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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. Guys i got aproval what next On July 1, 2015, we approved your Form I-129, Petition for a Nonimmigrant Worker, Receipt Number WACxxxx

    Reply
  2. Anyone got approval with the series EAC15142*****, plz reply… Mine is still waiting for the Approval..

    Reply
    • Mine also same series boss… EAC151425**** “Case was Received”

      tomorrow USA holiday. not sure we will get any status update tomorrow also….

      Reply
    • Same here mate. Mine is # EAC151425**** and it shows “Case was received”. It’s all random and series doesn’t matter. So, have patience. Anyway, you can’t fly upto 20th September even if it gets approved today. If your documents are right, you will get an approval for sure.

      Reply
  3. Hey Guys,

    I have applied for h1b from external org. and my case has been selected in lottery , now it in pending state for petition approval. Now my current organisation want me to go on B1 visa on priority.
    So Does it hampered my H1B case?

    Reply
  4. For anyone with receipt numbers concerned about how long things are taking I did a scrape of a number of cases on the USCIS website yesterday (until they blocked me) and found this:

    For California (WAC):
    23% I-129, Case Was Approved
    3% I-129, Case Was Approved And My Decision Was Emailed
    19% I-129, Request for Additional Evidence Notice Was Mailed
    47% I-129, Case Was Received
    1% I-129, Name Was Updated
    Sample Size: 2708 (From WAC1514050001 to WAC15142918)

    For Vermont (EAC):
    48% I-129, Case Was Approved
    2% I-129, Response To USCIS’ Request For Evidence Was Received
    1% I-129, Case Was Approved And My Decision Was Emailed
    16% I-129, Request for Additional Evidence Notice Was Mailed
    15% I-129, Case Was Received
    11% Unknown, Card Was Delivered To Me By The Post Office
    Sample Size: 1234 (From EAC1514050001 to EAC1514051672)

    There are a number things to notice from this sample:
    – There are an awful lot of people still in “Case Was Received” or some other status where they have been selected in the lottery but not yet had their case approved. ~49% in Vermont have been approved, and ~26% in California. Just be patient.
    – Very very few cases appeared to have been rejected once they receive a receipt number. If you’ve got a receipt number, just be patient. It’s not guaranteed but you’ve got over the biggest hurdle. Unfortunately if you don’t have a receipt number your chances are now very minimal (although I don’t know how the bulk/consulting companies work when releasing this information).
    – Vermont is clearly processing H-1B requests faster than California. This may be due to how many other cases they have, what they’ve been told to prioritise etc. I’m not going to criticise them for this, it’s just something I noticed. Either way, you guessed it, just be patient.
    – They’re processing them in no apparent order. Not one that I could see anyhow, so don’t try to infer any information from other cases being accepted but yours not. Seriously, just be patient.

    There is no real timeline here. They will get to them when they get to them. Don’t panic. Aaaaaaaand ……Just be patient.

    Caveats:
    – The data above is just a sample of sequential cases that were selected on April 13th. The sample size is low compared to the number of cases they have to deal with, but you can still gain some insight.
    – Any number geeks will notice the percents don’t total, and the id ranges don’t match the sample sizes. The percents were rounded somehow at the end and I can’t be bothered to fix that, and anything below 1% I removed from the list. As for id ranges, there were a number of Non-H-1B related cases in there that I had to filter out.

    We’re all in the same boat. For me, standard processing, non advance degree (I graduated from my PhD after the application deadline).

    Reply
    • I am not sure how accurate and reliable your figures are. But, I agree with your conclusion and bottom line that we should be patient.

      There is no other way to do now but to be patient. 🙂

      Good luck to all those waiting and think positive. 🙂

      Reply
      • Of the 3942 total samples from both centers there were 5 statuses that could be interpreted as a rejection, some of which might not be. Of those 5 statuses, there were only 15 occurrences of them. I’ve listed them below. Note those are absolute quantities not percentages.

        2 I-129, Decision Notice Mailed
        4 I-129, Notice Explaining USCIS’ Actions Was Mailed
        2 I-129, Case Rejected Because I Sent An Incorrect Fee
        6 I-129, Withdrawal Acknowledgement Notice Was Sent
        1 I-129, Case Was Rejected

        Again, this is just a sample so may not be completely representative, but it gives you an idea.

        Reply
    • Thanks for analysis. as per my understanding you should have taken sample after 145 days EAC15145*** as before that Premium processing was being done and you may see more cases under PP.

      Reply
      • Mine is not premium processing and is a WAC15140***** receipt. That said, I was curious about that too and when they unblocked me I did another few samplings of about 1000 from each center for days 145 and 146. The results were very similar.

        Reply
    • @NumbersNerd

      Appreciate the efforts dude… this is good.
      please publish the excel sheet if possible.. we could run somethings on numbers as well….

      ps: you could see how many hits you get on that 🙂

      Reply
  5. How much time from lotery selection till approved petition? My petition amendment filed on 19th May, still no news on receipt number. Can someone clarify on this?

    Reply
  6. Yesterday July 1st I got a mail from Wipro GIMS that mine is not selected in the lottery. Two months wait period is over finally. 🙂 good luck for the rest who are awaiting their result.

    Reply
  7. ***UPDATE 7/1/15 – We are getting close to the end folks! As of today, we have received 89% of the returned petitions back that we are expecting. I think we should be about done receiving them all early next week.*** -immigrationgirl

    Reply
  8. Hi,
    Can someone plz advice me on following, I received RFE for my case

    1. How long does it take for RFE notice to reach employer.

    2. What are the most common cause of RFEs … anyone who received this year plz share ur reasons.

    3. How long does uscis generally takes to process once response to RFE is received, mine is Vermont sc.

    Please advise

    Reply
  9. Its almost july start and FDFu is still not disclosing the names.
    I heard 4th list has been released.
    Is it true Mumbai guyz?
    Till now my manager has released only 1 List.
    Is there anyway with which we can come to know the list.?

    Reply
  10. How could we able to talk to a live person in USCIS customer care number because the customer care number is completely automated not getting through it asked me to enter the Case Number which i did and then it speaks the same message that we see online..At this time we can not provide you with the information for your case.Please contact the NCSC 1 (800) 375-5283 for additional information.

    Thanks

    Reply
  11. If people have nothing else to do, but rely on a lottery for there future and be so desperate to keep seeing the status and updates so frequently, then maybe they don’t deserve to be anyplace good.
    Get a life guys, keep doing what you are doing , if you are selected you will be intimated.

    Reply
    • Seems, you doesnt appears from IT. I have seen guys and they take projects as per their needs and mainley for on-shore. These projects really sucks and no life is dere. So mainly hope is Visa and that also going through a lottery(political process) which makes their life versatile. So dont put everyone on your shoe and compare …its India not developed one.

      Reply
    • “keep doing what you are doing , if you are selected you will be intimated”……….. Looking at this comment, u must be that manager who fools his resources to get higher ratings in their own appraisal..:))))

      Reply
  12. Hi,
    I got email from 8k today saying that my package didn’t get selected in Lottery and returned.
    So they are sending email to those who are rejected too.

    Thanks

    Reply
    • Received this mail “” So far we received 62 packages and another 70+ are pending. Your case is still pending with INS. We are still hopeful your application may get picked up, until we receive your package back. As soon as I receive either receipt or return application package regarding your case, I will inform you “”

      Any +ve hopes??

      Reply
      • I also got the same mail.It seems mine is also pending.its good that many people got selected from 8kmiles.I dont think we have hopes now.life is frustrating.

        Reply
        • Maybe. But they cannot speak on behalf of USCIS. USCIS is still returning receipt numbers to other applicants. So the likelyhood of getting a receipt is potentially low (maybe 20%) but they cannot tell you that you stand no chance.

          Reply
          • Dude, 20% was the overall chance in the lottery. Officially, USCIS already sent all the receipts a long time ago. Now there is a tiny chance for some exceptions, or the cases when the receipt was lost during mailing. That’s like 0.01%. I don’t count Indian MNCs with weird internal reporting, that can hold back the results for their own reasons.

        • Me too raised GSD and attached the last communication email from Global Mobility i.e wait until mid june…No response from GSD…

          Reply
  13. Hi
    I got RFE on June2nd.since there is no communication from my consultant how much time they will take to responsd their request.

    Reply
  14. IT WAS REPORTED TO US THAT YOUR IP ADDRESS OR INTERNET GATEWAY HAS BEEN LOCKED OUT FOR A SELECT PERIOD OF TIME. THIS IS DUE TO AN UNUSUALLY HIGH RATE OF USE. IN ORDER TO AVOID THIS ISSUE, PLEASE CREATE A CUSTOMER ACCOUNT (SINGLE APPLICANT) OR A REPRESENTATIVE ACCOUNT (REPRESENTING MANY INDIVIDUALS).

    Any known issues with USCIS – when trying to view case status this error is shown. I have tried this with random nos and still the same.

    R

    Reply
    • Yes may be…
      As my employer warned me not to check status very frequently…
      Better Just be patient…
      Or subscribed for mail n sms notification…

      Reply
  15. My Case Number WAC15146*****. Since long it is “Case was Recieved”. Can any one got status update who have above series. when we can expect?

    Reply
  16. 8kmiles started sending mails to the one’s selected in lottery.. Two of my frnds got selected mail saying “your application has been picked in the USCIS lottery.”

    Reply
      • I got a different mail :-

        With the new immigration ruling, your spouse will be able to get EAD and start working once your I-140 gets approved. The process will take anywhere from 12 to 18 months to get the I-140 approval. First step is labor filing and then the I-140.

        We are done with all the process necessary to apply for green card in EB2 category, if qualified, starting immediately.

        Let me know if you are interested in getting your green card process started. This is for candidates who are already in USA with valid H-1B visa.

        Reply
      • first they didnt shared status for 2 months and now they are saying you are picked.. but did they shared the receipt number ? No.. they have not shared with anyone.. looks bit suspicious.. what if you wait unnecessarily till october, just know another status your application not approved.

        Reply
    • Guys – Can you please share your friends contact details with me who got selected and email from 8kmiles, I also got the same email from 8kmiles yesterday.

      Reply
      • did all the 65 people receive the email ? it means those not selected wont receive any email ? when will they return the money ? if cheque is not encashed they should return the money right ?

        Reply
          • I spoke to the SPOC of 8k. He said still not reveal the 68 who got selected in the lottory and all the petitions pending with attorney. Now they are receiving rejected packages on daily basis and update the results for rejected candidates. He asked me to call on july15th.

  17. Just got my package back….not selected in lottery…this was second year of rejection…will try again next year…all the best to all who haven’t received their results…..

    Reply
  18. Hi friends

    I was not picked up in lottery just got my package back … all the best for rest who are waiting for the results and approvals 🙂 wait is over great relief

    Reply
  19. Hi Kumar please help here

    My fresh h1-b petition has been approved…in my petition Chennai is mentioned as consulate location ..so I just want to understand is there any relation of current work location in India and residence in India with consulate location

    In my petition my attorney mentioned my India work location as Chennai…as my company has office in Chennai as well…but I am working from Madhya Pradesh office and residing at Madhya pradesh

    So is it OK if I go for stamping at Chennai consulate…please reply..

    Reply
    • Just wanted to know all who got approved fresh petition …got chennai as consulate….

      @Admin please share your valuable thought.

      Reply
    • Shri, It should be fine. I have seen people with your similar situation and it is nothing to worry. Typically, companies do that based on their need, speak to your attorney in the company and he can help you clarify. No need to worry !

      Reply
      • Hi kumar…thank you so much for your reply…Highly appreciate your help.

        I tried to check with attorney but seems his job was till my case has been approvend…he is not replying..

        If you know the process what needs to be done…please guide me.

        Thanks once again…

        Reply
      • Are we getting this paper notice as an acknowledgement right after filling our H1 application? I still didn’t get anything neither selection nor rejection. I just want to make sure my Attorney has actually filled H1 application for me ?

        Reply
        • You can request to get the lottery rejection letter as your attorney has got the rejection letter along with the rejection packet.

          Reply
        • Return package is correct. You should request the notice from your attorney or employer. If it’s return package of rejection, they probably yet received it, but you can ask them to notify you as soon as they get it.

          Reply
  20. Around 1450 associates had been selected so far from tcs-chennai as per FDFU. Do we expect any more selection from this branch and how much? did anybody get rejection mail so far ?

    Reply
  21. hi,
    i applied for h1b 2016.my surname is XXXX when i was fillingin old passport,now i applied for new passport my surname is changed yyyyy
    is there any issue.please help me.

    Reply
  22. TCS’er any update on the selection or rejection list being shared ?
    How long does this process go on ? When do we get the final list of SELECTED / REJECTED ?

    I am in a situation now I cant go ahead with other VISA until I get an final update on this 🙁

    Reply
    • FDFU has shared 4th list with account managers and now its upto them to share or not
      Many still waiting for this boat ,so dont worry you not the only one

      Reply
  23. 15days back they said, I had cleared the lottery and they didn’t give me the receipt number. They said they would give me by June end. Haven’t heard from them yet. Is there anyone who got the receipt number from Collabera?

    Reply
  24. Hello Infosys guys , did anyone received any mail for Selection/Rejection….does anyone have any idea how much more we have to wait for results … 🙁 🙁

    Reply
    • Why do you think Americans hate us? Poor communication is one of the primary reasons. That’s why you would notice majority of people having a common regional or linguistic background within a team. One blind hires another blind to feel less blind.

      Reply
    • How much time from lotery selection till approved petition? My petition amendment filed on 19th May, still no news on receipt number. Can someone clarify on this?

      Reply
  25. My visa site shows the status of my h1b as ‘ In Progress’ and LCA Info was lastly updated on jun18, could you please , what does it mean?

    Reply
  26. I got RFE for my application on June 19th. GM is yet to send a mail to me regarding the RFE…waiting… 🙂

    Reply
    • Congrats dude… could you please let me know when you got the ur receipt number and yours is regular or premium processing?

      Reply
  27. Hi,

    I’m an Indian citizen working in USA on OPT. Since my H1B dint get through the lottery this year, my company has decided to send me to Canada (Intra employer transfer). Also, I am getting married in November 2015. My questions are as follows:
    1. )Would it be possible for me to take my fiance with me as I go to Canada?
    2. )If so, what visa would I have to apply? If he applies for a TRV/Visitor visa, how long does it take to process.And, how many days would he be granted to stay in Canada? Can he look for jobs or work with a visitor visa?
    3.) Can he apply for an open work permit (even if I am an intra transfer employee)
    4.) Where do I have to get my visa work done?

    Reply
  28. My number is still in ‘Case Was Received’ while my friends got CASE WAS APPROVED.. Should I need to panic, actually i am panicked, i dont know what will happen.

    Reply

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