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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. Hello friends,

    My case was in RECEIVED STATUS till last week..so i updated it to premium process on 10/09/2015 (last week) and the status has changed to “Request For Premium Processing Services Was Received” yesterday evening. Will update you once the status is changed. Wish you all the good luck.

    Thanks,
    Naresh

    Reply
  2. Is anyone received 5 pages of RFE? If yes..Is it approved?
    If we received multiple queries.. is there any chances of approval ?
    Is Any body can answer my query?

    Reply
        • Guys,

          Today I was checking with my employer on my case status that it is still ‘Case Was Recieved on April 13’. He said that he recieved my case as RFE and he is not sure why status in USCIS website showing as ‘Case Was Recieved on April 13’. Is this a possible case. He said he will respond in few days.

          Reply
          • CaseRecieved2RFE,
            Yes, at times the online status is not updated correctly. If your employer has received the RFE, then that would be the updated status.

  3. Got RFE on Jun24th and my employer send the required documents on Sep 1st week. Still the status showing ‘Request for Additional Evidence Was Mailed’. is this any problem?

    Reply
  4. Case History

    09/10/2015 :Case Was Approved
    09/29/2015 :We received your response to our Request for Evidence for your Form I-129
    07/15/2015 :RFE
    04/13/2015 :We received your Form I-129, Petition for a Nonimmigrant Worker.

    All the best to ALLL….

    Reply
  5. Hi All,
    I was waiting for long time, yesterday it got approved.
    Guys please dont loose hope.
    I Wish it will happen for you also soon. Dont worry. Believe in God.

    Reply
  6. Hi All,
    Today I got my H1B stamped for 3 yrs from Chennai 🙂
    M so happy. thanks a lot for all the info.
    Will pray for all.

    Reply
  7. Hi,
    My Employer responded to my RFE query along with Premium Conversion on October 8th.Today my case status changed as below:
    “On October 10, 2015, we received your Form I-129, Petition for a Nonimmigrant Worker, Receipt Number EAC1514******, and emailed you a receipt notice. It is being processed at our Vermont Service Center location. The notice describes how we will process your case.”

    Does the above status means my case has been converted to Premium Processing?

    Reply
  8. My case EAC15143517** approved today after RFE.
    RFE on education evaluation, I did BSc chemistry and have 10 yrs of IT exp.
    Believe in destiny, wish you all the best.tc

    Reply
  9. Hi All,

    Just wanted to inform u guys..
    today my case status changed to denied…
    RFE was submiited on june…

    don’t know the reason for denial.

    All the best to others…

    Reply
    • That’s sad. I have begun to loose hope too. I wanted to see that country at least once since I have been watching their movies since childhood and have been working for American MNCs my entire career. I don’t desire to save money in USA and buy a flat in India. I just want to live there for sometime. This visa thing is such a pain. I wish I had lots of money just to go there as a tourist. 🙁

      Reply
    • sorry to hear that and hope you have options to reopen case.

      can you share RFE details and docs submitted, if possible

      Reply
    • RFE reason and did you miss to provide any document? My case Employer and Employee Relationship just 2 pages RFE. Submitted all the documents and got denied. Dont know the reason.

      I suspect some chilly mistakes in RFE response documents

      Reply
  10. Is anyone received 5 pages of RFE? If yes..Is it approved?
    If we received multiple queries.. is there any chances of approval ?
    Is Any body can answer my query?

    Reply
    • You put me on further spot of bother. I just went through RFE email and realized that my case got a 8 page RFE. My employer hasn’t shared the RFE details. By the way mine is still pending for approval.

      Reply
  11. I am having my 10th and 10+2 mark sheet and certificate in Hindi.

    Do I need to translate them into English and Notarized then with any notary?

    Reply
    • rs1013, Avinash, Amit and Kwin –
      1.) Have your petitions been applied through a consultancy or a MNC ?
      2.)If applied through a consultancy, then was it applied for an internal project ?

      Reply
      • Most of the cases in ‘received status’ are from consulting firms. Even mine too. My gut feeling is that they would have gone through our petitions and decided not to take any actions on them right now. Why would they even leave few little cases in ‘received status’ when they were able to give RFE to most of them.

        Reply
        • I dont think so… mine is a top MNC company and for one lady it is still ‘Case Received’ status. For rest all status changed (11 Approved, 4 RFE). Mine was in Case Received status till Sep 25th. Got approved directly on Sep 25th. So let us be hopefully…I know its difficult, so was my state till Sep 25th, but you never know…suddenly one fine morning you may see APPROVED.

          Reply
          • Relieved to hear that.. My petition is filed by a small consultancy and that got me worried. I’m planning to update to premium processing next week.

          • To look at other way, Many from small consultancy got approved long back !! No need to lose hope unit you get final word!!

          • Good News……

            Finally Case is Approved.

            Following Dates from USCIS website and are inline with USCIS processing (nothing from my attorney/company).

            Case Number: WAC1414752***

            13/04/2015 :Case Received
            11/08/2015 :RFE (Reason : US Project Details and my compant took care of it, nothing from my side)
            28/09/2015 :RFE response received.
            13/10/2015 :Approved

            Thanks a lot to redbus2us.com for helping/guiding me all through these critical period and many thanks to my dear friends who consistently provided their valuable feedback and their case updates which made my life easy and helped in judging my case status correctly which in turn kept my head cool.

            Actually, I asked one question since case received as I used to get answers to most of my question from regular updates from you guys.

            Feel free to ask any question on my case status.

    • hi even i m in the same boat of case received status and its very frustrating , mine is also from consultancy , but i dont think people who applied from consultancy there visa are in case status received , because one of my friend is also from consultant but his visa went to rfe first then got approved and he went to us fr his on 10 th oct from india , so the reason is something else …..

      Reply
  12. Hi,
    I applied for H1B visa,I got selected in the lottery and received the receipt no, still my status not changed. When i can except the status. What will be the last date to find the status or how long i need to wait?

    Thanks,

    Reply
  13. Hi All,
    I got RAE on 30 July, my consultancy told me that RAE is related to “Combined Work and Experience”. RAE is not submitted yet and my consultancy updated me that, attorney working on How my mechanical Engg related to job requirement? I am from the Mechanical Engg back ground.
    Can anyone had same RAE and got approval?
    Thanks in advance,
    SR

    Reply
    • Dont worry dude, that wont be a problem. I am from Mechanical dept. I have 10 years of relevant experience in IT. Your attorney should take care of these things. Chill

      Reply
  14. Hi All,

    Have a question on RFE response. My RFE response was sent on 3rd October (7th October was the last date). Till date I don’t see any change in my case status. It has been 10 days now. Is this normal.

    Anyone in the same situation?

    Reply
    • I am referring RFE response acknowledgement. Ideally the status should change to RFE response received within a week of sending the RFE response. But it hasn’t my case. Hence checking if this is normal.

      Reply
    • Yes , this is normal, for my case I sent response and it got reflected after due date. make sure your response is sent and reached. Status update may take some time.

      Reply
    • yes.. This is normal.. in my case REF documents sent on 2nd Sep (based on Courier Tracking) and Status changed to REF received on 25th Sep. in my case its more than 3 weeks. 10days is normal

      Reply
    • Hi imraghav ,
      There are 5 receipts no, including mine is in case response receive near 22 and 23 Sept and no updates till 21 days. mine is normal processing.I am surprised , Uscis are on leave now these days 🙂 or working in Premium processing case but very few post here of approval since 1st Oct.

      Reply
  15. got mail from ISG Spoc saying “Visa approved and reached India and you can go stamping now” But I dint get approval notice to my mail . so will that be sent my employer directly? Any idea?

    Reply
  16. I got my H1B approval in Aug. Already have done the stamping. Now, my client has postponed the requirement till 3rd Q 2016. Which means another year. I have approached other projects in IBM as they have demands. But i have been told due to the recent Amendment spat in USA, IBM is not filling any Amendment for 2015 H1B. Anyone ibmer having similar experience ? Anyone from any other mncs having similar experience. Please share if anyone filed for amendment already. Also any idea when they have plan to file amendment again ? Thanks in advance.

    Reply
  17. June 24 2015 my status was showing RFE.now the status is
    On August 12, 2015, we received your response to our Request for Evidence for your Form I-129, Petition for a Nonimmigrant Worker, Receipt Number XXXXX.. Our California Service Center office will begin working on your case again. We will mail you a decision or notify you if we need something from you.
    Its been 2 months, i am waiting.
    Are they looking for some more docs? Please help i am worried.

    Reply
  18. Hello all..is any one waiting for H1B Approval after submitting the RFE documents (California Center ) ?
    can you please share the date USCIS received RFE docs and the date H1-B approved/still waiting

    Thanks

    Reply
  19. Hi Kumar,

    I need some guidance from you about one of my query.
    My wife,s name before marriage was Samantha Joseph.
    After marriage she changed her name to Sunita Aman Verma.
    In marriage certificate her name is Samantha Joseph, while in Passport her name is Sunita Aman Verma. Her new name is updated in Aadhar Card, Voter Card, and PAN Card also.
    In our passports, each others names are there as spouses.

    My query here is that during the Visa interview, mismatch of wife’s name in Marriage certificate and Passport will cause a problem?

    I am sure mine is not the first case as many women change their full name after marriage for various reasons. So what is the documents I should carry at the time of Visa Interview.

    Please help…

    Reply
    • Confused, Did you formally file any name change request with any government office ? To avoid any issues, you need to have documentation to prove that the name was formally changed and both belong to the same person. At times, you can also use a name reference sheet signed by a notary indicating the same. The best thing would be to have some sort of official documentation to avoid any issues in the future.

      Reply
      • Hi kumar I got my wife’s name changed on PAN Card and I have both old and new PAN card with same PAN number on it. This is the only government document on which name was changed. Other than that I have a Gazette of Maharashtra state dated Dec-2008 in which the name change was published.
        By saying “name reference sheet signed by a notary” do you mean a notarized affidavit. I had done a notarized affidavit at the time of making my wife’s passport. But I only have a photocopy of it as the original was kept by the passport officer.
        I had also made a name change declaration in a national and local news paper at the time of making Passport and have an original copy of both.

        My Visa cell is asking me to make a new affidavit for name change and carry it in original. If possible do the affidavit with my wife’s photo on it. He said as the passport is with the new name and showing husband’s name in it, there should not be a problem.

        Original notarized Affidavit, Gazette and News paper publication are the three documents I am planning to carry at the time of Visa interview. Do you think it will be sufficient.

        Also one last question, Is it OK if I show old and new PAN Card with same photo and PAN number but with old and new name to prove that both the person are same.

        Reply
    • It is common in some community to even change the first name after marriage. If your passport has spouse details correctly, thats enough. To be safe, carry marriage photo album as a proof. This is from my personal experience. Some ppl also get the change details on affidavit

      Reply
      • Hi SM thanks for replying. So you meant to say that you were in exactly the same situation as mine and the VO didn’t ask you to prove that the person you got married to and the person you have brought along for stamping are same. Or they trust the passport issuing authority of India, that they would had done all the verification and back ground checks properly before making the passport in new name.

        Reply
  20. My petition is still in case received status. My employer says USCIS is doing final security check , not sure what this means or from where he got this update ?

    Anyone heard something like this before ?

    Reply
    • Hey,
      I am in the same “case received” situation.
      Even my employer says that we should just wait and see, its already October and they should give the results soon 🙁

      I would like to go for premium processing I guess, Don’t know if it makes sense at this stage.

      Reply
        • Hey, I am not from the “Same” consultancy (how would I know which consultancy you are talking about unless you specify a name). Anyways my employer is just telling me that we wait and see and keeping me optimistic. They didnt day anything about any security check.

          Reply
          • @R…my employer’s name is mentione in t he subject of my first post ..sorry for confusion..

    • Hey Im also from same consultancy.. I didnt get any reply from them. Atleast u got that answer. U could have asked them again what that means???

      Reply
  21. thank you saurabh..i applied through oke consultancy due to somereason my employee withdrawn my case..so i am trying to anther employee..and i have approved form..is they any chance for me to approved again

    Reply
    • mdddd,
      It will be processed based on submitted documents and information, and final decision will depend upon its review. I assume your case is withdrawn after it was approved and you know the receipt number.

      Reply
  22. I have submitted all the required RFE docs like valid SOW,End Client Letter, BRM letter etc. Is there any chance of rejection after RFE? I got RFE for employer-employee relationship.

    Reply
  23. Sorry for offtopic. Question to Indian folks

    I see you guys use this phrase a lot: “Even I …” or “Even my case …”. It’s not used in British or American English, at least not with the same meaning. So what’s the exact meaning? Does it mean “also” in this phrase? Because in regular English “even” is used to suggest that something mentioned as a possibility constitutes an extreme case or an unlikely instance. What’s the origin, is it some typical construction in Hindi that migrated to English?

    Reply
    • What are you trying to prove ? Language is just the means for communication, and you got the meaning. A stupid language can be more stupid…:)

      Reply
      • Not trying to prove anything, I was just curious about the meaning of something I did not know about. Thanks for confirming my guess.

        Reply
    • why don’t you do some research on this, than just posting non sense comments from your thoughts.. there was one more guy posting some stupid suggestions from his mind, without proper knowledge about visa process

      Reply
    • u seem to have used ‘at least’ after a comma. Is that even legal.
      “Don’t use a comma to connect two clauses if the second clause is subordinate (i.e., dependent).”

      Reply
    • To all angry people above. I’m not trying to insult anyone. It’s just a plane question about a meaning of a phrase, is it so hard to answer?

      Reply
    • I really did not understand what made all of these people so angry at…I mean, I read the statement twice and could find it like someone asking since he wants to know the answer…nothing satirical did I see in this. My opinion.

      Reply
    • You got it right. We use that for sentences which would instead end with “also” or “too”. But, we also use it for sentences with conditions like “Even if”. I don’t know the origin but, it’s there. If you find that peculiar then, you have a lot more coming your way. Some of us use “can’t able to” instead of “unable to” too. Hahaha. Don’t try to understand the reason behind them getting angry on you for raising that question. The insecurity is in their minds. Peace.

      Reply
  24. my its new h1b i want to transfer my h1b to another company..i am not in usa but i have to show the 2 mnths paysstubs compulsary????????

    Reply
  25. Guys , for all who have case received status what might be the reason , is it that due to workload USCIS did not work on the petition till now (those in received status) , because if there is anything missing in petition the will ask for RFE or if they are not satisfied with petition USCIS will deny it giving reasons , as we already saw some denials.
    Feel free to pour your thoughts.

    Reply
    • Hi Amit, even my case is in received status. Not sure how long I can keep the hope. When they have approved and given RFE to almost all the cases not sure why would they leave very few petitions in received status.

      Reply
  26. Hi Guys today i was told by employer that due to confusion, my case was withdrawn while RFE was due to respond. (its crap – lots of fight between different departments going on over this issue how it happened)

    is it possible to respond to RFE and Reapply the case. Though i was told that attorney is looking for options but just looking for help if someone knows what could be done in this tricky situation.

    Any one Please

    Reply
    • IBM_RFE_WITHDRAWN,
      Depends if USCIS has already processed the withdrawal application or not. Ask your attorney to immediately get in touch w/ USCIS.

      Reply
      • Thank you Saurabh
        i am not sure yet whether USCIS already started withdrawn process but i can still see my status as “Request for Additional Evidence Was Mailed”

        i believe company department will be already in touch with Attorney.

        Thanks Again.

        Guys – anyone else has gone through this situation? whats the usual outcome if company approach USCIS to reopen the case.

        Reply
  27. Hi,

    I have submitted RFE on July and got denied in September. Employer not shared the reason. I have provided client letter, SOW and manager letters and all the required documents.

    I just revisit my documents few things I have found

    1) my LCA Architect Level 2, but I have mentioned in the Manager document Test Architect
    2) In org chart i have mentioned my designation as Employee instead Architect

    Can anyone confirm me because of the above two reasons for RFE denied?

    Reply
    • I was specifically told by the Visa cell team to match the designation in all the documents in my RFE response. I corrected my designation in Org Chart as per the LCA. Earlier I had mentioned my designation as per my current role. But I just think that if it was a matter of concern, ur attorney should have caught it while responding to ur RFEE

      Reply
      • True. Even my visa cell team told me to keep designation same in each document for RFE and that is very important while responding to RFE, because a minor mistake can lead to denial of petition if one is not lucky enough.

        Reply
  28. My RFE response was sent on 20th Aug 2015. but its still pending from uscis side and i have no update. ANy idea when it will be updated. I am little worried as all of my friends its approved now.

    Reply
  29. Hi Kumar,

    My I-797 is valid till 19-Sep-2018 but my Indian passport is valid till 19-Aug-2018. I have read somewhere that our passport should valid for at least 6 months after the H1-B visa expiry. In that case should I deduct 6 months from my passport expiry date while calculating intended length of stay in US while filling DS 160?

    Reply
    • Check with your employer buddy.. multiple people post with multiple answers with the crap in their mind.. that will confuse you

      Reply
    • Rajiv,
      You can enter petition expiration date in your DS-160 form. The consulate would approve the visa until petition expiration date. When you enter US, they would issue I-94 only until passport expiration date. You will have to apply for new passport, and apply for H-1 extension as well. Next time you travel outside US after current H-4 visa expiration date, you will receive visa stamp as per new petition expiration date.

      Makes sense?

      Reply
  30. Hi All,

    For me H1B visa was filed 3 years back when there was no lottery system but I left the organisation leaving my petition in RFE stage. Then continuously for 3 years my H1B petition is not getting picked in lottery.

    I am not sure whether my first filed H1B petition was withdrawn or it was rejected. I got to know from somewhere if the petition is rejected then chances of getting picked in lottery is very less.

    Can some one help me with this.

    Thanks In Advance,
    Subhash Singh

    Reply
    • Subhash Singh,
      Even if the petition was rejected 3 years ago, it won’t impact its chances of getting picked up in lottery now. You may have been in the same situation even if you hadn’t filed any petition 3 years ago.

      Reply
  31. My H1-B Visa got approved and stamped last year (2014) from my current company X for 3 years. I travelled to US in October 2014. However, due to some medical issues I had to travel back to India in February 2015.

    I am currently on a medical leave from my company X. If in case I am unable to join back my current company and wish to switch to another company Y. Will there be any issue for H1-B transfer? Also, is there anything I should be careful about to avoid any issues in my H1-b transfer?

    Reply
      • Mr. Sun.. are you sure that canel led/withdrawn petition is blocking issue in transferring? My friend reopened cancelled visa and travelled again

        Reply
        • Yeah, this is one thing I am not sure….I keep hearing from some that a cancelled petition cannot be considered for cap-exempt, but many say it can be done. So cant comment on that since I dont have complete info.

          Reply
      • why employer is very very unlikely to cancel/withdraw visa?
        It is very likely that visa/petition will be cancelled/withdrawn after/while employee leaves company.

        why are you posting your half knowledge views here?

        Reply
        • Arey fooool.,…thats because employer has to pay for cancellation also… I wonder how crap like you even got a job, forget about going US

          Reply
          • Employer cancels it for his own reasons.. don’t count every penny like you do.. dont live like a begger after going there real miser fool

          • sun bhayya, Who told there is fee to cancel/withdraw? who gave you job? are you really working, I strongly doubt though.. get some knowledge and post here, not the crap in your mind or get the hell out of here..
            how are your colleagues bearing you with your half mind.. pity them

            dont try to show your half brain here in US.. learn something before working.. who applied H1 for you? paid and bribed a lot?

          • This guy got really pissed off….huhuhuuu,..posting with different names shows how frustrated you are….use same ID baby,..so scared you are baby that even you cant use same fake ID…keep changing…and you are in US …. ok ok ok….dont cry baby, I dont like kids crying 🙂

  32. Any of you have I-797 form with first name (given name) truncated. For me last character got truncated. Mine is 19 character last name and I have seen some sites where they have mentioned USCIS has a 18 character limitation for first name. But I just want to check here on this blog if any of have this problem faced. I am planning to book stamping slot so if some one can come back on this….would be helpful,…thanks.

    Reply
      • True,…it was not the attorney but our immigration department who confirmed it…I cant access my attorney….but yeah as you mentioned I need keep that off my mind and just get prepared for interview..

        Reply
          • Again the same pissed off kid…so scared of using same ID….I told you right,..dont cry baby…”ache bache rothe nahin hai” 🙂

    • Dude.. All this kind of things even mistakes made in DS160 will be verified and corrected at VAC only, day before your VISA interview. You can mention them about this problem and get answer there. If required reschedule your appointment accordingly.

      You should be good man.

      Reply
  33. Hi Guys its my turn to update about my H1B under CAP. (First attempt)
    Receipt generation Date 04/29 (WAC)
    RFE Date 08/19
    RFE response mailed on 09/30
    RFE received by USCIS on 10/01
    PP updated on 10/02
    Approved and Decision Emailed on 10/09

    Non-Ad, was regular, upgraded to premium at the time of RFE response.

    Reply
  34. Hi All,

    Could anyone share the available PAI (Interview) dates for Kolkata location?

    If possible please share for other locations too.

    I am unable to check it as my firm is taking care of it, so was curious regarding same.

    Thanks

    Reply
  35. How important is Employer( small org ) / Company tax papers for VISA stamping in INDIA? I got all necessary documents , except tax papers and employer saying tax papers not required for visa stamping.

    Reply
  36. I got my H1B approval in Aug. Already have done the stamping. Now, my client has postponed the requirement till 3rd Q 2016. Which means another year. I have approced other projects in IBM as they have demands. But i have been told due to the recent Amendment spat in USA, IBM is not filling any Amendment for 2015 H1B. Anyone ibmer having similar experience ? Anyone from any other mncs having simillar experience. Please share if anyone filed for ammendement already. Thanks in advance.

    Reply
    • Hi,

      I am also facing the same problem, my project / account got changed but unable to initiate the Amendment process.
      Did they confirm on any timeline by when it is expected to get started?

      Reply
  37. my h1b visa was approved at july 20..recently from my office one boy went to stamping and the officer catch that boy is was all fake experiences and you are from consultancy.and they put case on my office.and our employee withdrawll all our applications..can i have any option to move to anthoer consultancy pls suggest..

    Reply
    • In a forum like this if u can tell who that consultancy is, probably it will help others as well. they wont fall for that consultancy again. humble request.

      Reply
    • mmm,
      If you have the receipt number, ask another employer to file a cap-exempt petition for you.

      What may also happen is that consulate will refer the case back to USCIS who will review all the petitions filed by that employer and may revoke them if they found them to be incorrect.

      Reply
  38. EAC1517051730/EAC1517051721/EAC1517051733 chking some cases got approved or denied or RFE.. something happend till may 26 filed cases….

    Reply
    • Mine is Cap exempt, filed on 10th June. I have been to US for 2 years and currently in India waiting for approval of cap exempt petition. From various trackers, it looks like USCIS is processing May 3rd and 4th week petitions at the moment.

      Reply
      • Hi Cap Exemption,where did you see that MAY 3rd and 4th week cases are started approving ? Please post once you got urs approved ? Can’t we check with USCIS about our case ?

        Reply
  39. Hello Guys,

    My status is CASE RECEIVED from April 13th, so i updated to premium process today. Will let you know once the status change.

    Reply
    • When did you request for PP change and how did you know that it is changed to PP , I mean is there any change on the site online showing that it is upgraded to PP.

      Reply
    • Hi,

      Even my application is still in “Case received” status from April 13th (Looks like an unlucky number now 🙂 ). I was considering upgrading to premium processing, or Should I wait and see?

      I have hardly seen any approvals coming on this forum from Case received -> Approved, that’s why I am worried.

      Reply
  40. Got RFE for non ad/ reg processing yesterday from employer, it was dated 23 sep. But still shows case received on uscis site.

    Reply
  41. INFORMATION!!
    For all the people still in case received.. Please check with your employer because I received rfe yesterday from my employer dated 23rd september’15. But on uscis portal it still is case received.

    Reply

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