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 ?
Wow, I didn’t get any lottery selection mail/e-mails(may be mail was missing …thought it is gone !). But I got directly petition approved mail now. Hurrah !
You are very lucky bro.. Congratulations!
Hi – That is fantastic. This gives those us who are waiting for lottery result a little bit of hope !
Which company do you belong to? I’m with Cognizant and they are adamant that selection / approval cannot happen at this point in time.
Hi , How much time it takes to receive the RFE notice via mail ???
Max of 10 days.. We had received in a week.. the response our attorney posted is updated within 2 days in USCIS website
Is it Premium or regular petition?
Thanks..
All this while I was feeling bad that my case status din change, and today it changed to RFE 🙁 🙁 I have no idea why ???
This definitely hurts 🙁 I am sooo worried
All my documents are correct i think its because of my Electronics engg branch .
RFE was responded a month back but status hasn’t changed to “Response received”. Anyone on same page?
Same here. It’s been over a month since the status changed to RFE response was received.
Status changed to RFE received on 16 Jul.. Eagerly waiting for approval 🙂
I hope it will take more than 2 months.
Yep. Same here. My rfe deadline was 25th July. Even today the status says rfe was mailed. I contacted my employer, they said, rfe was answered within a week from the date it was raised.
I have also receive rfe and is answered almost 2weeks before but there is no status update on uscis website.
Same here guys…
RFE received on 13th July and answered on subsequent week, till now no change in status…..
Worried 🙁 🙁 🙁
Today my employer told it will take couple of months…
Rejection status updates in the Ultimatix > VISA Tracker have started since a couple of days. You can check your status directly to confirm if you are out of luck.
In case your status is still showing as Filed, the status update should get reflected within another week.
Finally the waiting game is over!!!
Hi WAC15141***** Series folks,
I know there are many RP/Non AD folks in this series who have been eagerly waiting to see there petition status getting changed to Approved like me.
I commented here to keep a thread going to see how the trend is going to be. I have been waiting since Apr 13th 2015.
Hope to get see some comments here
Processing Centre : California
Current Status : Case is Recieved
Non Advanced Degree
Regular Processing from an Indian MNC.
Regards,
Vicky
+1
Hi Guys,
Picked in lottery, WAC 15 142xxxx series
from May 11th there is no update on my status.. shows as below..
” We mailed your document for your Form I-129, Petition for a Nonimmigrant Worker, Receipt Number.”
I checked with my employer.. even they dont have updates….
I see lot of folks got updates…
Any Idea/thoughts… 🙂
Hi Guys
bad news for everyone, the game is over now, only only rejections are coming.so now no hope for the selection receipt, all done,I am also part of this bad news,feeling really very disappointed
Dont worry buddy.. i had gone through 3 years of bad luck on various reasons, before I got my luck this year… but i understood one thing… there are so many things to enjoy in India, like family, friends, movies, food and a lot… let the visa take its own time.. and lets not lose our joy till then…
Indian food is the worst taste in the world.
Hi everyone, it’s just a question, and I hope you don’t get wrong my question, so…
My question is: Is there anyone in here that was picked in the lottery process, and have received a Reject case status ?
Please comment your case! Thanks and I’m sorry for this kind of question…
I got selected, but received the rejection letter in the beginning of this month.
Hi JEVS, I’m sorry to heard that… could I ask you what was the reason just to have an idea ?
my petition got rejected on July 13 th after getting picked up in lottery… It’s an h4 to h1b applied thru a desi consultancy
Did u know the reason for rejection?
Hr told like they received Rfe and there was a client audit and uscis asked for revenue and finance docs of the client company for which the client was not ok to give thier docs. But there was not any rfe status online… So Dono de real reason for rejection… Consultancy didn’t provide the denial notice still to us.
Hi,
My application is of series WAC1514450***. Did anyone else got updates on same series? Mine is still the same as received.
mine is AC series, but no update till now. all the best for all who are waiting.
All,
My application# WAC1514xxxxx got RFE on July 23rd after a very long wait. I was relieved for the fact that finally some response have come but also bit nervous about the fact that RFE details are yet to be known. I see many RFEs close to my application number series and am not sure if similar case was there last year as well.
Its already the last week of july.. 🙁 Hopefully I see my Case status changed to approved this week …
Hi Kumar,
Can you please explain what this status means? My application status has been the same since many days. I tried contacting the HR and the attroney but there is no reply from them. The case was applied in premium initially but looks like it got moved to regular.
The status seems very confusing…
Fee Refund Was Mailed
On June 22, 2015, we refunded the fee for your Form I-129, Petition for a Nonimmigrant Worker, Receipt Number EAC1513******, and mailed the refund to the address you gave us. This refund does not affect the processing or location of your case. You should receive your refund within 30 days. If you move, go to uscis.gov/addresschange to give us your new mailing address.
Read H1B case status meaning . Dont worry too much, just wait and speak to your employer.
Has anybody from TCS received the rejection package.?
Yes many have and many are still waiting. I am also one of them 🙁
Still waiting… 🙁
Recently gt h1b approval notice. Notice states validity for near 3 years. My concern is what would be visa validity when stamped? Will it be 3? Or could be there reasons to stamp with lower validity.
Jitna mila uthne mein kush reh bandeeee…..dooosroooon ka bhiii soch …kya US hi life hain kya bajrannnngi bhaiijaan 🙂
such a nice reply dude…by the way..the visa validity will be based on the SOW..
Concern concern concern…
Hi Kumar,
Its been 105 days since my application got picked up in the lottery and it is not moving further for approval! mine is with California service center (WAC1514752@@@). i know many people are waiting for the approval !! AD from UK , RP. currently working for Deloitte in India
My interest to know here is:
1) What happens if it doesn’t get approval before 30th of September?
2) What happens if it fell under RFE just before 30th of September? will it take another 2 to 4 months for getting approval?
3)Do you think all the regular process applications will be validated before 30th of September? any chance of extending it? max how long?
4) i been tracking quite a few (40) WAC series numbers from past one month but none of them got approved status!!!! little worry here . im sure they are not processing series wise!! even i checked EAC numbers and these are OK! few got approved.
Finally what i would like to know is : Based on your previous experience when can i expect my case status change? i will go with your words and opt for premium processing if you say it can go beyond 30th Sep to get it approved !!
Thanks,
Vasanth-Deloitte
1. Most cases will approve before 30th of September. If not then your bad luck.
2.Yes. If get RFE, It will take few weeks to months. But most of the cases will get decision with in 2 to 3 months after submitting RFE.
3.Yes. Most of the cases validate before 30th of September.Some of cases will be extend and we can’t predicate time.
Premium is your choice. In premium process you will get decision with in 15 calender days. Suppose if you will get RFE with in 6 days of premium process start.Then USICS stop clock and after submit RFE response they start clock again and they will give response with in remaining 9 days.
Same here, Experts please reply
i am also on same boat..Analyzing with different applications with same series.. Few were approved..i am following yo for those queries..
Very bad English for a UK AD holder and Deloitte employee.
I’m sorry if you couldn’t understand what it is!! did u expect FROM, TO and SUBJECT in it?? never mind…!!cheerss….
he writes it in a casual way.. and its pretty decent also.. what do you achieve in degrading others…
what do you achieve in degrading others.. his english is pretty good for a casual writing..
1. No Dead Line to approve all the application before 30th Sept.. Few of them may get approved after september as well. However Mostly they will try to process before 30th Sept
2.Simply your visa get stamped from Oct 2015 though your application approved in the month of Feb 2016 because of RFE. Only the fact is you will loose the travel opportunity to travel in the month of Oct 2015.
3. Same as First answer
4. They Might go with Random basis. it all depends on the officer who is handling ur application.
If you need quick decision you will have to convert into Premium processing.. Suggestion wait for August month, still if you don’t see any status change then convert into premium processing. As far as i know Premium can handle everything in 45 working day ( Adding RFE Case approval time).. Normailly 10 to 15 business day approval process will get finish. These are the observations what i observed in the laste year
Really informative. thanks for your time.Vasanth
Has anyone from IBM heard of started receiving rejection emails from GI team?
Reply from Immigration Services team,
If you have not received a receipt notice by now, it is unlikely your case is selected. If and when we receive your case sent back by the USCIS, you will be contacted.
Connected with IMB GI Senior head, she told if you haven’t received any updates yet assume your case is not selected in lottery process.
ALL SELECTIION LIST FOR IBM is done.
Hello,
Is there no Update pending from TechMahindra?
I have neither received acceptance mail nor rejection mail. My manager doesn’t seem to have any information either. Any info. on this topic is much appreciated.
Harika
Hi, anyone received petition approval status in lnt Infotech. Mine was due for petition approval.
Finally approved after 3 months
AD/RP/CA
WAC151395****
when did u get approval?
Finally approved today.
Eac151475$$$$
got $$$$ also ??
hi any updates reg h1b
Pending since 4/13, Vermont.
yes, same .
The same old status “case was received”
How long will it take for status change after sending out RFE response
hi
let me know after approval what will be process because my client is same but location has changed…i wanna know that in new rules,new lca should be made till 19 august for location change,will be apply in this current year.
why dont you ask this que in infosys. they wud be able to provide u a clear answer.
people here are asking qu about lottery/approcal status/rfe .. after approval you should get in touch with your employer …
u want to com to USA and still need people to feed you with all ans.
he is telling truth though, no change in case status.
This guys are not grown up enough to go to US
Your English is a sucks. LOL. You are not qualified as well to go out of country.
Indians hate each other.
Should have applied for L1. You guys take up all H1 and leave deserving AD candidates in turmoil.
Who said you are deserving? Please don’t praise yourself too much.
Status changed to Name is updated. What does this mean. Plz plz answer
same here… u got any update ??
Any CTS folks receive any update on their lottery result?
Hi All,
My employer is telling that no received any rejected petitions as of now. But USCIS announced that they returned all non selected H1B petition by 14Jul2015. Is my employer hiding something or correct what he said?
Case is same with me.
There are many cases still pending with them. Its true that they returned all rejected petition back but still der may cases pending with them. I think its not either selected or rejected.
We cant give exact time line for it. But my employer told me that there are no selected petitions they are receiving now. All are rejected only.
BUT DONT LOOSE HOPE but 1/400 ratio of getting your case selected is still der.
My employer says my status is still pending with Fragomen, and they are yet to receive any update. That little hope in the corner of my heart is not letting me be at peace, atleast if I got a rejection mail , I would be content, but I dont know what plans God has for me….
Hi Folks,
I am a Test Engineer,My petition got a RFE and this is the RFE below. Could anyone please tell me whats exactly needs to be done about the query,.
******
1.Letter from previous employers so that we may obtain a degree evaluation based on education and experience;
2.A formal job description of offered position
3.Letters from other IT companies stating that a degree in Electronics and Communication engineering would meet the minimum requirement for a Test Engineer position
Thanks,
Did you apply through consultancy or comp?what is your qualification and exp.the RFE seems your education and exp.You may need to submit education evaluation.
Hi,
My company applied for me,My Education is B.tech in Electronics and Communication.
How to do a Education Evaluation, could you throw some light on the same.,’
Thanks,
Education Evaluation for an H1B visa is the procedure that seeks to determine the equivalency of foreign degrees and/or experience with education in the current filed.Check with your employer .
you can use silvergate evaluation’s it was helpful to me.
There are 3rd parties in USA authorised by USCIS who can evaluate your degree. I guess they charge $300 and your Employer should pay for it.
Looking at the wording, it looks like a “Specialty Occupation” RFE. Your employer should work with an attorney to compile necessary support documents and prepare an appropriate response. Trying to troubleshoot for an answer in a forum like this won’t help your case. Best of luck!
Please write your experience, Your current visa status ,i could tell you what you can do,any way your attorney will take care off but i can also tell the options.
My employer responded to RFE on 25 June. However the online status has not yet changed to ” Response to RFE received”.
The status still shows “RFE was mailed”.
How much time it takes for RFE status to change.
Anyone with same situation? how much time it has taken in your case.
Thanks
Hi,
My employer sent response for RFE and is updated as “RFE received” with in 2 days. I don’t know what happened in your case. Actually they will take max 5 working days to update as received.
Is your case PP or RP?
regular/ EAC1514*****
Dont worry! Some times your attorney will receive your H1B approval in mail but their web status not even changed from “RFE was mailed”
Please ask your employer/attorney to call USCIS and confirm if they received your pack. Mine is regular processing and when my employer mailed the RFE documents it reflected in website within 2 days.
My petition got approved yesterday. WAC151475****
IS UR NUM NEARLY SAME?
WAITING SINCE APRIL 13TH …..
Thanks,
Neha
Neha,
I was also waiting from a long. Finally yesterday its approved.
Mine WAC151475**** as well. Status: “Case was received”. Do they process petitions based on receipt series?
Yes..its on random basis.
Great buddy…..I am waiting for the approval for the same series…..waiting is a painful job. Can you please let me know the following.
1). applied location and your current location?
2). next two digits after WAC151475?
Hi Any body please help.
My case went to RFE on July 14th . I have no update on my RFE till now. I have also asked my employer regarding the same.
He told the attorney did not receive the RFE yet. How many days will it take for attorney to get my RFE .Any answers are appreciated.
your employer /attorney will receive with in 5 to 7 working days.
thank you
is anyone from prime healthcare here?
I am given 1 month time for stamping of H1B Visa granted.As on today I am in USA.Pl.guide how can I pay fees and get earliest interview date?
Thanks.
Nehul.
hi,
I H1B application picked On April 13, 2015,and got the receipt number(on May 12th) “WAC-15-XXX-XXXXX”. But till now I didn’t get the update.
so how many days(in worst casse) will take to update my case, any idea?
Any ‘Market Research Analyst’ got an RFE and subsequently got approved?
My employer asked payment for applying h1b. They collected certs from me and sent offer letter for h1b. I signed offer letter and returned to them in march 2015. they did not said anything about payment again. I left this matter thinking that they do not need payment. now I ask status, they say they have not applied h1b for me as i did not pay. what can i do regarding this employer now.
Who was ur employer?
Sriven tech
Mail USCIS attach the mail you received from the employer along with the offer letter
What USCIS will do, when a petition was not even filed?
Don’t do such things…
Be calm n take your certificates from employer.. They gave offer letter, but they might have failed to find a client letter… So, they might have stopped filing ur case… Coz, filing a petition without proper documents will screw the employer than employee… It’s good that, they haven’t taken money from you.
Thinking to harm them will waste your time n money. You don’t know, there are some cases, where employers collecting money n not even applying for h1b… All those things will happen till USCIS makes the h1b process transparent to employees along with employers/attorneys… Until then, candidates gets cheated by fake employers..
Before July 2nd week when I wrote 3 email over few weeks interval for status since april , I did not get any info from company. then i wrote email to Attorney with my name asking them If they applied h1b for me. Attorney asked me who was my employer. I replied to attorney my employer name. Attorney asked me to contact company. I wrote email to a person in company for status.. They kept quite for few weeks.
after two emails , the company asked me to contact my reference for status who introduced me to company. The reference did not reply for few days. then i contacted the company person again. company person asked my phone number and said he would call me next day. now the reference guy replied saying that company not applied as I did not pay as per the company contact. keeping these facts, i doubt the guys have status but they do not reveal it. Can I reach USCIS to know if any petition filed on behalf me.
My status changed to “On July 16, 2015, we approved your Form I-129….”
what does this mean ?
what happens now ?
Should I continue checking updates online ?
It means they will mail your I-94 to your lawyer 🙂 mine was approved yesterday. Your employer needs to do a bunch of stuff too, check with your lawyer.
I never spoke to my lawyer ( never had to )… I dont even know wat to ask.
I just spoke to my employer but did not get any clear / detailed explanation…he was kinda busy….not much excited that its approved….should i even fell happy about it or is this a common thing ?
Can you please tell me wat happens now step by step ?
strange world is this,,, u want to come to USA and don’t know anything about approvals and all.. people are waiting for their approvals ,, ~70% would apply next year, many would not be able to do so.
there is nothing urgent(as ur psuedo-name says). be happy that ur case is approved and ur employer will get back to u, did u lurked into receiver to see if he was unhappy? he might be bsy.
That means your H1 petition is rejected. No need to check your status online. I-129 is the rejection form. If it’s approved you are done for this year. Better luck next year.
Dude, seriously, do some homework. If you are already in US, your attorney will receive a new I-94, that he will pass on to you – you are done. If you are not, the attorney will receive some approval paperwork that he will pass on to you. You take this paperwork with other sh..t (education docs, job offer etc) and go to the US embassy for a visa interview.
My case status changed to RFE today. Case number EAC151435xxxx. Not sure what the RFE is about yet. Waiting for RFE notice now. Fingers crossed and hoping for the best.
Same with me bro. EAC151485XXXX
@TCS
Wait Over. Not Selected. Will Meet Next Year.
Updated In VTS.
Same here ,not selected in lottery ,got update in VTS
Best of luck guys waiting for approvals !
Not sure whether will meet next year as not sure whether h1 would be applied again !
Hi All,
I am in India, working for an MNC A. My H1B petition has been filed by an US employer B this year and it got approved. I will be attending Visa interview in India next month. Now my current employer A has an opportunity in US want to do transfer of my H1B petition. If my visa got stamped with employer B and if my petition was transfer to employer A, can I travel to US with the approved I-797 from employer A and visa stamping from employer B. Also is it possible to do the H1B transfer before entering US. If yes, will there be any problem at POE, when my Visa has employer B name and I-797 has employer A name. Do I need to go for stamping again for employer A before entering US.
Hi,
It would be risky if u have ur visa stamped with Employer B and your current I-797 is with Employer A. Even though you will have US visa when you enter in US ,immigration department check your visa and I797.
I would say to be on safe side stamp visa with employer B I-797 as they applied then enter in US, work for 1 or 2 months for employer B and then transfer visa to Employer A and start work for employer A.
Thanks for your response. My problem is, I need to resign from my current company to join the employer in US. Once resigned again I can’t join in US. I have been informed that, I can travel to US with a valid visa and approved I-797 from any other employer. If anyone traveled like this, faced any issue in POE.
That is perfectly legal. There won’t be any problems at POE. But, people who are transferring H1b before Oct 1st are getting RFE asking to explain the need for transfer before the start of employment, since last year. That would be a bit risky.
If your American employer is a good company and not consultancy which takes 20-30% of your salary. It’s always better to join your American employer.
Thanks for your response. Yes, I am planning to transfer after Oct 1st only. Do you know anyone traveled to US with different employer’s name in Visa and I-797.
Personally I don’t know any one.
Dude, have some conscience. Employer B stepped in for you, paid serious fees etc and now you want to dump him. Employer A was so cheap that he did not sponsor your H1B, and now suddenly has a position for you?
agree, 10000%
My status has changed to Name is updated. I am confused
what does this means
It means that there was a clerical error and they have to update your name in their system when they found the correct name. Its just a typo that would have resulted in this. Chill out
Hi Friends,
Need Clarification, I got RFE stating that End Client Letter, SOW , BRM letter. But I am not able to get end client letter.
Does it impact on my petition approval?
I am working at TCS in India. They are ready to provide SOW, Contract Letter, BRM
Thanks
When you got RFE? Did u get a lottery selection email/confirmation before or direct a RFE?
Checked with FDFU on my lottery selection then got RFE on 21st July
i have also got the same RFE.
i am trying to get a Client letter. will get to know by next week if they will provide one.
otherwise plan B.
And wats Plan B? Any way to escape from submitting the client letter or just forget about H1B?
yes, client letter is not mandatory.
check this USCIS guideline
Am I required to submit a letter or other documentation from the end-client that identifies the beneficiary to demonstrate that a valid employer-employee relationship will exist between the petitioner and beneficiary if the beneficiary will perform services at an end-client/third-party location?
A5: No. While documents from the end-client may help USCIS determine whether a valid employer-employee relationship will exist, this type of documentation is not required. You may submit a combination of any documents to establish, by a preponderance of the evidence, that the required relationship will exist. The types of evidence listed in the memorandum are not exhaustive. Adjudicators will review and weigh all the evidence submitted to determine whether you have met your burden in establishing that a qualifying employer-employee relationship will exist.
Thanks pdroid for your valuable information.
Lets hope for the best and All the best
I have received reject case# VRP1607112XXX , can any one please explain about this case number, also it can not be verified at USCIS. Error: The application receipt number entered is invalid. Please check your receipt number and try again.
seems someone robbed u? sorry for letting u know!!
I see +50 from my recipt number has some status change other then Case Recived. i dont know y my case not getting updated. 🙁
Same situation , I see some status change for all the nos +30 and -10 of my series EAC1514952*** and mine remains the same ” Case was received” . Why is it not in an order !!!!! 🙁 🙁
Can you plz tell me have you filled from some consultancy or some MNC. Becoz I have filled from a consultancy and It can be the case (My series EAC1514852***)
I have filed from MNC ,So I think its totally random .. Lets pray
Hi Friends,
Need Clarification, I got RFE stating that End Client Letter, SOW , BRM letter. But I am not able to get end client letter.
Does it impact on my petition approval?
Thanks
BRM letter means..can you help me to understand as i am new for this h1b process..
BRM means Business Relationship Manager for Onsite to co-ordinate with Clients
I would suggest, check with your Company Lawyer. He is the best person to refer to instead of taking advice from here & there.
I am working at TCS in India. They are ready to provide SOW, Contract Letter, BRM except end client letter
“On July 2, 2015, we approved your Form I-129, Petition for a Nonimmigrant Worker, Receipt Number EAC15147*****. We will mail your approval notice”
When will this status be changed.. i have read here that we receive hard copy of i797 within 10 days.. but there is no change in my case.. my employer has not received any yet..
Do i need to worry?
Pooja,
There will be no status change once you approved status comes. Employer/Attorney should receive the hard copy approval notice in 10 business day or it might take 3 weeks or 1 month time depends on the situation.. No need to worry.. Keep on checking with the Employer/Attorney. You will get an update
Hi ,
Mine is a premium processing case.
Received date :13 Apr 2015
Receipt date : 20 Apr 2015
RFE (Specialty Occupation) :6 May 2015
Attroney Submitted documents :17 July 2015
Status change in USCIS : 21 July 2015
I-129 Form Approved : 22 July 2015
USCIS has just taken one day to approve my case 🙂
Lucky you!!!!
Hello, I received the same rfe. what documents did your attorney submit?
thanks guys wait is over, mine got approved from CA center
WAC1514650***
Hi Guys,
Just want to update you for your information.
My case approved today : WAC1514654***
Thanks.
Congrats Mate… did you apply from US ? Was it a Non AD Degree ?
Yeah Thanks a lot Mate.. Reg Non-Ad
Has the USCIS case status website crashed?
Hello,
it is not crashed, it will be down from 9PM to 11PM (EST) time.
Any idea y it ud b down ?? Is it coz thats t time they update the case status as in approval or RFE ??