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 ?
Hello Guys, is there anybody here who had 2 H1B’s approved through 2 different employers did the stamping successfully without much trouble? I have one approved and one is pending status. I know lot of people will be mad at me asking this, but I did 2 only because I didn’t make the lottery previously and had to go through very tough circumstances.
Thank you, Please help me if at all you have an idea on this… 🙂
you are all set now.. forget about second .. if you dont want to get in trouble in the future..
THank you for the reply. I am stamping in Sept and visa is approved for current employer. But I am wondering what if both are approved. I still want to go for my current employer though.
first of all, how did you expect that they will stamp on the same passport twice in the same year. think once and you will get answer automatically.
I didn’t expect them to stamp both on one passport. I want to go ahead with one which is approved for my current employer and wondering at all officer will question the other pending while stamping. And I know Lord Venkateswara is Great… 🙂
Got mine aproved , a frustrating wait over….
Wac 143 series….
Will have to cross the stamping part now…….
Best of luck to all of you waiting…. And ones who got it!
Congratulations!!!.. good luck for stamping..
Lets assume that an officer validates some 100 H1 petitions, and I feel that he will try to put atleast 30% of the petitions in RFE though all of those 100 are perfect. Because, normally, if we take interview of some 30 people in a day and if we clear all of them then our manager will doubt if I am taking interview properly or not. I know this assumption of mine has nothing to do with the end result but this is something that crossed my mind.
It’s not that easy for them. They explain all the weak points using text extracts from the petition. However, you don’t really let your interviewee know what points he missed on the same way. Do you? Anyway, finding the best 70 out of lucky 100 isn’t unethical. If bribery was an option, I am sure all of us would have opted for it. So, what does it makes us? Definitely, not someone to complain about. I have got an RFE and I must accept that I am worried and heavily frustrated that I might loose to the unworthy ones who have somehow got their petitions approved without obstacles. But, shit happens bro.
Totally agree bro, I feel it’s 50% luck and 50% everything else.
You guys are overthinking.. Its all depends on company name and how strong your petition is..
For people like me for whom the status is still showing ‘Case Received’, can it be assumed that USCIS will not do very serious validation of our petitions since its been more than 3 months now. I know this is tooo positive thinking, but normally when I take interviews in a day I finish the interviews very fast when I know there is not much time left in the day and I have to complete many.
Nop, USCIS takes each and every petition very seriously no matter how many months . Just yday I got RFE after completing 3 months .
Its a pure bad luck for those like me who got RFE in the last minute though its validated late.
I was hoping the same but apparently some people disagree.
This is like you are thinking only your case was filled ……USCIS officers does same work every day, they approve rejects 1000s of cases everyday and the can qickly take decision by looking at your case…
Hello guys, TCS VTS tool is down again due to urgent maintenance for 3 more hours today. This time we’ll definitely gonna see mass updates regarding the status, many unlucky ones would receive their rejection status. Check your status without fail on Wednesday IST morning.
Its not down. U shud consider checking your internet connection. Dont get restless dude…..
It was down buddy. Dont just comment without checking…
I didnt hear any updates today at all… @Hyderabad
Any updates from any other locations???
Do you hear daily updates @ Hyderabad??
Yup.. VTS was down over the weekend till Tuesday..
Any body from KPIT got selected in Lottery. Mine one is selected in lottery but no further process.
Waiting for next stage.
My status was approved in June,still am waiting what is the next procedure.
Your employer doesn’t know what to do?
So after getting the approval i can fix the appointment for visa interview right?
WAC15145506**
Seems these cali folks either swarmed with amendment/extension/transfer Premium requests or they are like our Govt Babus (lazing around). In any case this wait is simply killing me. Tired of checking USCIS website everyday to find same status.
I am sure there are many like me in same boat. Hoping it the torture ends soon.
Cheers.
Sign up for email updates, no need to check the website every day.
Its good or bad you would know .. your employer will tell you..
why are you wasting time everyday instead you can focus on your work?
I got a RFE on 23rd July. I asked my company for the RFE notice but they are not willing to provide me the notice. They initially just said RFE is for education evaluation and need not worry much.
But now they came back yesterday and said they need a detail Speciality Occupation Education Evaluation which is expensive ( $525).
As per the attorney –
RFE is requesting for education evaluation from a college or university professor or official, such as an admission official.
You may want to send it to your education evaluation service and they will get one of their college professor’s specialist to do it for you.
Also, he asked me to send detailed experience letter showing I have at least 3 years of software development experience. I have more than 8 years of software experience so not a problem.
Can someone guess what the RFE is about? Any detailed experience letter templates or sample? Please advise.
Dear Friend, I am wondering what kind of Evaluation would Cost 525 USD$… When the overall Regular H1B Processing Fee itself would cost you around 1500 USD$.
On a Serious Note : Any Education Evaluation would cost you around 150 USD to 175 USD and not more that that. The below site is called NACES – naces.org/members.html
In the above site you will find the list of members who are authorized or Certified to do Credential Evaluation for Immigration / Job / Higher Education in the United States. I don’t see any Member would charge a fee of 500 Bucks. Looks like your Employer is giving you a Banana.
Now Detailed Experience is something which I am seeing pretty common now…. Basically they want a Letter from all your Employers stating your Years of Tenure with that Organization along with mentioning your Roles / Duties which you have performed there.. I know it is pretty tough as most of them wouldn’t give this kind of letters. However there is certainly a work around you can very well get that drafted by your Ex-Colleague and then get notarized from a Notary and give it to your Attorney he will take care of the rest…
In reality your Employer should be guiding you with all these above points which I just mentioned… Looks like he is Seriously Giving you a Banana. Good Luck!
education evaluation is vry easy and simple RFE… if you try you can get it done in $100 max.
My company is planning to get the evaluation done from Morning side Evaluations. It isn’t listed in the NACES members. Is that a problem? Also I checked the fees on the evaluation services company and “specialty occupation” and “Experience and occupation” services cost 500$. But I’m being told by the company I got a RFE for education evaluation and they are requesting for a detailed education evaluation which will cost 500$. Not sure which service will be requested.
Regarding detailed experience letter, I was able to get it from my employers for entire tenure and now getting it verified with attorney. Hope RFE is dealt with properly without any issues.
The template is all standard one.. for my case, i just submitted my entire marksheet (subject names must be present; not just subj code).. and my employer took care of.. (I did not receive RFE; its done while applyling for H1B itself)..
Education evaluation is only around $250
I got my education evaluation done in 150$ in march 2015 before applying for lottery as asked by my consultant n it could have cost 100$ bt i wanted the report in 1 day so went for expensive service.525$ is loot 😉
Finally my H1b petition is approved.
Non AD/Reg
All the best to people waiting for petition approval.
Receipt Notice Date 24th april 2015
Approval Date 3rd Aug 2015.
series EAC15144XXXXX
Approval of petitions is random. The petitions near my receipt number were approved long back.
This site has been really helpful for status updates..
Contragts H1BisLongWait !
My series is the same of yours and I’m still waiting since April 13.
Almost people don’t know that they process the cases randomly!
So, I’m just waiting for approval! All the best for all of us!
All the best. Thanks
There you go… hope people will undersand now its a random process
How many of u are still awaiting your lottery result.? What was the feedback you got from uscis when u contacted them regarding ur applic status. I am one among you sitting like cat on the wall… my employer is always busy an never lift my call. Its 2weeks since uscis made an announcement reg return petitions. Is there any waitlist kinda approach to select petitions based on rejects or withdrawal?? Admin sir, pls throw some light on this.. Thanks!
Sorry brother/sister,
If you haven’t received your lottery result yet, I’m afraid you have to apply next year.
Mine chek is cashed bt no further updates from uscis.same is thr case…employer obviously has more important thingd to do than concentrate on my petition…my employer received receipt nbr for 5 out of 7 chks.cashed n uscis keeps my employer waiting on long hold when he tries to reach some uscis representative to ask upon my case.m nt evn sure is cashed chek means sure shot loytery selection or it can be some mistake on employer or uscis side…no clue what to do.
My application was approved on 17 th July, still waiting for the approval notice. Did anyone, whose application got approved on or after July 17th receive approval notice? How long it will take to receive approval notice?
Hey,
My application EAC15***** was also approved on 17th July. I am also waiting to receive the hard copy of notice. By any chance what are next steps?
Hi Srinivas, similar case.. Approved on 16th July. Still waiting for notice.. By the way, r u waiting in USA? Or India? India may take more time right
In India, but once docs received to US employer.. they will notify.. till date they did not receive it. dont know how many days need to wait.
In same boat.. could you please notify here once you receive the hardcopy.
Hi,
Finally got the receipt of approval notice today 🙂 Thanks everyone
Hi Waiting4approvalNotice,
Congrats mate..
when was it approved and u got the approval notice to which location .. india or USA?
Srinivas
Your approval date pls? Sometimes they say it may take up to 3 weeks to get it mailed in USA itself..
Approval Date – 17th July.
Hi Srini,
It was approved on 17th July.but I got the update 4th August IST morning from our employer..The same was updated in our company portal.I am looking forward to visa stamping..Hope you will get it soon!!! All the best!!!
I got my hard copy yesterday. thanks mate.. all the best to all of you
Hi Srinivas
Many congratulations… Is it possible to get the hard copy to India within 3 weeks? Any info pls.. Worried about the delay
Still have change to get selected in lottery
Case Was Received and A Receipt Notice Was Emailed
On August 1, 2015, we received your Form I-129, Petition for a Nonimmigrant Worker, Receipt Number WAC1514654573, and emailed you a receipt notice. It is being processed at our California Service Center location. The notice describes how we will process your case. Please follow the instructions in the notice. If you move, go to to give us your new mailing address.
O lord !! Save this child ! Its a cap exempt case !
Need to wake up bro !
VTS is down !
This module of Ultimatix is currently unavailable,
due to urgent maintenance.
We regret the inconvenience caused.
The module will not be available from Aug 3, 2015 10:06:46 AM GMT [Aug 3, 2015 3:36:46 PM IST ] to Aug 4, 2015 4:30:00 AM GMT [Aug 4, 2015 10:00:00 AM IST].
Hi all those who have got RFE (Regular processing) Can u plzz update ,
How many it took to receive RFE notice via mail ?
Days it took to update as RFE response received ?
Days it took for the final Decision ?
Thanks in Advance
1 – around 1 week
2 – 1 day
3 – don’t know yet, 1 week passed already.
Hi , Thanks for your response , In my case its been a week and I haven’t even received the RFE notice .
All the best !!!
RFE notice came in about one week after I saw it online. It took about 3 days for status to change to RFE response received. Waiting for final decision (hopefully an approval) since a month and half now. I’ve been told it takes around 2 months on an average for final decision after status changes to RFE response received (unless your application was in premium processing) .
Hello Guys, is there anybody here who had 2 H1B’s approved through 2 different employers did the stamping successfully without much trouble? I know lot of people will be mad at me asking this, but I did 2 only because I didn’t make the lottery previously and had to go through very tough circumstances.
Thank you,
Hi,your saying u got multiple h1b picked in lottery. Did any one got approved or still in received status
Hello,
I got one approved and one is pending status.
Hi AB
Did you get both your applications already approved? My friend is in the same position – one applied from an MNC and the other one from desi consultancy. My application is still in received status
27th July one is rfe and 28th other is approved. Waiting for rfe notice
Has any body received lottery rejection mail from IBM?
Is there any + ve chance still? No Updates in Zoom tool…
Has any body received lottery selection/rejection mail from IBM?
not yet…waiting for package return confirmation email to move on. you can reach out to India visa common id to get the details of your case.
Still waiting for any update.
Mee too – No news of lottery acceptance or rejection in IBM Pune
The IBM common visa id comes back saying that if you have not yet got a receipt number then, it has most probably not been selected in Lottery. You will be contacted as and when we receive your return package.
This means IBM has not yet recieved the return packages. Not sure who is holding it all up!!! USCIS or Fragomen or IBM.
VTS is down? Any updates happening?
Hi All,
Still I didnt get any update on the visa. How many are in same boat?
I’m facing the same problem, case number WAC1514450### received on April 13th and still with status Received. I’m planning to send my resignation letter to my present employer soon (my h1b sponsor is another company) but I’m starting to get nervous. Should I worry?
Why to resign in the current org? You have to resign only after stamping.
I need to give 1 month in advance resign notice to my present employer. I was planning to arrive 10 days before my first day of work (Oct 1st) and do arrangements about fly tickets and housing.. But seems like its not that easy…
It would take around 15-20 days to get approval copies after the case is approved. And then you have book visa date which might take another 10-15 days. I think it will take at least 40-50 days to get passport in hand if everything goes well. So, I think you should wait till September end to resign. Don’t be in hurry.
WAC1514753### was approved on 31st July. Thanks for all your support.My H1B application picked On April 13, 2015,and got the receipt number on May first week from my employer. The 3months wait has been long and frustrating but finally feeling blessed :). All the best for people who are waiting for approvals .. 🙂
Gr8!!!! I am still waiting for updates.
I am an employee of a leading MNC in India. For my past employer, i had spent 5 yrs in US on H1-B, returned to India in 2010. Last year my current employer filed for my H1-B, did not get past lottery. This year i got past lottery on April 24th only to get RFE on May 11th. I cross-checked with employer’s immigration to take care of the RFE, they told they would take utmost care and prepare best response. Fragomen being the attorney, they replied to my RFE on 16th July which USCIS recd on 21st July, was sent denial notice on 30th July 2015 with reason employer-employee relationship. Disheartened for sure, bolt from blue after getting past lottery. thinking of Canada now for opportunity in SAP. Anybody knows how is the market for SAP in Canada?
Was surfing online on Employer-Employee Relationship RFE, its termed as ‘Kiss of Death’, with no case able to get past this type of RFE successfully.
Why that RFE is that much difficult? Just want to understand the meaning of Employer – employee relationship… If employer offers an offer to employee with certain salary as per USCIS rules, will that not be sufficient…. What’s in there to kiss of death…
Pls explain..
Read H1B Employer Employee Relationship Memo
I would suggest… find some good consultant in US. You can still reinstate your H1B.
Dear Friend, I am very to sorry to hear your state. However I am kind of confused…
1. Since you said you were already in US for 5 Yrs on a H1B, So why did your Company Suggest you to apply for a fresh H1B since they could have applied your papers under Cap Exempt.. And my Impression was anyone could be or have a H1 only for 6 Years and there is no Second Term application. – Sorry I am might be wrong on this.
2. I am assuming you applied from India.. ?If you would have applied from reputed Indian Companies like CTS / TCS / Infy / HCL…. Or any American MNC’s I don’t see any reason for Employee – Employer Relationships Question at all…
3. However if Point 2 is False then I am assuming you applied through a 3rd Party Company in US…Then yes there could be a reason for Employee – Employer Relationships.
4. However if your “Employer” has applied H1B’s in the past for people they would have certainly furnished this Employee – Employer Relationships Question.
Did you see the Denial Notice ?
Last year my application was from a leading indian Mnc and still it was rejected with no employee employer relationship.
Hi Manny,
1) First point is incorrect, i had to go for fresh H1-B.
2) My employer a US MNC Consulting in India, they have filed lot many H1-B applications for employees. Many have been approved, but it seems it also depends on Immigration officer who handles your case on how he interprets the rules and decides whether to enforce them strictly or not.
first point is correct.
you can utilize your unused time from 6 years of visa.
As far as I know opportunities in SAP market in Canada are slim.
Hi KK,
Could you please update how the market is for SAP in US now.
Hi,
i dont think this was difficult….
infact i have received the same RFE.
did you provide the end client letter?
Hi ,
My h1 is filed from Vermont centre as regular processing . I got RFE on 30 th July .
My employer said not to worry as the legal team is working on it.
Any idea how much time will it take to approve / reject my case ?
Betw 30-60 days or sometimes more, after USCIS updates as RFE response received
It should be quick now..
Just a quick question….if 1 is selected in lottery I.e. Chek was encashed by uscis but later the case was declined/rejected due to ny reason say no client letter then do uscis return back the money or is it all gone???
it is gone
Money is gone but they will give you reason for rejection. Make sure your employer is not making you fool.
109 days have passed since 4/13, still showing as case received.
Adv, reg, VT.
Same with me. Received notice on 17th and still says received. Wait is killing. AD/REG/VT
Same here it says case received since 4/13. Its been 109 days. My number starts with wac15146***** . Just want to know from case received to approval. what are the reaons of getting not approval status? I mean is it something wrong with documents or something to do with employer. Anyone pls reply.
109 days have passed since 4/13, still showing as case received.
AD / REG / VT
There is definitly delay this time but dont worry it should be quick now onwards..
Same “Received your application” status…Tired of waiting…
Hi,
I wanted to know if we can get the case number for my H1B filled. Coz TCS does not provide the case number so that we can check at the USCIS website. Is there an alternate way to get the case number. May be from the email address etc.
When should we expect final updates from TCS…
I think TCS FDFU/somebody from visa cell should respond here anonymously about the actual situation here !!
Nope.. you can’t untill your employer share info with you.
Its not a good idea to directly call USCIS evethough you have reciept number..
Hello everyone, it’s just a question: I would like to know what’s the chances of a small company sponsor a H1B visa for the first time ?
Let’s supose that the H1B visa was picked in the lottery, and it’s on case received status. Do the company have chances even for a small company applying for the first time ? Please answer if you know some one who had the same situation before! Thanks for your time!
I applied for H1B visa this year and my company is a small company with less than 10 employees working. It was the company’s first time applying for the visa in the past 10 years and mine was selected and approved on my first try. I would say you have just the same chances as everybody else who’s applying from big companies!
Hi mi ! Congratulations buddy ! You deserve it!
Thank you verry much for your valuable answer!
That’s awesome! Congrats again, and enjoy your life in US!
It does not matter.. If your employer can provide required documentation by USCIS.. you will get it..
Finally got the approved I797B from my employer. I feel, I am blessed. Those who are waiting for approval, I can understand the pain. Best of luck, hope you will get the approval notice soon. Congratulations for those whose petitions are approved. Tons of thanks to this forum.
Hi DS
Many Congratulations!!!! Just a quick question… How many days it took for you to get the petition in hand ? I mean the time period between “Case approved ” online status and receiving petition hard copy…
It took 14 days to get the petition in hand. Though I am not sure when my employer got it from USCIS.
Thanks DS. Within 14 days you got it in India or in USA?
I got the soft copy of the approved document. My employer will be sending the hard copy soon to my India address.
Congratulations!!!.. sometimes it looks so easy..
WAC1514753### was approved on 30 July. Thanks for all your support.
Congrats ! Hope my one also gets approval soon. I am still in Case Received status since last 3 months. Its painful waiting period.
You will get it soon, WAC1514* started processing at a faster pace after 25th Aug. You will get it soon. 🙂
Hi,
Any who got approved after submitting RFE in regular process, EAC center and non-ad.
My employer submitted RFE response on July 6th and same updated.
Any idea how many days it will take to get status.
Thanks in advance.
EAC1514953###Case was Approved on 30th jul with out client letter applied through company.Thanks you for all your support.
Congrats!!! which company?
Got RAE on my H1B. Can any one tell diff b/w RAE and RFE.? Please suggest how to handle RAE?
Thanks
RFE – Request for Additional Evidence
RAE – Request for Additional Evidence
If I want to contact USCIS to know what happened with my case what will they ask me?
My case was made by a visa service company and I don’t even know if I was selected in the lottery or not. They say that they are still processing other cases and haven’t received my rejection package so far. Is it good idea to contact USCIS or wait?
Same is the case with me….my employer says the chek was cashed bt they did nt hear nything after that n uscis is taking too much time to get to representative. Btw, how are u gng to refer ur case…by.ur employer or ur details?..,i don’t want to give my details as m not sure wat actually was shared by my employer plus i dnt hv ny reference/receipt nbr.
Did anyone without reference/receipt nbr called uscis.can u help with sharing wat reference u gave to them and did uscis ppl entertained your concern….ny detail will be great help.
Only employer is authorised to call USCIS. They will not share any information when beneficiary calls. It is strictly employer’s case.
My petition has a RFE too.Checked with the employer and he says it’s all about the company.My company is a small firm with 100% approval rate reputation for H1B. About 60% of the cases filed got selected in lottery.But they all have received RFEs. They had only one RFE in last year and it was approved.They are in H1 quota for last 10 years.
It seems many petitions received RFE in 2016 than ever.What would be the reason?
CEO says this may be due to new H4 EAD rule which enables the spouses of H1B holders to work in US.Could be one of the reasons.
I’m on H4 Status for last 2.5 years and this torture is unbearable .I’ve got a bachelors in Science, MBA, Two Professional qualifications and 10 years genuine experience.I can’t work here but the man who crossed the border illegally could work and get his citizenship soon.
You people out there, please don’t come to US without having the work authorization, it is torture here.If it seems difficult try out other options, because this is not the best country any more.
Democrats have crazy policy on Immigrants.They are trying to legalize millions of illegal immigrants in US knowing their less contribution to the economy. Illegal immigrants have given a rise to crime rate in US.They don’t pay taxes, they don’t buy insurance.We, the legal immigrants pay taxes, purchase new houses, new cars , purchases insurance etc, many people will come out with innovation and new employment generation.We have no reasons to commit crime in US. I’ve never heard of Asians who go to jail for of rape, murder or theft.They still make things difficult for the good guy and get easy with the bad guy.
US is failing to address this issue, many people reconsider option like Europe, Australia and Canada.Us will not be able to attract the best if they continue to do this.
Dear Kumar….Please ELIMINATE frustrated guys from this site …. funny to know that a guy has 10 years of exp and staying back at home in US and cooking for his family, paying taxes , driving his car!!! ………loooooollllllllllll.
Hey H1B laughteragain: My apologies i didnt read ur content properly…..good and informative! sorry again….
Dear – h1bslaughteragain : Don’t worry Man. You Just stay cool your RFE will get through. If you say your Employer has been filing H1B for the past 10 Years then they certainly posses the expertise to handle your RFE. Mostly the RFE could be on the Client Letter or SOW or Education Evaluation. So you Just stay cool your Attorney would take care.
Thanks manny for your kind words
before blaming others, tell me.. is ur employer genuine ? does he really file the h1b with actual work ? do you have 100% genuine facts like ur project details, employer control etc in ur petition ?
no point in cribbing abt a foreign country’s law… if u r so frustrated, come back to ur mother country and make ur living… u shameless guys can sit at home for 2.5 years without job, but will never be happy in ur own country.. upon that, u r blaming the foreign country for their immigration laws.. they know whats best for them.. stop cribbing and be independent… if u think ur life can be happy only in US, then just keep quiet and follow their rules..
I got my h1b approved on Monday. I heard USCIS will send I-797 to the attorney and the employer.
Is it true that the employer will receive I-797A and the attorney will receive I-797C?
hey can you please help me get H1B approval. Please call uscis today and tell them to approve my petition.
Hi my employer received my RFE copy. It has 3 items
a) Client letter
b) Contract letter
C) Speciality skills
Any advise on how to move forward with these RFE’s.
I heard that client do not provide client letters. Has everyone filed with the Client letter. please respond .
@Kumar : Please provide your inputs on this. This may also be helpful for so many H1b aspirants.
a) Client letter – This is a MUST, And most of the Companies provide this.
b) Contract letter – SOW Contract agreement between your company and the Client… Your Company should have this and your Attorney will respond.
C) Speciality skills – Which Skills did you apply and What was the description of the RFE ?
thanks manny for your reply.
I haven’t got the RFE copy but from what employer told
“why speciality skills ” was the RFE question.
Ok Dheeraj, Let me ask you this… Which Skill are you applying for a Job ?
I don’t have a client letter bcos I work for the company itself. Then how? Will I get RFE?
no need for client letter for in-house project.. if its a well known company, then it wud be a cake walk…
I got RFE. My company is saying that attorney is taking care of it. If needed they will contact me. But until now no one contacted since 1 week.
Don’t worry dubby! Maybe the RFE is for the company!
Who is your employer???
I got similar reply from my employer… just trying to get in touch with beneficiary of same employer?
My petition (EAC1514******)is approved and my employer has asked me to wait till they receive docs from USCIS. Usually how much time it will take to receive Docs? And how to apply for dependent (H4 Visa) for spouse?
1514 ?? whats next digit , mine is 15149 still in case received sts
they are picking it up at random and then approving
Hi, mine is EAC15148*****. Still in case received status.
While you apply for H1b visa, apply for H4 Visa as well for your dependent. In the DS160 of your dependent you need to provide your approved petition number.
Make sure you schedule an appointment with the consulate including your dependent.
Mine also approved from California centre on 23rd July 15. Still not received notice. When can I expect?
H1B visa stamping rejections ratio?
Currently my H1B status shwing as “Case Was Received and A Receipt Notice Was Emailed” .. What does this status mean ?? is it approved or it’s still in process ??
Thanks in advance.
Check H1B Case Statuses Meaning
Hi my employer received my RFE copy. It has 3 items
a) Client letter
b) Contract letter
C) Speciality skills
Any advise on how to move forward with these RFE’s.
I heard that client do not provide client letters. Has everyone filed with the Client letter. please respond .
@Kumar : Please provide your inputs on this. This may also be helpful for so many H1b aspirants.
**Urgent** I got a RFE for education evaluation as the earlier evaluation copy was not clear. Please suggest which evaluation companies are preferred by USCIS. I have a BTech degree in Computer Science. Apart from my degree certificate what other documents are needed from my side. What is the process to request for the evaluation?
Dear Friend, This is very Simple you don’t need to panic. All you need to do is Take a Copy of your Mark Sheets and your Degree which you say its a BTech in Computer Science and ask your Attorney to get them Evaluated through any of the Registered Credential Evaluators for Migration / Work Purpose. You Attorney will know how to do it. They will Issue this Certificate in 7 Days.
Normally an Indian BE or BTech in Computer Science will not have any issues… So you just relax and have your Attorney to work on it.
By the way which Service Center is it ? California or Vermont ? And are you applying from US or your Home town ?
There’s actually an easier way to get this done. Take copies of your original documents and take them to a notary shop in India. You can find them anywhere. Then ask the notary guy to write ‘EVALUATED’ with RED INK. Then, ask him to put any stamp and sign. Attach your passport size photo to the signed, stamped copies (you can use stapler for this) and send it to USCIS. Within no time, you’ll get your H1B approved. If USCIS people get impressed with your photo, they will even try to give Green Card.
On a serious note: Listen to Manny. Ask your attorney about the situation. You’re fine. Relax, you’ll get your H1B approved.
Hi,
I received RFE can any one please let me know what is the duration that my response should be sent.
When did u receive the RFE? What is the RFE about? USCIS provides a time frame for RFE response which will be known to your attorney.
It should be stated in your RFE.
U need to check ur RFE notice for the duration .
I got RFE too , why is that soo many are getting RFE ???
R they simply giving RFE to get extra time to process ???
Hi,
All I wanted to know that TCS does not provide the receipt number to check the status on USCIS website. Is there any other mechanism by which I can see my status.? ALso, did anybody’s status changed in Visa tracker saying that its rejected?
Yes. There’s a great mechanism to check your Petition status. I am sure you have a phone number for the college you graduated from in India. Find who your college’s registrar/student adviser is. Call him/her and ask if there’s been any change in your OPT status in the SEVIS database. If there’s been a change then you were picked in the lottery.
You get the receipt number only after you are selected in the lottery. TCS doesn’t share the receipt number with the employees. Yes, many have got the rejection in Visa Tracker.
@sai raghu
Stop trolling man ……
Still no update on the lottery selection/rejection. US Visa Cell/FDFU replies “Awaiting Lottery Status”. Waiting sucks 🙁
Same here…8kmiles
+1 CTS here.
+1
Hi. I was the same case. My DM suggested cases not received till now are 99% rejected. Move on.
anybody waiting for 15140***** series?
yes
I got RFE … reason known still …
Hi Guys,
Anybody waiting for status change from case received …
in WAC15143***** series.
Thanks
+1
yes
WAC15144 and I am too waiting… The chart here https://egov.uscis.gov/cris/processingTimesDisplay.do says the processing time is 2 months, and I think we have already crossed that.
Case Recieved on April 13 regular/AD
Converted to pp after a month
Received rfe in a week
Replied to rfe in a week status changed in 4 days
Approved after 5 days
Thanks all for sharing inputs and status
Wowww.. !! Sooo quick… Congrats
Few people told me PP receives more rfe. Is that true?
about what was your rfe?
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… 🙂
Same here….Same WAC1514251*** series…waiting for approval…no change in status from April 27th… 🙁
I am in the same series and waiting since April.
Hi, Any of you filed thru the consultancy ‘Splendtek’ and got ur petition approved/rejected ? Mine got rejected…
Yes, mine got rejected. They wont attend the calls .
can u share ur mail id? I will contact you…
Since there are so many rejection even after lottery selection, how do they fill those rejected slots? Do they pick 2nd lottery list? Just wondering … Any idea?
This question is asked again and again. Nobody knows for sure, but some lawyers think that uscis makes an estimate of the number of rejections and selects more petitions in the lottery based on this number. Couple years ago uscis used a wait list, but not anymore.
There is no concept of back filling for the rejected slots. It is believed that the USCIS picks more than 65000 to adjust for the rejections. But this is just a belief. The way USCIS is just a mystery.
This is exactly what I said 🙂
How do you say there is no wait list? I read in one of the link about wait list petitions attaching below:
I read this in h1bwiki.com and the news is of this year itself
Wait-listed Petitions:
Some of the petitions would be marked “wait-listed” by the USCIS and those petitions were also selected under the lottery. These wait-list petitions may possibly replace petitions selected under the lottery for Fiscal Year 2015, but are subsequently denied, withdrawn, or otherwise found ineligible. USCIS will retain these petitions until a decision is made whether they will replace a previously selected petition
It’s a speculation, not a fact, I would believe it if there was any reference to a USCIS official or government website. Nobody knows for sure, but some immigration attorneys think that there is no wait list these days.
Think about it, the uscis already announced that they returned all not selected petitions and also mailed all the receipt notices a long time ago. But they are just half-way through the approval process and if there was a wait-list they would not be able to inform people in the wait list by now. Do you suggest that USCIS lied about informing everyone?