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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. H1b got approved today. AD – RP – VSC – EAC151415
    Selected in Lottery – Apr 13
    Receipt Date – Apr 21
    RFE – June 5
    RFE Response received by USCIS – June 15
    Approval – Sep 15
    (RFE was regarding In-House employment – Asking for proof related to my projects and work details)

    Reply
  2. Hello Guys The hope which I have lost for is now in progress. Today I have received an email from my case manager that I have been picked and my case is under RFE status. Interestingly when I asked again what is my status he responded if I didn’t receive any update till now means my petition is not picked but in another email he apologized and send me the receipt number. I am not sure if I will be through but seriously guys this site made me more strong. Already lost hope that I have to apply for next year and already in my company the preparation was started. Even prepared with all sort documents as well. Let us see guys what and how I will be in future. My receipt number is WAC-15-143- XXXXX

    Reply
  3. Guys, Here I always see the receipts with series EAC15146xxxxx\EAC15148xxxxx and never seen any update on EAC15147xxxxx.
    Interestingly, I’m with EAC15147xxxxx with no update (RFE\Approval) yet.
    Anybody here with the same series waiting\approved\RFE ??

    Reply
  4. Finally the wait is over,
    EAC151445****
    RFE: 2nd June
    RFE reponse received status: 3rd Aug
    Approved: 15 Sept
    Hope and pray you all get through. Good luck to all.

    Reply
  5. just checked and found my visa got approved 🙂 🙂
    mine rfe response was submitted on 17th Aug. Vermont Centre.
    I wish good luck to all people waiting for approval. i know how hard is to wait like this!.

    Reply
  6. Mine still is waiting…
    On April 13, 2015, we received your Form I-129, Petition for a Nonimmigrant Worker, Receipt Number EAC151485****

    Guys when are they going to process this batch ?

    Reply
  7. Hi guys,Currently i am working in xyz company,india.but my h1b process by abc,US company.now from last 2 month i want looking for job change.if i leave my current indian company and stay home upto visa stamping.so,any problem will be occur during visa stamping.

    because currently my case status is RFE.
    i can’t join new company due to some rules and conditions.

    please suggest me.

    Reply
    • I would suggest don’t leave the current job, If possible stay on it. when u r in RFE we can’t really say any thing on time lines. So better stay on current job. But for stamping part it doesn’t matter at present u r working or sitting ideal. But you will get more tensed when the time passes and if things wont move favour towards you.

      Reply
    • Waiting_Approval ,

      Don’t Change the job now until your visa stamp for USA and have ticket to fly. May be if once your visa is approved you can mentioned it on Job portal. Companies will pick you from your home 🙂

      Reply
  8. Hi Guys,

    My case got approved yesterday(09/15).

    July 28–Response received
    Sep 14–Approved
    Center–Vermont

    Thanks for Redbus2us.

    Reply
  9. Mine is ‘Case Received’ and got converted to PP on Sep 11th,…Now What if USCIS doesn’t repond in stipulated 15 days time…? Are they going to return the 1250$ paid for PP….thats all…. Or they will for sure respond…

    Reply
    • Dude,
      USCIS will refund your money if they reject your case. USCIS feels that you are bribing them to get your h1b approved. Wait till they respond, what you will do in usa in this last quarter of the year. Relax, you will hear good news……looking at your tension about 1250 usd, looks like you paid money for your h1.. 😛

      Reply
    • Well said Sun … people who dont have answers and who are so so tense with RFEs, fake consultancies show this kind of frustration….

      Coming to your point….USCIS returns the PP fee if they could not full fill the 15 days period and no one can question them on this.

      @pdroid,.. tera frustration apni bibi pe dhikanaa….why you show your madness here..

      Reply
  10. Still showing ‘Case was received on Apr 13th’ EAC 15148* series.

    I have below concerns, suggestion would be appreciated.

    Me and husband had applied for H1 for the first time through 2 different Indian consultancies in Vermont center. By gods grace both cases got picked in lottery, i got the receipt number for which i keep checking the status, my husband hasn’t got any receipt number.
    Now my concerns are:
    1. By when should we plan traveling to US?
    2. Since both of us wud be going to diffrnt consultancies in diff states ,is it advisable to take kids along with us while we are in job search or is it ideal for one of us to travel first and then take kids along with other?
    3. How would be the job market and how long does it take to find a job.
    So any suggestions would be of gr8 help.
    Thanks in Advance

    Reply
    • Hi,Happy Engineers Day!!!
      Congrats for lottery pick up…..
      1. There is no time bound for travel. Once the petition is approved and you have valid job, you can travel anytime during the approval period validity on your i797.
      2. Consultancies in different states means doesn’t need to work separately. Since you mentioned it’s a consultancy, you can find a contract job anywhere in usa. Both of you can search for job in same location.
      Taking kids along with you is purely depends on you. Since both of you are first time, first going one and taking home and all other necessities and after that finding a job for the other in the same city and taking kids along is advisable.

      3. Job market is always good in USA except during last quarter of the year that is starting October. Sometimes last quarter is also good depending on the technology and requirements there. Don;t try to find job after gong there….Take some usa number while you are in india, like majicjack/vonage and attend interviews during night time and get the job and then travel within specified time of joining date.

      Hope this helps…..

      Reply
  11. my petition got approved on june18th but hardcopy yet to receive. really will that take this much of time ? how many peers r in this status

    Reply
    • Your consultancy is screwing with you. First of all, it does not take that long unless there is postal exception. Second of all, the employer should have already called uscis for clarification.

      Reply
  12. Waiting for RFE approval from california service center. looks like they have stopped processing h1b petition. I dont see any approvals who submitted there rfe reponse in june and july. Luckily people who submitted on august getting approval here and there.

    What about CTS guys?

    Reply
  13. Guys,
    Anyone with this status – Employer applied for H1, got a message saying it got picked up in Lottery. But until now no updates – No Hardcopy/Case#. Any one in this situation?

    Reply
  14. Guys,
    Anyone with this status – Employer applied for H1, got a message saying it got picked up in Lottery. But until now no updates – No Hardcopy/Case#. Any one in this situation?

    Reply
  15. Thank god….and thanks to all of you guys. Last but not least …thanks to all of you guys who are actively looking to this blog.

    Finally my case got approved. Details r as below:

    Selected in lottery after 3rd attempts
    Got RFE: on 1st July
    RFE sent to USCIS : 20th August
    USCIS acknowledge RFE: 24thh August
    Got approval : 14th September

    I am Non-AD/RP from EAC15144***** series.

    Thanks once again to everyone and all the Best to all of you guys.

    Reply
  16. Hello

    I am currently on STEM OPT and it is valid until Nov 2016. My H1B application got picked in the lottery, but the status still says “Case was received”. If this status continues to be as “Case was received” even after October 1, will I continue to remain in STEM OPT until my H1B gets approved? Or will I be out-of-status after October 1, just because my application got picked in the lottery?

    Also is the USCIS supposed to give some update on all applications before Oct 1? Or there is no such deadline?? Please provide some inputs.

    Reply
  17. Approvals have slowed down it seems…I am not seeing many people in the last 2 weeks on this blog taking about thier approval…..may be USCIS have taken up some other visa categories for a while….

    Reply
  18. I made a mistake while filling DS 160 form i.e. wrongly entered education year. I realized this while filling H4. Will it be a problem?

    Reply
    • Fill a new DS160. Carry both DS160s while going for Biometrics. Inform them that you were not able to retrieve the old DS160 hence filled a new one. They will do the needful.

      Reply
    • You can also correct it while you go for OFC appointment. But you only proactively say in all the counter you go through in OFC. if any changes in DS-160 you can do there. in OFC counter they only verify your details in the passport and DS-160 form. if any changes then they ask you to correct there only. So you mention them you want to correct your education details proactively.

      Reply
        • Yeah…..I have seen asking people correct their information in OFC when they found mismatch in passport and ds-160 form. But in your case details in passport [ like passport number, name, dob etc] and ds-160 form are correct. if anything other than that you only have to mention and they will allow you to correct it. If required they will ask you to fill new ds-160 form their itself.

          Reply
    • When was your case upgraded ? Mine got upgraded last Friday as per my employer…no update yet. Mine is still in “Case Received”

      Reply
        • Did you upgrade it after RFE or with ‘Case Received’ status ? If it is after RFE you have upgraded then the 15 days timer starts after your employer sends USCIS the required evidence.

          Reply
          • Dear sun/pp

            I think we r in same boat.
            Before two week my emplyer told that we converted your case from RP to PP.

            But I check my case status on uscis site but I don’t see any different statement ( like ur case was updated into premium process …….)

            Dear sun/pp

            How we can confirm that it was updated into premium process ???

          • As soon as USCIS receives the check for PP amount, they will upgrade the status reflecting that request has been received to upgrade (or something like that) and the next day you can again see the Case received status back but with new date on which the PP amount was processed…My employer has done this for me so i am saying this based on my experience (check received by USCIS around 20th Aug and case received status date changed to 21st Aug and finally got approved on 31st Aug)….so for the upgrade you need not blindly believe anyone. I could not reply to the below comments so I am doing here…

  19. I got rfe on 23 July , still waiting for response, EAC series. Don’t worry as India is going to be a part of UN and we all will also get visa stamp for go to USA?

    Reply
  20. Hi there! My RFE response was received by USCIS on June 15. However, I did not receive any status updates yet.
    I am already on my OPT extension valid until Sep 30. Please advise as what can I do if I don’t receive my approval by Sep 30?
    Thanks in advance!

    Reply
    • You will have to stop working. There is a 60 day grace period to leave the country, but I’m not sure what happens if you receive you COS approval during that period, it might be that after Oct 1 you are no longer in F1 status which means COS would not apply to you and you will have to go for H1B stamping.

      Reply
    • Washington university website says that:

      you are allowed to stay in US till the decision is made. But, you cant work beyond Sep 30.

      https://iss.washington.edu/employment/f1-employment/opt/h1b-extension

      Reply
  21. I’ve got approval, however my manager asked me to travel to another onsite destination . heard that i need to file some amendment due to location change. how much time will it take? anyone having same case?
    Please guide.

    Reply
    • Yes, petition amendment is needed in case there is a change in work location or Client. You can file it in PP so that USCIS will approve it in 15 days (provided no RFE)

      another option would be get the current visa stamped and report to original location first. After working there for a week or so you can file for amendment and start working in new location. But Client should be same in this case.

      Best option is to talk to your manager/immigration team. They are the ones who can provide best guidance.

      Reply
  22. Is there any chance to get denied/rejected status after getting selected in lottery? I am waiting from April. Did not receive any RFE. Do anyone know anything like this from the previous years?

    Reply
  23. My Case is still received from APR 29th , Regular Processing.
    WAC1514750***. Too hard to wait 🙁 .

    Anyone on same Boat ? I am annoyed hearing some people say Case approved a month or 2 ago and still waiting for Hard Copy .

    Reply
  24. Hi CTS guys,
    did anyone got declined after RFE response submitted? if so, can you share the date of response submitted by our immigration team

    my response was submitted on June 30th.. but still no updates.. but the response submitted for others after july got approved..
    any of our guys struck like me ?

    Reply
  25. This month 8th I got my H1B visa stamped in hyderabad.This is fresh H1B visa not renewal visa. Once I received my passport I noticed that my visa has been stamped for 5 years instead of 3 years. Moreover Annotation section is empty. Here my question is will it give any problem at port of entry.

    Reply
        • He means that the receipt notice would be MAILED will be changed to EMAILED.
          But if I am not wrong people who upgraded after RFE see this status. If it is from the beginning I dont think you would see any change in the front end.

          Reply
          • If it is from the beginning then they will see the work ‘Premium’ in their status. If it is RFE then upgraded to PP then what you said may be correct. But mine is ‘Case Received’ and then converted to PP….so what difference I will see 🙂

  26. for one of my friend case was approved on jun 18 th. lottery result came on may 21. but employer say hardcopy not received yet. is there any chance like that ?.

    Reply
  27. Dear all ‘Case Received’ friends,…did the status change for anyone of you in the last 2 days ?

    Since we are a very small minority group (Case received status since April 13th) …. I think we should keep updating ourselves on daily basis 🙂

    Reply
  28. Dear All

    My employer told me we change your case regular to premium before two weeks…. Still I m awaited for result!!!!

    My question is how we can check that our case was converted and it was in premium process ?????

    Reply
    • Mine got converted to PP last Friday as per my employer… even I am trying to find info on ways to find whether my case got changed to PP or not…I cant contact my attorney so looking for other ways to know.

      Reply
  29. Regarding RFE documents submitted:

    Hi All, shall we post some info about docs submitted as response to RFE and status, please..

    RFE Date: No exact date with me, I was notified in 3rd week of July

    RFE Type: No idea again(probably Employer-Employee relation), docs they were looking for was client letter, Manager letter, 3 SOWs, Offer letter and Organizational chart

    Docs submitted: All except SOWs, sent only one, which is valid till Dec 2015.

    Current status: No idea again if my employer even has responded or not.

    please share, so that we can check if Docs submitted are good enough.

    worried as couple of guys posted that their petition got denied

    Reply
  30. Hi Friends,

    Need some information from your end.

    My case is in still received state.if I go for PP lets assume if I got RFE and received documents from USCIS for RFE doc’s and we have submitted Then again Uscis will take action with 15 days of my case as i have converted the case As PP….or again it will be like NP

    Thanks..

    Reply
  31. Any change you see once you upgrade your case to PP. When I say change, I mean change in the case status wording on USCIS site …like “Your premium processing….”something like that by which I can know my case is upgraded to PP.

    Reply
    • You wont see any change in front end.. attorney would be recieving email.. Did you change to PP ?? I have my case as case received since april 13th.. Is this same with you?

      Reply
      • I work for an MNC and yesterday they have communicated to me that cheque and form for upgrading my case to PP have been shipped to USCIS. And when I asked my immigration team how long it takes for USCIS to receive the shipment then my immigration guy told me that it is an overnight shipment so USCIC would have received it by now and USCIS would be responding in 15 – 17 days. I also asked immigration guy whether USCIS will send any acknowledgement once it receives the request for upgradation then he told me ‘NO’.

        Yes, I see my case status as “Case Received”… April 13, 2015.

        Reply
      • And also, if there is an RFE in PP mode then will my employer receive the RFE details like in normal process where it takes about 15 – 25 days or it will be fast…if it will be fast then any idea how fast ?

        Reply
    • 1. Your request to upgrade will be reflected in the status.
      2. If I remember correctly what other people say – it will happen within a week of USCIS receiving the request
      3. They will process your case within 15 days, if it is RFE, they will send a hard copy of your RFE. At this point the speed depends on the post it does not matter whether the case is PP or Reg. And it is not 15-25 days, it usually takes 1 week to receive RFE details after the status update.

      Reply
      • Thanks.

        So when you say ‘it will happen within a week of USCIS receiving the request’….does it mean that it will be 15 days after this 1 week (time taken to reflect in the status) or it will be 15 days from the time USCIS receives the request. Please confirm.

        Because USCIS would have received my upgrade request by Friday itself…that is what my immigration team told me and tole me that 15 – 17 days here on.

        Reply
        • I don’t know the answer to this question, the lawyers should know better. It makes sense that the clock starts when they receive the mail, otherwise we would be paying money for no guarantees – who knows when they would bother to enter your request into the system.

          Reply
          • @KS … is your case approved or in RFE ?, I see you taking out time and answering questions even though the questions or of simple or silly in nature… Appreciate your responses 🙂

  32. Hi All,

    I got a RFE on 20 Aug. Since then my employer has not received the RFE notice. Not sure why is it taking so much time. Anyone has idea how much time the notice takes to reach ? My case is WAC , RP.

    Reply
      • Are you sure USCIS is responsible for this 25 days delay? Could it be that the lawyer got it sooner, then it took some time to inform the employer and then employer also took its time before letting you know? Seems like a common practice with Indian consultancies/MNCs. I have a feeling that most people get their RFE within a week. (Of course I don’t rule out that USICS slowed down lately).

        Reply
        • Hi KS,

          I am not sure who is delaying the information. My employer would get the information directly and they say that they have still not received it.

          Reply
  33. Hi

    When I track my case status using the receipt number it still says “Case was received”. My petition was applied under regular processing. As there are only 20 more days for Oct 1, I am a bit worried about why it is taking so long. Is it a good idea to upgrade my case to premium at this point? And is there any deadline that USCIS will give an update on all the cases before Oct 1? If that is the case, I don’t think upgrading to premium at this point of time makes sense. Please give me some inputs on this.

    Thanks.

    Reply
    • I am also in same boat….I have upgraded my case to Premium today. There is no deadline of Oct 1st or anything for Normal process is what I know.

      Reply
    • My suggestion would be to go for premium immediately.

      Reason: My case was L1 -> H1. I was expecting everything to close by 15th Sept so that I can serve 2 weeks of notice period to my current employer. Unfortunately, I got RFE on 8th Sept and now still waiting to get it by mail to know what is the RFE about. In any case with regular processing, I won’t be able to make it by 1st Oct now hence the only option I have is to go for premium and reply to RFE ASAP. Still I have doubt I will be able to provide enough notice period to my current employer.

      If I go with regular processing, and assume its approved after 1st Oct, I will have to immediately stop working for my current employer from the same day which means no notice period. I can think of how they will release me in this case. 🙂

      Hence, if you also have 1st Oct deadline and H1B from different employer I think upgrading to premium is the best choice at this stage. Otherwise, may be in 1 or 2 weeks you will have to anyway do it (like my case) then why to wait.

      Reply
  34. Dont want to sound mean but if you have this question means you have not spend any time working (or you haven’t worked in the atmosphere or field that requires US clients). So go get to work

    Having said that, there is no prescribed number of years of experience as such, but people with less or limited experience do face lot of hardship getting used to the system. (source: spent several years in the US working with H1 resources)

    Reply
  35. I would like to H1B does not require any working experience. I was a student in the US and applied H1b this year with 3 month working experience. I got approved in May. As long as your company or project is legit. You can apply without any problem. Good luck

    Reply
  36. Need some info pls….

    My case is still in “Case Received” status. My case has been converted to Premium yesterday (A check has been shipped to USCIS by my Employer at 3 :00 PM Sep 10th 2015). My employer said that USCIS will have to respond with some update with in 15 – 17 days.

    Now I want to know how will I get to know that the case has been upgraded to premium ? When I check my case status, in the USCIS site, am I going to see any difference now in the wording ?

    Because, I checked just now and I dont see any change in the wording of my case in USCIS site.

    Reply
    • I don’t think there is a way to know online if the case is premium or not ! It will directly approve or RFE within 15 days.
      My question is why did u upgrade to PP at this point ? There are anyway only 15-20 day left in October 1st and USCIS should be replying before that I guess.

      Reply
      • Even I used to think that before but got confirmed news that there is no such Oct 1st deadline for Normal.

        I am actually expected to travel asap. So even if I get the approval in normal processing, then I will get soft copy only after minimum 15 days….And without soft copy I cannot book stamping slot. But with Premium, I got to know that the soft copy is delivered in 2 – 3 days, max 5 days. And more over its my employer who bears the cost and he was willing to do since he might be loosing billing if I travel late.

        Reply

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