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 ?
Dear All – Please Help me to Understand how much exactly time required to response RFE?
I Got RFE on Jul 1st. and Today on Sep 25th when i asked my Employer whether they have submitted RFE response or not? Answer was that Today they got my potential Project Contract Papers and they will file Response next week.
Do you think its possible to file RFE response after 90 days are over ( Today its 88th Day)? or my Employer has already messed up. They didn’t tell what number of days given in RFE to provide response but i heard its 89 Days at Max.
Please Help if some one knows about this scenario.
Hi RFE_RESPONSE_TIME_HELP** ,
For RFE USCIS must have informed about the deadline to submit RFE. I received RFE on 27 July and my Response to submit to deadline informed was 22 October. I believe FedEx delivers package in 1 day . But the thing is response has to be Submitted ON or Before 90 days.
Hope for the best
Kun
Thanks Kun
i am not sure what Date given in RFE to send the response back to USCIS (Employer didn’t reveal it)
Hopefully they will be able to reply on coming Monday 28 Sep. that will be exactly 90th DAY from the date RFE was raised.
Keeping Fingers crossed . Thanks Again for the response.
Don’t worry! they still has buffer!
when is the last date to process all amended + cap exemp cases ?
I love this site , you people got successful to bring all confused people together and helping them each other by sharing their updates.
Since day 1 i am following this site and it has helped me a lot at least to think positively and not to worry about it. I saw so many people who got rejected here but still they were praying for others 🙂 man superb attitude !!!!
In my case I received RFE and it has been delivered to USCIS. Waiting for response now….doesn anyone got Approved after RFE ?
Good Luck for your Mate!
Another week is over. As Sun197895 left our “Case Was Received” club, so let me check for absentees 🙂
Conclude: i’m still waiting (WAC15143), who’s with me?)
I am still waiting for approval. my case 15147******. From april 15, status = “Case was Received”
I am waiting for approval.my case EAC15143*****.From april 13 🙁 🙁
HI
Me too waiting since Apr 13th, May i know which consultancy you have applied and also anyone got approvals from your consultancy so far?
+1 “Received” status.
only 3 days left for Oct 1st. Not sure when is it going to get approved. Does anybody know what’s happening with our cases?
Wait for RFE.
Mr BS, are you sure that you are waiting for RFE? Its pain mann.. we are already feeling that..wait for approval..
+1 case in received status. Applied thru Deemsys. Is anyone applied from the same consultancy ? I can be reached at subesh361 at the rate gmail dot com.
Hi Bro
Me too from DEEMSYS, still waiting for approvals.
My Series WAC15147@@@@@
Sent mail on your Mail.
+1 EAC15146*****
http://redbus2us.com/steps-after-h1b-lottery-processing-approval-flow-chart/
http://redbus2us.com/uscis-online-h1b-case-status-meaning-detailed-screenshots-changes-flow/
This is quite useful
Premium processing : Case Was Received and A Receipt Notice Was Emailed –> Request for Additional Evidence Notice was mailed –> Response to USCIS’ Request for Evidence Was Received –> Case Was Approved And My Decision Was Emailed
Regular Processing : Case Was Received –> Request for Additional Evidence Notice was mailed –> Response to USCIS’ Request for Evidence Was Received –> Decision Notice Mailed
Courtesy: REDBUS2US
Since we need atleast a soft copy to book a slot for stamping (I guess the petition will have details which need to be filled to book slot), I asked my Case manager in immigration team if I can get the soft copy in 5 days as mine got converted to PP. But he responded that it will take about max 3 weeks and there is no difference between regular and PP when it comes to receiving docs after approval.
Any thoughts please…
I have not received docs yet, it has been 9 days since approval (PP). Your manager seems to be right, it may take time. Personally I don’t care since I applied for a change of status.
I’m pretty sure you can book the appointment before receiving the documents, but you have to be confident that you receive your docs by the appointment date. The sequence is the following: first, you file DS-160 online and then you book an appointment slot. You can start filing DS-160 even today, because you can save your session and continue later. If you discover that some piece of information is missing – just postpone filing until you have it. If everything is there – then it’s up to you to risk.
One piece of information you will probably need for DS-160 is the intended length of stay, so you need to know the end of validity of your visa. If your case was actually PP, your lawyer should have received confirmation email that has the end of validity. On the positive side, you may include approximate day and then correct it during the interview.
By the way, you can tell if your case was premium from the uscis status: “Case Was Approved And My Decision Was Emailed”. I don’t think they email the decision for RP.
Thanks KS….for explaining point by point.
My status just shows ‘Case was Approved’.
I also doubt if mine was upgraded to PP. Because, though my immigration guy sent a mail on Sep 10th that my upgrade request has been sent to USCIS, some few hours back before my case got approved I checked with him on the delay and he checked at his end and came back saying ‘I dont see PP upgrade acknowledgement mail from USCIS, let me check with my manager’ …. and in some 2 hours time after he said this, my case got approved. So not sure if it is PP or normal and when I again pinged him he said he is also not sure at this point of time if it did really get upgraded to PP.
One last question…how many times can we change the interview date ? I heard only one time…is that correct?
What you said seems to be correct with regards to Case status wording on USCIS site…which as per this info means that my case never got upgraded to PP and it just went through normal process. Thats some good info ….
This red bus link explains most of the status wording
In the below link, remove both the ‘ss’ after http and remove the space before redbus….it was not allowing me to post the link so….
https://redbus2us.com/uscis-online-h1b-case-status-meaning-detailed-screenshots-changes-flow/
Don’t know about allowed reschedules. Check the consulate website.
It’s good your case was approved in time. It could have taken some time to realize your PP upgrade request was lost and act on it.
We got RFE today- 09/25 for EAC15146***** series
Hi Sourabh, was your petition from Logic Planet inc.
At last at last at last ….. I could see the word ‘Approved’.
April 23rd : Receipt notice received by my employee
Status has been ‘Case Received’ till today
Sep 25th : Approved
WAC151425****
This site has been truly amazing…and what made this site such an amazing place is the people on this blog who have been supporting eachother, sharing information…
To add o comment to above post, Sep 10th my employer sent shipment to USCIS for my PP upgrade. But some 3 hours back when I asked my immigration case manager, he told that he did not receive any PP upgrade acknowledgement e-mail from USCIS. So not sure if this is through PP or normal…will come to know in few days.
Now you people would be relieved of my stupid/silly questions which I have been posting in the last 10 days …. like what if USCIS doesn’t respond in 15 days for PP.
Wow! Direct approval. congratulations!
Good to see ‘Case Received’ counter is decreasing. All the best to everyone!
Wow.. That’s really great news Sun.. Many Congrats. Told u its always better to have usual status for long time than to some unusual status. I hope mine will also get approved soom. Fingers crossed. Have u received an email or u checked it manually? Again Congrats
I have activated email notification (some app in appstore). Once I saw the notification I checked in the USCIS site and I saw ‘Approved’. We actually dont receive mail, ..it goes to my immigration team and they then send it to us.
As I told you about many supportive people on this board,…you are definitely one among them,…you, KK, AJ…in the last 10 days I visited this site so many times that I know many names like back of my mind. Thanks dude…dont forget to update this blog once you case is approved which I am sure is going to happen very soon 🙂
Nice to hear that. I hope mine ll also be approved soon and sure ll definitely post updates here. 🙂 Bdw if possible plzz keep us updated with the process after approval. Thanks
Sure, I definitely owe something to this blog.
Hi Sun197895, Glad that finally you got the good news.. All the best buddy..!!!
congrats bro have fun and all the best for visa interview.
Congratulations buddy.
Thanks everyone.
Since we need atleast a soft copy to book a slot for stamping (I guess the petition will have details which need to be filled to book slot), I asked my Case manager in immigration team if I can get the soft copy in 5 days as mine got converted to PP. But he responded that it will take about max 3 weeks and there is no difference between regular and PP when it comes to receiving docs after approval.
Any thoughts please…
Yes that is right. There is no difference in timeline in receiving docs since in both cases the original docs need to mailed. I am not sure how long it takes though. You need your petition number and the petitioner details. Don’t you have them already? If so I believe you can go ahead and complete the filling of the DS-160 form and payment. If you have to go for stamping at chennai I am sure there is still quite a wait for appointment slots so better to start early rather than waiting but that is only possible if you have all required info about petition.
Oh, I was thinking that I can file DS-160 form only once I have documents with me which USCIS sends after case is approved as in DS-160 form I will have to give details which I can find only in these documents that will be sent to me…So is my assumption wrong then ? Is petition number same as case number which starts with WAC…and when you say petition details, is it something that USCIS will send to my employer after case is approved or my employer already will have those details with him…sorry but I have zero knowledge in post approval process because my employer gives us only WAC number and we keep checking the status,..thats it. Mine approved today.
Good to hear, Cheers !
Great news! Happy for you!)
Hi sun, Congratulations. I really appreciate you for your valuable information. You really got lot of patients hats off to you.
Even my case is still in received status EAC1514951xxx
Hi, got selected last year.. but valid till sep 30,2015…i filed my case on July 2nd for Amendment+cap Exemption for case #EAC15198******. Now my status is CASE RECEIVED. ANy one has same situation ?
What is the last date to process H1B amend+cap Exemption cases by USCIS. When can i expect my case approved status. ?
will it process after sept?
I just got my H1B approved!
Here’s my timeline:
4/13 case received
5/28 RFE request sent
6/16 RFE document received
9/25 approved
I filed a PP request this Tuesday, but it seems that they approved my case before they receive my request. Hopefully they can refund my money:)
Thanks to RedBus. I know the waiting is really torturing and hopeless sometimes, but the result will definitely turn out to be good! Pray for everyone
Congrats. !!
Can u pls share the below details.
Case series ?
Which Company?
What RFE Docs U have submitted ?
Thanks in Advance 🙂
Thanks!
The serial number is EAC1513853***.
I’m in a social service agency in NY, not one of the IT companies. So I guess the documents are a little different. The RFE is on employee-employer relationship.
Ok Thanks for the Info.
Congrats !!
Can u pls share the below details.
Case Series ?
Which Company ?
What RFE docs you have submitted ?
Thanks in Advance 🙂
Cheers !
I have applied h1b thru geminiit labs & am in case received status since April. Learnt that almost all applicants from gemini are in this status. Did anyone from them got approved
No one is approved from gemini… Beware of that company..
Almost all the cases from them are in CASE recieved status only..
I have already applied. cant do anything now except waiting. just checking if anyone got approved or upgraded to premium. its surprising that they have good past records( assuming myvisajobs site has right info)
HI,
Me too waiting for approvals since Apr. applied through same gemini
any one got approved from gemini it labs
Me too gemini it labs. Still nothing yet. hopefully we will know in the next few days. we cant rely on the website anymore. it doenst look like its getting updated fast.
+1 .. case received from April 13 from Gemini..
It gives me a very negative feeling that no case has moved for this company.
However , I think if there is something wrong with this company , the cases would have gone for RFE or rejection. Case received means US IS has not picked it for processing. Not sure if my understanding is correct, keeping finger crossed.
my friend and myself work for same organisation in india and our H1b was processed for same client. In june 21st the status of both went on RFE and the RFE was replied for both with same set of documents, Today my friend got the “Case Approved” with an email, but i am not…..
Everything is same, Project, RFE documents sent like client letters etc..
Please suggest
Got approval today after RFE.
Congrats Bro , which service center yours??
What is your RFE , have submitted client letter or manager letter ??
i have submitted on july 9th still waiting for response .
hi
have any one applied for h1b ammendment after h1b approval
please let me know the timing if anyone has done the same
Selected in lottery
RFE date : July 21st
Still not responded.
The question is I gave my cv as a admin and developer. But my company raised me as a web developer. Will it be a issue while approving my petition
??
Yes it will be an issue. CV and the role proposed should match.
But get it clarified from Chennai Visa cell shollinganalluru
This is what I had mentioned for web- developer position.
” I am a Weblogic Administrator with more than 3 years’ experience primarily working in Telecom Domain. I have hands-on experience in Requirements gathering and analysis, design, development and support of Java/J2EE applications.”
Apart from this the complete profile is a developer profile.
this looks good .But it is good to get it reviewed by your manager or lead once before you respond on RFE documents.
USCIS may question your experience and job offered and asks to get evaluated area of expertise and experience expertise. If your attorney manages that in the initial documentation, then there won’t be any problem, you are good to go otherwise uscis will issue rfe and you need to respond with the evaluation details.
I already got rfe on July 21st. Case number EAC151425**** series. I gave speciality occupation document, BRm letter, SOW ends by dec 2015, milestone plans , Invoice. Client didn’t give client letter. Apart from that I gave all the above docs. My response will be filed before October 16th 2015.
Hi Buddy,
How do you got the receipt number? you from TCS?
once your petition gets approved,You will get petition documents to fill up your personal details where you can add you wifes details as well.It will not be an issue .
but marriage is also remaining.so how i can do.
Your don’t need to do anything. Fill your wife’s Ds-160 when you guys plan for the stamping.
She also can go for stamping alone! In that case she should carry marriage cert, your LCA, I 797C, Invite letter from you etc.
Buddy,
You have two options
1) You go for visa stamping in Jan, so by then you will be married and there won’t be any issue
2) You get stamping done now and after marriage you can apply for your wife’s visa (its not a big deal as well)
Your choice.
hi,
Just wanted to know if any one who is selected in the lottery process and later on in RFE stage it gets denied. Then does he gets cap exempted or again the user has to go through the lottery process.
Thanks in Advance.
its depends on RFE Response documention.but it is very less issue for denied. USCIS will give changes for prove it.so don’t worry about it.
I am not getting what you wanted to say actually My petion got denied and still need to get reason.can it be responded back and what to do?do not worry means still I have hope…. 🙁
you,your employer and antony should convince uscis. you can reopen the case and it may be possible.so talk and connect with your employer and antony. RFE means propar/any way convince uscis query.
Did you get the reason for denial….. I am also waiting for that…
Sab karlo aap ek hi saal mein.
my friend and myself work for same organisation in india and our H1b was processed for same client. In june 21st the status of both went on RFE and the RFE was replied for both with same set of documents, Today my friend got the “Case Approved” with an email, but i am not.
Everything is same, Project, RFE documents sent like client letters etc..
Please suggest
Hi guys,
i am waiting for approval.currently my status is REF.so my question is how can i apply visa for the my wife.please suggest me.i plan to marriage in dec 2015.
so is it beneficial for me getting marriage before visa stamping or not?
please guide me.
I have been following this blog quite some time now. Never posted anything. However my case status is in ‘received’ for long time till yesterday as case status changed to RFE. One of my friends who is also waiting like that also got RFE yesterday. So good or bad i think there are status changes for the cases which are ‘received’ status since they are picked up in lottery.
Finally case got approved with EAC series Vermont. Below are the case status history in USICS
Num: EAC151425xxxx
4th Apr 2015 : case received
2nd July 2015 : RFE on Employee n Employer relationship doc
11th Sep 2015 : Upgraded to Premium
12th Sept 2015 : Case Received
24th Sept 2015 : Case Approved
I wish you all the best for the remaining people who are waiting for their case to be approved.. Thank you red bus and good luck everyone
One question Lakshmi…..how did you know that your case was upgraded to PP on Sep 11th ? Was there any receipt notice sent by USCIS mentioning the date or is Sep 11th date when your request for PP was shipped to USCIS ?
My employer told he is going to upgrade to PP. Since i registered for notifications with my EAC num in Usics i got status update in mail that it it got ipgraded to PP and i can see it in history
So what is the status showing up now for you case in USCIS site….is it ‘RFE’ or after you upgraded the RFE status changed to ‘Case Received’ ?
Yeah status from RFE to Case Received in Usics site
Hey sun197895,
i saw your messages on forum and desperately waiting for an updates, as you said your case is moved to premium , what is the status of your case showing now in uscis site, is that went into premium or just assuming it went into premium by listening the words of your employer.
Looks like he just believed words of his employer… He didnt even upgrade to PP… just took money from him and never applied..
@Krish…my reply to you is same as my reply to pkumar …. so dont worry, I will keep you also posted as well on my status on Sep 28th 🙂
@Krish…I missed you point on money …. there is a saying in one language … for people who have jaundice everything in the world looks yellow. Hope you got my point…I dont think you are such a crap not to understand this simple thing 🙂
Ok lets see.. you got 3 more days ( technically only 2 days) .. Lol..
@Krish … oo yeah, I was not wrong about you 🙂
Going by his comments, Krish seems to be more worried about others status … and rather than providing useful inputs he seems to be praying negative for others status. Your prayers are going to wrong number dude (PK) … 🙂
I also upgraded my case to PP along with RFE response on 22nd Sept. No status change yet. It still says “RFE documents are mailed”.
@KK … so the case status should change from RFE back to ‘Case Received’ once it is upgraded to PP ?
If thats the case then for people like me whose status is still ‘Case Received’ there is nothing to change when upgraded. Correct me if I am wrong
@pkumarsc …..Every one is desparate here,..some like me show it and some hide it 🙂 . Now coming to my case status…the deadline for PP as per my employee ends on Sep 27th. dont worry, I will not forget to update you on 28th on the status 🙂 .
And coming to the last point of believing employer….come on, be practical….does anyone have any option other than believing what employer says and wait till USCIS comes back ?
Main reason for my desperation is I am expected by my client to travel asap …. so in case if this gets dragged to Nov or Dec then I might have to then wait till Feb next year as there will be very less work in Dec till mid Jan so my client might postpone my travel…which is my assumption leading to desperation 🙂
Hey sun,
dont take it negative bro. all need the win-win situations, if we are telling something fishy, its just kind of guidance to observe steps. if you are confidence on employer ( not the desy consultancy) then you are in the safe hands. all the people work for money and crush/cheat for it.
i saw that if cases are upgraded to Premium, sure it will reflect in Uscis site that the case is upgraded to premium ( i could be wrong). but definetly there is an some status update for your case if it went to premium. think of that once.
Cheers bro.
@PKumar….Thats the whole problem …. If it was a consultancy where I paid money then I can ask him to send me the receipt details, but mine is an MNC (like many here) where there is a separate immigration dept. sitting in US and I can at most do is just drop a mail to them or ping them and expect a response. I got a official communication from immigration team (we have a tool here like other MNCs) on Sep 10th that it has been upgraded.
I dropped a mail last Monday and got a response that I should hear an update this week….a while back I again dropped a mail and have to see what the response would be.
The whole point what no one knows is …. the 15 calendar days is counted from the time we sent shipment to USCIS for upgrade or from the time when USCIS acknowledges it a and updates it in their system (I dont mean the case status site). This is one grey area. And also, for RFE people I heard when case is upgraded it becomes ‘Case Received’ then for peopel like me who has ‘Case Received status’ what would be the change …. its like so many questions and no one has a certain answer…
I observed in my case like if regular case status would be ‘Case Received’.
If its premium then it changed to ‘Case Received and receipt notice emailed’
Also as soon as it changed to received from RFE i got SMS n email saying description as its been upgraded to premium. Might be the case my employer added my Email id as contact. One more thing that usics people are busy these days and for PP cases as well its taking time around 10 business days from date of PP change date. Hope it’s helpful to clarify ur confusion.
I don’t think there is anything grey about it. Once they accept the premium upgrade, they will send an email which will include a “received date:” and a text
The XXX Service Center will adjudicate this case within
15 calendar days of the “received date” set forth above. The clock starts the day they get your request and enter it in their system, which could be a day or two earlier than the date the mail is sent to your employer / attorney
Exactly…you are right. Just now when I enquired with my immigration guy he said he is looking into the reason why there is no response on my case though upgraded to PP. After sometime he came back and said they did not receive an email which normally USCIS sends once the case is upgraded to PP. This guy screwed my 15 days time. I dont think it was done intentionally since there was an approval required for PP upgrade from very high people which I got as my case was strong…but this guy is now saying he is checking with his manager on why email did not come from USCIS…
Hi Experts,
My employer applied for my h1 for client A and at the time of application the client SOW and other documents submitted for that client. Now the project is gone from the company so wi have to tafevl from other project. My case is approved from uscis. If it rejects while stamping then will I have to go for fresh filing or the same case can be approved for other client?
This year Case analysis as on today :
1) Approved – 65% (Direct Approval and REF then Approval) ,
2) RFE – 20% (Current Status),
3) Case Received – 10%,
4) Fee Waived – 5%
Which category is your’s?
Can I know from where did you get these stats ?
Do anyone got any update from HCL , there is no update after lottery was selected, was there any approval confirmation or any other information after lottery was selected, its almost 4 months and still no update.
Thanks..
drop me mail at 5144 5100
Thanks to Red bus and all the members… My Visa was approved on Sep 19th, it was picked on April 13th.. i was worried , but finally approved !! Its EAC vermont !
Was it a direct approval from ‘Case Received’ status or you got an RFE in between ? Can you update us.
Hello,
I received RFE on June 24, my employer says they filed response on Sep 9th but there’s no update since then . Shouldn’t it be response received by now.
Any one is/was in same boat any comments or advice? Please.
Got RFE on 22 July.
My RFE response reached to USCIS on Sep 14 and updated on thier website that they received the rfe response on Sep 24.
Though my case was upgraded to premium on Sep 17. and they sent the old RFE again on Sep 22!
It took 14 days for me to get status changed from *RFE mailed* to *RFE received*
keep faith
Hi guys,
I ve been follower of this forum since 2years. Last year, I was not picked in lottery. This year I was picked in lottery and was informed by my employer on 9th May. They didn’t share receipt no. to me. I got RFE on Mid-July.
Today I talked with my employer and they said they are sending the Documents for stamping. Really happy that my case got approved and i’m getting documents in 7-10days.
Thank you Kumar and Redbus2us team for such a wonderful forum.
Keep up the hope and all shall go well 🙂 🙂
Happy to hear, Cheers !
Anyone with EAC1513853*** still have their H1B pending?
I got RFE and sent the RFE document on June.16. Still no update from them after over 90 days’ wait…
I just filed a PP request early this week and hopefully it can be approved asap.
I am on EAC15139XXXX series.. Still my case is in CASE RECEIVED status…
case received since apr 13.. wac151385xxxxxx
Don’ t worry your status will change soon…three friends of mine got changed status to RFE in last two days…***EAC***series
Mine is EAC151415****
RFE responded AUG 28th
Converted to Premium on sep 18
Still waiting for approval
Hi..
My RFE response submitted on 25th June…still waiting for approval.
Series: EAC15143*****(RP)
May I know what are documents submitted for your RFE?
Thanks redbus for providing all information. My stamping is done as well today. Applied first time and got selected in lottery. Approved without an RFE in july and today went for stamping and got approved in just 4 questions. :).
Thanks to all.
God Bless.
which company bro?
Want to keep it confidential mate! I am sorry.
Chetan
could you please let us know the 4 questions they asked. Also do they ask any questions about our previous travel to USA. Thanks in advance
which company brother?
Cheers !
Has anyone got h1b approved from eapt solutions ?
Hi,
Anyone from Gemini It labs consultancy got approval?? My status is also in received for last 6 months
hey,
even i applied from gemini it labs, please give me your email id.
I am also from gemini.. Did some got approved from them?
Me too from Gemini It..still in received status
Me too from Gemini..need to know if anyone from this company got approved or RFE ..it is very strange that so many people in case received status from single consultancy
Hi,
Me too from gemini it labs and looks like no one got approvals from this company yet.
“Case Was Received” from Apr 13th really horrible
I am also stuck at received status from Gemeni it labs. Let us connect. my id is –
dumbtintin ‘at’ gmail ‘dot’ com
Me too through gemini IT labs, any place we can all talk about this ?
This is ridiculous, its not making any sense. So many cases and not even one approval or RFE
I think we need to crosscheck our receipt numbers just to be sure.
Still waiting.. no progress. I heard somewhere the deadline for application processing is last of September. But seems like they will take up to December since so many of us are waiting status.
Unfortunately there is no deadline… Unless the petition is filed/upgraded under premium processing… There is no clause set by USCIS which states that they need to complete processing all RP cases by a certain date…
Is California center(WAC15146****) taking too much of time to approve the cases after RFE response? Any idea, what might be the reason
i got h1b visa stamped in 2008 nov.Because of some reasons my employer told me to dont come now .In 2010 i went to usa and i started to work.my h1b got expired in 2011 aug.applied for renewal and it got extension for 1 year.in between my marriage is fixed so i came india in oct 2011and i went for stamping they denied my visa with out any query.my question is can i reopen my h1b case are not, please help me.thank you.
Hi ,
Yes, you can transfer your h1 under cap exemption to different employer and can try…….depends on how VC looks at it…usually what ppl do is they will travel on b1 and apply cos with the previous expired h1 so that they do not have to come home country for stamping if luckily they get extension of their i94……Try good luck you have time before next year quota…..same case for me……i suppose to travel on my b1 and apply cos with my previous h1 but somehome i applied in this year quota and picked in lottery out of 10 in my organisation and it’s in process.May be God wants me to go USA for betterment of thier nation. Good luck dude….
Hello Guys,
My Case is approved, got I 797 approval notice, valid from 10/01/2015 to 09/08/2018.
The US requirement for which my Petition filed by my employer is gone, So I want to know whether I can change my employer and then submit the DS160 and go for stamping with new employer and US Project.
you have to reapply H1B with new employer under cap exemption
You can join a new company who can file your petition with premium processing. It may take max 15 days (if no RFE). Since you already have I797 approved, your case will be cap exempt, which means you can apply any time & don’t need to go through the Lottery process. Hope this helps.
Hi,
Has anyone from CTS waiting for approval after RFE.
Submitted RFE response on june 30th.
I am not from CTS however my employer submitted the REF documents (almost two weeks back) but my status is not changed from REF evidence mailed.
Anil,
Pls check with yur employer. it should be updated in 2/3 days in USCIS site.
Yes, I have checked with my employer and they are ready to share the Courier tracking number. They are saying sent all requested documents to USCIS and they verified and confirming that courier is reached to USCIS.
Don’t know what to do….
I am clueless..
It took 14 days for my case to get updated from RFE mailed to response received. Don’t fully trust on their online system updates.
Good luck
yup rfe response submitted on 1st week of july
Has any1 from cts upgraded their rfe response to PP ?
my friend and myself work for same organisation and our H1b was processed for same employer. In june 21st the status of both went on RFE and the RFE was repleid for both with same set of decoments, Today my friend got the “Case Approved” with an email, but i am not.
Everything is same, Project, RFE documents sent like client letters etc..
Please suggest
Shankar,
In my project , 6 of them got RFE. We all provided same response..same set of docs..All got approved in 1st week of sep itself..except me
Sorry for both of us bro
I am also waiting…my RFE Submitted on 25th June.
My response receive date is July 2nd 🙁
Am from CTS…Mine got approved on 16th Sept…RFE responded on July 1
Finally got RFE yesterday. status changed after 6 months.
Can anyone please let me know if it is a good idea to upgrade to premium processing now. If I upgrade to premium processing, will the 15 days time start from the time USCIS received the RFE response ? Please suggest.
Is this EAC1418** series? RFE for what?
*EAC151485 moved to RFE from case received on Apr 13th to RFE.
going to delay further
EAC1514*****
Premium case deadline – 15 days.
Is this business days or calendar days?
Calendar days
15 Calendar Days
Thanks for the confirmation Kumar/Shikha.
Yes, Its calendar days,…so I guess they work on week-ends & Holidays as well else they cannot say 15 calendar days.
with such amount of ‘case was received’ they should work not only on weekends & holidays, but also at night! 🙂
Anyone know or heard of a case where USCIS did not respond in 15 days for a Premium H1B (I129) case ?
Hi, I upgraded my case to premium today with response to RFE. Will let you know if the status changes.
Sure, let us be in touch.
It can, and has happened, but fairly rare. If they can’t respond within 15 days, they will refund the 1225 dollars premium charge. However, the good thing is that it does not go back to “regular” speed exactly, they still try to process it as fast as they can. So, you should still get a response within days instead of months.
Guys, please be nice to all when you go there. I have heard that Indian managers/workers are the most rude to others especially when outside of India.
Ultimate frustration, funny … Ignoring this crap 🙂 🙂
Hi , I am on H4 now.I got a FTE position from a small consultancy,says that they can process H1B now.Is this possible to process H1 any time of the year?
No. H1 window starts on 1st April every year. This year the total quota (66K) finished in a week. So, you may be asked to submit all your docs & wait for another one year.
Hi Accenture People!
I raised a request with mobility team to check the status of my case. They said the case was approved on 21st August. Its been more than a month now and I still haven’t received the official approval mail. Does it take this long? Or what could be the possible reason?
Thanks in advance
Tina
Hello – Just wait for few more days.Once people mobility received the I797 copy they will send an official email.
I received mines!!Good Luck!
Lets gather on this new page…any more update guys,…whose status is still ‘Case Received’ as mine
same as you.. not getting what to do from here.
‘Case Received’
@Sun197895 You upgraded your case to premium and still no update ?
Correct. As per USCIS PP guidelines, I should get a response from USCIS this week as Sep 10th is when it has been shipped,..even that is what my immigration team told me when I checked yesterday.
This wait is becoming a real torture from last week since I upgraded….every time my mobile beeps with a message after 10:00 PM, I pick up the phone hoping its a notification of my case.
I hope you get it by this week 🙂
I got my status changed from Case received to RFE. Waiting for the mail to know the RFE details.
M status is still received. Is it usually common to be in received status till September.
May be you are right Pranav but in my account out of 16 people 4 got RFE, 12 got it approved direct and 2 are still in ‘Case Received’ which includes me. And also when I checked randomly about 300 cases, I could not find even 10 in ‘Case Received’ status. When you are in such a minority of minority, it really eats your brain 🙁
Got RFE yesterday after 6 months. waiting for the RFE mail. It might take 10 days .
My case is also in CASE received status.. dont know what to do
still in case received status ..
wac1513….xxxxxx
Mine too…still same “case was received”…..WAC15147….series
+1
Hi,
i am also in the same bot with ‘case received’ status but i can see people whose status is RFE are getting Approval as well and here we do not have any changes oin the status.
thats strange, wanna know how the officers pick the cases.
Mine is approved. But my friend case is still received WAC15145*
RFE after 6 months. Sep 23rd . process extended for 3 more months.
@Kannan … you mean you got RFE today ? Meaning your case got changed from ‘Case Received’ to RFE today after a wait of more than 5 months ?
Yes. The status on the website changed to RFE. It was in case received status for the past 6 months.
Anyone here on F1/OPT/CPT whose H1B accepted received H1B from employer ????
Hi,
My RFE response submitted on 25th June….Still waiting for approval…almost 90 days over.
Is there any one waiting for approval after RFE in EAC15143xxxxx series ?
hi,my series as same as you,i have submitted RFE Response on 16 Sep but still waiting in regular processing.Still case status not changed on site.
Selected in lottery
RFE date : July 21st
Still not responded.
The question is I gave my cv as a admin and developer. But my company raised me as a web developer. Will it be a issue while approving my petition ?
aaa
RedBus… you are awesome, you have been so informative to all and you are like a guiding star for all of us who had/have whatever queries from everyone. You guy’s out there waiting for the approvals do not loose hope you will get it ASAP and your dreams will come true.
Once again RedBus you truly are the best.
Finally I have got my visa approved today.
Thanks Sri, glad it helps everyone !
I got RFE in Aug 16th, Still my orginization has not responded to RFE. They are still in process collecting documents for RFE responce(No documents from my side was required). I know they are just buying time. to keep me allocated with my current project, becuase they have responded my colleague within a week.
Will there be any problem if RFE is dealyed with responce. maybe after Nov?
within 90 days , submitted RFE Response to USCIS. so don’t worry and be relex.