six years.
      2. I can get to see both EU & US

      Why Not?
      1. My target is just U.S and i am dying to migrate to US and want a GC
      2. I dont care about travelling around the world.
      3. it is some stupid EU country, personally i would only prefer Germany and maybe Scandinavia, but not any remote location.

      Reply
    • doesnt matter with RFE, but you will have to come back for stamping,
      AND
      will your company stamp for US parallely even if you are in EU, frankly services companies are stupid and without any credible business they wont stamp because you are in EU.

      Reply
  20. Hello Guys,

    I never had my luck, still waiting for my recipt number, my employer told me to wait till end of this month.

    Still i want to work towards plan B, Plz suggest on best option for plan B.

    I have 7 yrs exp in software development with BE degree.

    Reply
  21. Some clarification.During H1B visa stamping interview like L1A and L1b will there be any rejection ?.
    I heard last year for some folks got rejected in H1b interview.Please confirm.

    Reply
      • No such guarantee. The chances of rejection are much higher in L1A and L1B blanket interviews, true. However, h1b can be issued 221g form (very common) and subsequently denied (less common, but very much a possibility in case of consultancies).

        Reply
    • I know a person in cts whose h1b petition was rejected during interview…very unlikely but rejections in h1b is possible

      Reply
  22. Hi All.
    My check wasn’t enchased, I didn’t received receipt neither return pack yet. Is there any hope in my case? Those who have received the receipt those days, had the check cashed earlier?

    Thanks in advance

    Reply
    • Below is the reply for my email from BAL attorney.
      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.
      So no hopes if you didn’t get reply till date.

      Reply
      • Not sure how many were filed and selected from CSC!
        Haven’t heard from more than 2 ppl about selection.
        Nothing has been transparent in this entire process whatsoever!! 🙁

        Reply
    • In the comments below, someone from Infy mentioned that he/she received the Receipt Number yesterday (3rd June).

      As I previously mentioned in my comments that I got to know my rejection on the 1st week of July last year and my friend got his receipt number on the next week (2nd week of July) after I got my rejection, and with my past 2 years and this current year’s experience, I would say to wait till end of June as people did get receipt numbers till then in the previous years.

      I know the wait kills and its frustrating, but what other choice do we have? Lets just hope for the best and wait and see.

      Reply
  23. Any one got any information from 8kmiles? When i caleld them they claim they have notified those who got selected.

    Reply
  24. Regarding Non-AD/RP ….Right now it is “Case Received”. I think if it is approved without RFE then the status will change from “Case Received” to “Approved”…but if an RFE is raised then what status will we see in USCIS site ? Will it still be “Case Received” though RFE is raised ? Please advice.

    Reply
    • On May 11, 2015, we suspended processing of your Form I-129, Petition for a Nonimmigrant Worker, Receipt Number WAC151XXXXX, because we need more information from you. Your notice explains what we need from you to resume working on your case. We will not take action on your case until we receive the evidence or the deadline to submit it expires. Please follow the instructions in the notice.

      Reply
  25. Anyone from Infosys Received any update..in AIMS it still show as ‘Filed with USCIS’ , someone saying that today 4th june they will send updates..any idea infy guys.

    Reply
    • Forget it Brother,

      It is over for us, I mean for Infy Pople, I lost hope, This is the second time, They have filed, but no luck.

      Reply
      • Check AIMS to see if receipt no. is updated. If it is there then check USCIS site and find the present status of your case. If receipt no. is not there then call GI and ask them by giving them your employee no. . They know which cases are selected as USCIS by now has already encased cheques of selected cases and started sending back file and cheque of rejected cases. All the best

        Reply
        • On May 27, 2015, we approved your Form I-129, Petition for a Nonimmigrant Worker, Receipt Number EACXXXXXX. We will mail your approval notice. Please follow the instructions in the notice. If you move, go to uscis.gov/addresschange to give us your new mailing address.

          Reply
        • Hi,
          I had called GI help desk yesterday. They had no update.

          Do you think they are lying and simply not telling me that my application was rejected?

          Reply
  26. When will you guys update ?

    Please send the results for Second batch if not.. please do start sending the rejection mails.

    End this ASAP.

    Reply
  27. For Non-AD/RP ….Right now it is “Case Received”. I think if it is approved without RFE then the status will change from “Case Received” to “Approved”…but if an RFE is raised then what status will we see in USCIS site ? Will it still be “Case Received” though RFE is raised ? Please advice.

    Reply

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