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
- November 25th, 2015 : There is no special news as such, but we have our readers reporting that their H1Bs are still being approved that were under regular processing. So, if your status is stuck at one status, there is still some hope…
- July 14th, 2015 : USCIS released a note saying that they have returned all the petitions that were not selected in lottery for FY 2016. If you do not hear back from USCIS by July 20th, then you can contact them. Check Press note
- May 4th, 2015 : Data Entry for Selected H1B Petitions Completed
- April 14th, 2015 : Premium Processing H1B 2016 starts from April 27th
- April 13th, 2015: USCIS receives 233,000 for FY 2016 Lottery complete.
- April 7th, 2015: H1B Cap Reached for FY 2016. Summary of USCIS News
- April 6th, 2015: Guidance to file Second Petition, if Delivery Service Errors
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
USCIS Completes the H-1B Cap Random Selection Process for FY 2016 http://t.co/fQ6EPUb8Y4
— USCIS (@USCIS) April 13, 2015
H1B Cap Reached – Official USCIS Tweet and Link to Press release :
We have reached the congressionally mandated H-1B cap for FY 2016 http://t.co/RTja7POWYY — USCIS (@USCIS) April 7, 2015
Any other questions ?
Hi Infosys people, did anyone get any info from the GIS team? Did anyone try to contact them?
Here is the reply which I got today for my AHD(Query).
“Employee had query regarding fresh H1 status. Please be informed that Infosys has started receiving updates from USCIS on H-1B applications filed in FY 2016 H-1B Cap. As soon as Infosys Teams receive an update from USCIS, the status is being updated in AIMS as either “Acknowledgement Received” for cases that have been selected in H-1B lottery or “Rejected in lottery” for other cases that have not been selected. If your application status is still “Filed with USCIS”, it means that no update has been received. Replies by USCIS have no timeline and can go on even up to July 2015.”
GIS have been saying this for the past one month. I heard a few telling that GIS is intentionally holding up the result for some reason. I can also hear people telling that the final result list is with the delivery manager. Not sure whether these are true or not though.
Not sure whether DM has those info. But got a info that new list of selected candidates will be out this week either tomorrow or Thursday
HI all see my approved status, approved On June 4, 2015, we approved your Form I-129, Petition for a Nonimmigrant Worker, Receipt Number EAC15142YYYYY. 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.
hi tata people – please let us know any status
Any news from TCS?? today or tom??
In my company, I ask from lots of person and observed taht from Citi Project 30 has been nominated but only 2 got selected. In our project around 30 got nominated but only 3 got selected. Same type of situation in other projects too.
In my opinion at least one third person needs to be selected. Due to this I am expecting more selection will come in coming days. However good thing is nobody got rejection up to that time.
guys… just curious… is 8kmiles a consultancy or a software firm???
8K miles a 636 crore company. The stock price as on today is : 632.50 on BSE & 630.10 on NSE.
Note: I am not part of 8K miles….I invest in stocks and thats how I know about this company. By the way, this stock traded at 135/-a year back ….. 🙂
ohh… the way these 8k miles people are running around it seems like a consultancy to me.. it should go reported….
by the way 135 to 600+ … seems another satyam…
My INSZOOM account is closed after 31st March. What does it mean. I have not received acceptance and rejection from USCIS.
Please call IBM helpdesk and get your access.
I have my access but account status is displayed as closed
INSZoom account status shows closed as soon as your case is filed with USCI. This has nothing to do with your selection in loterry. My case got selected & nottified in last week of April…i also noticed my status got updated as closed in March end, when i believe they filed my case with uscis…
So after selection your account is in open state or closed. Is you got any other update after selection mail
Not even 1% chance of receiving any receipt from now.
In my project AT&T, i can see ratio of 25% selection.
After logged into INSZOOM, click on your case. After that in Left side panel click on Receipt numbers link. If your case got selected , you can able to see your receipt number there.
Click on ur case which will open another page.. there u can find a button ‘check USCIS case status’… if its enabled, click on it and u will get the case status.. if its disabled, i guess ur receipt number is still not updated in the system…
Anybody got receipt update from 8kmiles?.
no 🙁
8kmiles has been reported to USCIS.
Hai everyone people who applied through SANA Solutions by ISAAC MATANGI PH-9052788327 AND HIRAM RAJ KAMAL THESE PEOLE WILL LAUNDER YOUR MONEY THEY ARE BOTH FROM HYDERABAD HIRING EVERY YEAR AND CHEATING NEARLY 21 LAKHS. THEY ARE FRAUD FAKE ILLEGAL PLEASE DONT LET THEM FOOL YOU
Any regular processing approvals from cali center?
if any one got rfe /approvals do share ur status with center, receipt number first 6 digits
Non-AD/RP/Vermont – Not received any receipt or return package at all. Attorney not heard back from USCIS as well and had no idea what is hpng.
Hi all. I have talked to my lawyer a couple of times and neither of us got a receipt notice at all. Does this mean that I have been rejected? Does this mean I wasn’t selected for the lottery at all?
Yes
Any hopes for AD/PP/VT ? Still no news if mine was selected or not in lottery
Same case. AD/PP…no news yet.
Any chance for non-ad/ rp for receiving any receipt at this point? Still not receive any receipt or return package yet, any one know when is the last day I should expect the receipt from the uscis?
same status as you. just waiting for now.
My case was approved today. Hurray!!
Can anyone tell whats next?
Congratz. What it your receipt date. Which center VT/CSC. Can you share your first 6 numbers of your receipt number.
VT centre.. EAC15147*****
Hi,
could you plz paste first 7 digits of ur receipt numb ..jus want to check where im in the sequence
EAC1514755***
WOW!! That was quick.. Congratulations!!
Thank You
my reciept number is 15043. So may be there is no chance for me now.
Receipt Number gets generated once your case gets picked up in Lottery.
Mine selected in lottery on may 29th list.. Still didn’t get any update on petition.mine is first time processing.. So will it go to rfe?
What’s the possible rejection ratio in rfe?
Which service center is it? What’s the receipt date?
VT… Receipt Date 13 Apr 2015
Thanks! I guess Vermont center works faster than CA center.
Yeah, looks like.
His notice date should be April 28th. As its 147th day.
Exactly
Is it Premium Processing? Is it approved directly without RFE ?
NON-AD/RP.. Yes, its approved without RFE…
Hey, are you under regular processing?
Yes, RP
Any news from TCS?
My Manager confirmed that , mine was not picked in the lottery again. This was the second year for me. I don’t know what i have to do. Am not having any idea. All the Best guys who have selected and who are waiting for the results.
Which company
Miracle Software Systems
🙂 Congrats
congrats buddy may i know when ur cheque got en-cashed.
He said he was not selected, and someone starts asking about cheque encashed date. Learn to read.
LOL
Anyone who’s H1B case status( selected in lottery this year) has been updated to initial review( non-premium) ?
Same status here as well. Hopefully at June end we can see some updates?
oh…yeah hopefully…many ppl say that, last year the process was quite fast.
Is anyone here who got the update from SplendTek that their case was selected in lottery.
Not yet…
Waiting for update from SplendTek
Hope for the best..
Seems like they started sending updates, one guy who works in 8iles India mailed me that they started sharing that info today
Finally
Did you get update
No waiting…
Do u have any info if they started sharing the receipt no# ? or is it a generic kinda mail saying.. “applied for 200 and received for 69.. etc.. ” ???
USCIS kindly take action on 8miles and ravi…
Lol!
Hi Guys,
Anyone can list out ..what is the approximate time taken by USCIS to changes status from initial review to next level.
anything from previous experience will be great.
Thanks
my Colleague who received “Selected in Lottery” mail on 18th May received RFE Status mail on 5th June#Accenture#Bangalore#NotOverUntillRejectionEmail
Dude really???hashtags here??….ROFL you guys are so obsessed….lol
@sachingerman1 – Did any one got update post 18th may who got awaiting status Mailer ?
9June#Accenture#Gurgaon#AwaitingResultUpdates#US#Onsite#GCP#LoveHashtags
Not sure abt DAT.
There will be no more list from Accenture.
@Accenture who confirmed you on this ?
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 How the status shows for “lottery selected” & “lottery Not selected”(sorry) in Myvisa ?
Hello Friends, Any update on Collabera USA H1B program?
Any approvals/RFE’s for RP/Vermont ?????
If so ,kindly paste the receipt numb…(u can exclude last 2 digits…this is jus to check where we r )
Thanks.
The applications will not be processed in the order of their receipt numbers..
is anybody from any company got rejection for there H1B package. I want to know whether Rejection letter is coming or package are in In progress state for all the candidate who not received selection confirmation from USCIS.
Nope. Rejection packages haven’t started coming in yet (thought they could start arriving today). Immigrationgirl’s blog has really good info on this.
Somebody in comments asked – Why Indian people are so much crazy about H1B? I think they can stay and earn good in India as well moreover, they are with their parents in India. Is it really worth to go to US leaving old parents in India?
Below is what I think
1. First and foremost Indian talents prefer US because for a better opportunity and earn more
2. To escape from worst standard of living which is not fit for human beings
3. Better and BEST for people who are in marriageable age criteria, Indian cheap middle class thinks being in US means you are most talented which in turn brings lot of pride and respect for them in society
4. H1B Indians make up their mind so hard that they don’t mind seeing their old parents suffer without emotional support back here in India in Skype and IMs
People are the ones who build a country and all brains drain away to US…. Akela Modi kya Karega 🙁
I know 2 of the guys work along me..They did not go to India even to attend their mother’s funeral because of visa stamping problems…Indians are going crazy for money after software industry came to India in late 1990’s…
Agree with all the points mentioned. USA offers better standard of life, income, experiencing different culture etc. etc. If working in US is an easy means to achieve all these dreams, then why not! Every one has their preferences on money, family, social bonding.
One thing I was curious was what are the backup plans of most of the people here on this board if they are not selected in lottery?
– I saw many people mentioning PR for Canada. But that would take atleast an year or two.
– Some people would rather wait till next year H1B.
Why aren’t people looking for onsite opportunities in other places like UK, European Countries, Australia, East Asian Countries?
Are those places not good to go to, difficult to get into or earning is less? Still in most of the cases, the earning, standard of living, life experience there would be better than being in India!
Hi USA_The_Number1, that is what i am going to try now for opportunities in other countries like denmark ireland canada new Zealand all these countries take time say 1 -2 years but worth waiting instead of H1b lottery race every year, this is second year i have applied for H1b and no more hopes this year as well, Talent can survive and make opportunists any where they are 🙂
UK tier 2 general visa is super easy to get if u spend money with some consultancies…
Anyone applied from prospect Infosys! Any updates.
Absolutely no hopes :`(
Below mail I got from them just now. No idea whether they notified all 69 or not
So far we received 69 receipts out of 200 applications.
We are waiting for either the receipts or the application packages of all the candidates.
We will inform you as soon as we receive either the receipt for you or your application package back from USCIS.
At the present time, we are looking for candidates who has either current H-1B or H-1B in the past to file for H-1B transfer if they are in USA or new H-1B in quota exempt if they are not in USA. Appreciate your help.
This mail was from Ravi ?
K at least some communication.. But not much info.. Donno watz their plan in sharing receipts for received ones
Yes it’s from Ravi . One day he says they sent to those who received receipts another day he claims they are waiting for consolidated list. Not sure which one is true
Those who applied from 8kmiles got that mail from Ravi?. I did not receive it.
Me too….
Yes,I got same mail….
Hello wipro-vadapochae Sir, GIMS replied that they are awaiting more receipts in the coming weeks and so far they have received 2700 applications result. So we can wait.. for indians waiting in the list is eating.. wherever you go we need to wait.. b’coz of huge HUGE and HUUGGE population.. so be patient and the day is not to faaaar that b’coz of this population we will be a “patient” one day.
Any updates from Infy? None from my project got their status updated in AIMS 🙁
Even my status is not yet updated.. still waiting.. 🙁
June 2nd week..
Any got reject mails from GIMS?
Got an update from project engineer working in GIMS department that they will start receiving updates from 15th June onward.
Don’t know, should we believe it or not????
Accenture can you please issue a mailer to the people who are still awaiting the results with the latest results.
Hope to see a mailer today.
finally got my receipt from manager today.Looks like they have released the last/latest list
All the best to every one
Manager? not from GIT?
Whats your receipt date? which center?
Are you sure? how come you got from manager? we will get only from GIT?????
congratulations 🙂
u r lying right? If not plz provide 1st 6 digits of ur receipt number.
Could be managers Receipt number. and not of Associates.. lol
TCS’ers,
Heard the 4th list has been released and its with FDFU, Chennai.. Can anyone please approach them directly and get confirmation? I am unable to confirm as I am on leave..
You are on leave and you came to know 4th list is released.. 🙂 btw hw do u connect with the Chennai Visa cell?
Its not mandatory to be in office everytime to know about a news which gonna take you to top..
Anyways.. I never connected to Chennai Visa team to know about my status.. FDFU would give you the details or contact your PMO..
Is it true?? 4th list released? becoz FDFU asked us to check after 10th June..
Checked with FDFU. 4th list not released, at least for our account.
I heard 4th list gonna come tomorrow. Also heard it might be the last list. All the best top ll those hoping!:)
How long the wait will be. They are the ones who still hold result. No idea when they plan to inform. No clue whether what they say is true of not. They say 70 got selected but no idea when they will inform
They sent this to me over email,
We are waiting for either the receipts or the application packages of all the candidates.
We will inform you as soon as we receive either the receipt for you or your application package back from USCIS.
This means they already informed guys, those who got receipt or return packages ?.
Does that mean they haven’t notified any one or they notified 69
May be end of june
Any idea till when shall we wait!!!
Any update from 8Kmiles?? Did any one tried to ask if your name is there or not in the list of receipts received so far??
As per this what is the meaning ? uscis.gov/news/uscis-completes-data-entry-fiscal-year-2016-h-1b-cap-subject-petitions
They sent this to me over email,
o far we received 69 receipts out of 200 applications.
We are waiting for either the receipts or the application packages of all the candidates.
We will inform you as soon as we receive either the receipt for you or your application package back from USCIS.
This means they already informed the guys, those who got receipt or return packages ?.
Hi
I-94 is updated , what is it ??
Hi Team
my INszoom account is updated as Open , what does it mean ?? Any good I can expect ??
Mine is also on “Open” since the beginning. But it doesn’t mean anything. I guess tt just mean they didn’t receive the return package yet.
Hi,
Has the GI team received all the accepted case details?
Any chances still of getting a positive update on AIMS?
Hi H1B-CRZAY?, Your thoughts are very good and encouraging. Can you please list down some of the jobs which are equivalent in India so that others can also benefit? Also they can stay with their lovable old parents and serve them.
Hi guys,
i called USCIS on Friday with my employer and we were transferred to an immigration officer. This officer searched for my name is the database but couldn’t find anything…. She told us to contact the lockbox because apparently my application has never been entered in the system. Has anyone any experience with something like that.
I know that they have to scan the documents and enter your information to conduct the lottery… I have the fedex receipt and everything… i even have the signature of the person who signed for it….. I am seriously worried right now. My OPT expires in July…
Thank you for any advise in advance.
Why Indian people are so much crazy about H1B? I think they can stay and earn good in India as well moreover, they are with their parents in India. Is it really worth to go to US leaving old parents in india?
It all depends on your priorities .. money or human relations. And also, some people go just because others are earning more than they are earning…. so basically a cat and mouse game, you climb some and I will try to match you and you again climb some more and I will try again. If they get a better job in Mars then they will go there as well … ofcourse, you have skype to talk to your parents, siblings, friends…and you have skype to console your parents when they are sick.
🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂
1. First and foremost Indian talents prefer US because for a better opportunity and earn more
2. To escape from worst standard of living which is not fit for human beings
3. Better and BEST for people who are in marriageable age criteria, Indian cheap middle class thinks being in US means you are most talented which in turn brings lot of pride and respect for them in society
4. H1B Indians make up their mind so hard that they don’t mind seeing their old parents suffer without emotional support back here in India in Skype and IMs
People are the ones who build a country and all brains drain away to US…. Akela Modi kya Karega 🙁
#4 point is so true. Our selfishness for better life, throws away all kinds of emotional bondings.
Any update from them? Now I started doubting whether they applied or not
I called them yesterday.They told , they didn’t send receipt to anyone yet. But they didn’t tell anything about the date of sending receipt.
Anybody got Approval for Non-AD/Regular ?
Not yet, waiting N-AD/Reg/VT
Why TCS doesnt provide receipt number to their employees like Infy/CTS?
I dont think even Infy/CTS provide receipt number. Wipro i’m sure doesnt provide.
Is your case selected in lottery from TCS?
If you follow this thread comments, you will get the idea that Infy/CTS internal visa tracking app is updated with receipt numbers !!
ok..TCS does not.
Does anyone know if there is 4th list coming or not?