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H1B Visa 2016 – FAQs – Lottery, Quota, Immigration Reform, News

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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. Hi Guys, finally the wait is over.

    My case got approved today from California center.

    Non AD/RP/via Consultancy.

    My status was changed to RFE response received on 12th Nov.
    Approved – 28th Jan.

    All the best guys and dont loose hope.

    Reply

  2. Any updates from California center ? Any latest approvals? I have been waiting from Oct 29th..still not yet Approved…

    Reply

  3. Finally got the RFE approved. Waiting for last 3 yrs and failed twice in the lottery. Was selected in this years lottery, but had to wait till yesterday to get the petition approval. RFE received in sep and RFE responded in Oct and approval received on Jan 28.

    I was a silent observer and request to those who selected in Lottery not to loose you faith and all lottery selected will get their case approved.

    Thanks forum guys and Redbus!!

    Reply

  4. Hi Saurab/Kumar,

    I need your word of advice here.
    My case was in RFE received since Sep 23rd, when I checked with my consultancy he told that there was some auditing happened at the client place and it got delayed, later when I asked he told that USCIS came to his office for verification and he has provided all the evidences.

    1. Do yo think he is telling the truth ?
    2. Will USCIS come for a site visit ?
    3. If USCIS has some doubt’s which has to be clarified, don’t you think all the petitions applied through his consultancy shouldnt be approved but he says only very few are left for approval(around 4)

    Thanks in advance !!

    Reply

    • My case is almost the same but a different consultancy..everyone who applied via my consultancy got it approved ..Now its jus me left…almost 3 months i am waiting for my rfe to be approved..

      Reply

    • H1bAspirant,

      1. It is possible. USCIS does client and employer site visits

      2. Yes, they may

      3. Site visits may be triggered due to 2 reasons – as a blanket when all petitions filed by that employer undergo this; or through random selection when few petitions filed by employer undergo this but not others.

      Reply

      • Thanks a lot Saurabh for clarifying queries.
        Considering above scenarios do u think converting to PP is a right thing to do now ?
        Just fyi, my petition is in RFE received status from Sep 23.

        Reply

        • H1bAspirant,

          If they are doing site checks, then it may not get upgraded to PP. You can try but USCIS can say that they need additional time as this requires background verification. What is your attorney suggesting? Do you have an urgent travel to US planned?

          Reply

          • Hi Saurabh,

            My consultancy is ready to upgrade to premium. As you mentioned maybe once it’s upgraded USCIS may ask for time not sure though. I don’t have urgency to travel to US,if the result is known I can plan for next year and other things accordingly. What do you suggest here ?

          • H1bAspirant,

            If the employer is willing to upgrade, then go for it. Yes, you are correct – it will provide more clarity and help you plan other things, even if you don’t have a need to travel to US immediately.

  5. Hi Kumar/Saurabh,

    Below is my current scenario

    I was working in Chennai for 7 + years, In 2015 November my H1B (I-797B) got approved through ABC Company for the client XYZ. Meanwhile in July 2015 I came to US in H4 through my wife. Now I got an offer in a new client UVW and asked me to join within 2 weeks (invite email alone from UVW is ready) , Now my employer ABC suggest that applying change of state H4 to H1 (I-797B to I-797A)may go for RFE and demands me to travel to India , suggesting to get stamping with the client XYZ and then travel back to US and start work for new client UVW,

    Following are my queries,
    Do I need to travel to India or Can I convert my H4 to H1 by being in USA with new client? If yes how long will it take for conversion in a premium processing inclusive of LCA and amendment.
    If I apply H4 to H1 Conversion for UVW instead of XYZ will it go for RFE?
    If I go to India for stamping, is there any possibility to get 221g.
    Can I change my employer and start working for the same Client UVW(I have only my I-797B Approval soft copy).If so ,then what are the documents needed to change from ABC
    If I change my employer, will it cause any problem in future( Can I do my stamping when I travel to India without any issues).
    Please let me know your valuable thoughts on this.

    Reply

    • If u want to work for same employer who filed ur petition and already have approval then ur best option is to go for stamping. Cos will take 7months or more and is a utter waste of time and no premium option.
      If this is a different employer filing cap exempt petetion then cos is possible with premium within usa and no stamping needed.

      Reply

    • kwin,

      1. When you appear for H-1 visa stamping, there is no premium processing. If it is successful, you will receive H-1 visa stamp within a week. If it runs into issues then it can take longer (days, weeks or months). This is not H-4 to H-1 conversion. This is just regular H-1 visa stamping

      2. Not necessary. It will depend upon underlying documents and information

      3. Yes, 221g can be issued. Again it depends upon documents

      4. You want to change employer and keep UVW client? That may be tough. ABC may sue for solicitation and UVW may decide not to work w/ a different employer

      5. You can change employers in general. However, keeping the client UVW may be an issue.

      Remember, if you intend to work for UVW client, then you need to get new LCA and H-1 amendment done. Even if you appear for stamping and show XYZ as client, you may run into issues if the consulate does a background check.

      Cleaner solution is to file LCA, followed by H-1 amendment. You can then go COS route or go for H-1 visa stamping.

      Reply

  6. Good news to share!!!

    Case Details
    Received – Apr 13th,2015
    RFE – Aug22nd, 2015
    RFE received – Oct23rd, 2015
    Case Approved – Jan27th, 2016

    Regular-California, WAC151435****.

    RFE about Project details etc…

    I would like to Thank Kumar, Saurabh and Redbus2us.com for all the updates and news..this site honestly kept our hopes high.

    All the best guys

    Reply

    • Congratulations Friend!Can you please also let us know if this is through MNC or a consultancy the reason i am asking is my series also same as yours hope i can also hear something soon. Mine is RFE response received Nov 16

      Reply

  8. Sourabh/Kumar,

    The client whom I applied for h1b is closed their relationship with my company. My h1b is approved and can I attend the interview . Can I attend the interview without client letter?

    Reply

    • Ram,

      The right thing to do would be to find another client, file new LCA, file H-1 amendment and then appear for stamping. If you appear for stamping under current scenario, and consulate doesn’t verification w/ client they would refuse the visa stamp.

      In any case, you cannot travel to old location unless you find a client at that location.

      Reply

  9. Hi Saurabh

    Need some help in my case.,
    I got my petition selected and I797 for the year 2015 on Oct 2014 but since i was in another country could’nt attend my visa interview on time.
    Now since the client was no longer available, my consultancy has applied for an ammendment on this July 2015 and my case is in received state till then.

    So i would like to know.,
    My chances of getting denial/approval.
    Am i getting lost anywhere in the process as the actual petition filed has the validity only till oct 2016.
    Is there any other possible issues that could affect on me getting Visa.

    Reply

    • J,

      Chances of approval/denial varies from case to case and there is no one size fit all answer.

      When applying for amendment, did your employer also asked for extension? In that case, they could receive an approval valid beyond Oct 2016 as well. You should check w/ them.

      Reply

      • Thank you Saurabh for the reply.,

        As said in my above comment, the amendment was filed and received by Uscis on 15th July 2015. It’s been more than 6 months and still no progress.

        So quite concerned on what would be the reason for the delay…

        Any suggestions from your end.

        Reply

        • J,

          Processing has been considerably slow this year. It may have nothing to do w/ your petition but just sheer workload w/ USCIS.

          You have to check w/ your employer if the amendment was filed w/ extension or not. If it was filed w/ extension then you will get a new petition valid beyond Oct 2016.

          Reply

      • Thanks Saurabh for the reply.,
        As said above the amendment was revived by USCIS on 15th July 2015. From then its on “Case was Received” and even after 6 months see no progress.,
        Quite concerned on what could be the reason for delay.

        Can you provide some suggestions…please

        Reply

    • I wonder why people ask about MNC vs Consultancy. Technology, all of them are consultancies and they all hire us to work for their clients.

      Reply

      • Technically you are right. But its because local consultancies do not have a presence in India or other countries to make them an “MNC”. I hope this clarifies your question.
        And popular, bigger companies(MNCs in other words) are better at handling RFEs as they have good(real) clients and lawyers(like Fragomen).
        So on this forum people like to know if it was filed through a consultancy or MNC because people believe approvals for MNCs are easier to get. Or atleast thats what I think.

        Reply

  11. Finally Approved
    RFE Date : 21st Aug
    RFE Res Received on : 29th Oct
    Approved : 27th Jan
    Best of luck to all..and thanks redbus people…

    Reply

  12. Hi Saurabh,
    I have couple of questions.

    1) I have not received any update on my H1 RFE response. It says RFE response received since Sept 16th.

    a) If we do not receive response by March end, can my employer (same petitioner who filed this year) file a petition for next year while we are waiting for response?
    b) Can any other company file a petition in next year’s quota while we are waiting for response?

    2) If it gets declined and my current petitioner (employer) appeals the decision.

    a. Can the current petitioner (employer) also file for next year petition while the appeal is in progress?
    b. Can any other company file a petition in next year’s quota while the appeal is in-progress?

    Reply

  14. Hi, My cases was denied with below information received- in pdf “because you have not established that you have specialty occupation work available for the beneficiary. the evidences of records does not establish that job offered qualifies as a specialty occupation under section XXXX therefore your petition is denied”.

    if my employer resubmit/appeal the denied request, is there anyway the case status can be denied to approved? is it possible? i have waited almost 6 months after RFE received for the status.. 🙁

    Few Q..

    1) During my employer appeal for denied case, can I again apply for the 2016 cap?
    2) Case was denied from employer 2015 cap received status 19th Jan 2016(outside from my current organazation), now my current organazation raised a request for H1b 2016.
    can I follow up my employer about denied case resubmitting the documents etc and also new H1b request from current organazation?

    Please let me know//

    Reply

    • loser,

      Yes, you can file FY-17 while your employer continues w/ MTR/Appeal option on the denied petition. They both can work independent of each other.

      Reply

  17. Hi saurab

    can you please help me out giving some info

    Don’t know what’s happening with uscis in which order they are processing the case?
    Waiting from Oct 16 still waiting for approval -vermount center
    what’s causing the delay?
    same RFE for my colleagues but processed soon and got approval happy for it.

    But USCIS should be following an order as they said and also their should be a limit for waiting as people are waiting longer than my period for regular processing

    Reply

    • Even I have the same doubt.people whose rfe was recvd from the same consultancy later than mine have got their approval .its jus me who is waiting to get the approval from the consultancy.i dont understand wt order they follow.if it goes too late hw will we know whether we shuld apply for next yr or not..how long should we b waiting…this is the limit of patience

      Reply

    • Tej,

      USCIS has been pretty slow this year especially due the huge number of H-4 EAD applications filed. They typically follow the FIFO logic, but some petitions do get exceptionally delayed. It may end-up w/ an officer who has other workload and cannot reach to it.

      Unfortunately, there is no clear reason to why only your petition was delayed. All you can do is wait, or upgrade to PP.

      Reply

  19. Long wait is over!!!!

    RP/WAC1514052XXX

    13th Apr : Case Received
    13th Aug : RFE Issued (Manager letter, Employee- Employer relationship)
    15th Sep : RFE Response Received by USCIS
    26th Jan : Denied

    As per my observation, most of the cases in RFE response received status for more than 3/4 months were getting denied finally.
    Please make yourself prepared for either case. Good Luck for ppl still waiting for approval.

    Thanks to RedBus for all the support and guidance.

    Reply

  21. My case (EAC\RP) is approved yesterday.
    In-house project and not an MNC.

    Application received: April 13th 2015
    RFE: Sep 28th 2015
    RFE response: Dec 15th 2015
    Approved: Jan 26th 2016

    All the best guys…!!

    Reply

  23. Hi, my case is approved on December 3rd .but till date my attorney r my employer not received hard copy from USCIS .it is almost close to 2 months is there anybody in the same situation.

    Reply

  24. Dnt know why the october RFE response received ones are the most unluckiest of all.
    I have been watching almost 500 rec nos before n after me through an app. People got approvals within a month or 2. Even today a rec no closer to mine got approval with rfe recvd date dec 21. Its so disheartening to see this. Many are waiting since months without peace of mind. And most of the applic which r kept pending since a long time are being denied.
    If the case officer wants to deny a applic why does he take 3-5months why cant he do it the same way every other applic is being treated. This is a ridiculous trend going on this year.

    Reply

    • I have been in the same place for a very long time. 2nd Time in lottery and I thought I was lucky after being selected this year. But it has been stuck in RFE response (October 27th). And obviously I have a constant fear of denial. Very very frustrating wait. And no end in sight.

      Can you please tell me what the name of the app is?

      Thanks

      Reply

      • I’ve completed 3 successful months of waiting in RFE response received status. Not sure, still how many days I’ve to wait..

        Employers r not ready to raise an SR.. We don’t have any option left other than going through this endless wait..

        The prob is, if we know the status (+ve/-ve), we can think about further plans like, applying for 2017 etc.

        Reply

        • My employer opened sr after 90days and i got a great reply that it is still pending adjudication. Even many of them are getting same kind of replies. Not sure whats the use of sr system even though cases are going outside normal processing time.
          My case crossed 4months already after rfe response.
          May be have to join colg and start from scratch again moving my career 2years back.
          Not sure exactly how many applic are still pending final decisions selected in the quota.

          Reply

    • I think they are just waiting for all of us to upgrade to premium processing. Because I noticed that once you upgrade, after 5 days or less they were able to process the application and gave results. And those in regular processing have to wait much longer because they have to prioritize those who paid for PP. That’s very unfair for those who cannot afford it.

      Reply

    • Hi ,
      I been waiting since 26th Aug 2015(RFE response received by USCIS ) . I work fr MNC , which is not ready to convert PP and raise a SR as well. Now my mindset has changed from “Waiting for approval” to “Waiting for denial”:-(

      All ppl who got RFE along wid me has got visa stamped and traveled fr onsite assignments 🙁 Its really frustrating to wait .

      Reply

  25. Hi

    My application got denied due to client letter and my employer is not providing the client letter for raising MTR. Any suggestion what can I do further.

    Reply

  26. I don’t know whether my observation is correct. The processing at California service centre (WAC) is slow in caparison with that of Vermont (EAC). I heard it is the same in case of other visa categories as well.
    What is the criteria in filing that decides ,which service centre is going to process your application?

    Reply

  27. “Case Was Approved
    On January 22, 2016, we approved your Form I-129, Petition for a Nonimmigrant Worker, Receipt Number EAC 1514 *******. We will mail your approval notice. Please follow the instructions in the notice.”

    Hi All,

    I waited for four years for this moment. Extremely happy. 2015 was my third try and I was giving up. I was caught in a terrible situation where I could not travel on F1. I was working on CPT, hoping to get H1B so I can travel. I put off some of the most important life events for this.

    I am an extremely happy man today. I thank all the forum members that kept me going in difficult times since 2012. I got a lot of good suggestions to maintain my status, but more importantly, people here helped me stay motivated. Here’s the timeline:

    APR 01 2015 – applied for 2016 H1B.
    May 12 2015 – picked in lottery
    Sept 28 2015 – got RFE about employee-employer relationship
    Nov 02 2015 – Response to RFE Recvd. by the USCIS
    JAN 19 2016 – Converted to PP
    JAN 22 2016 – Case Approved.

    Thank you so much, friends.

    Reply

  28. Hi,

    any one know about scorg international usa…web iste is scorgusa.com

    Please provide me your review on H1B on this company…

    Reply

  29. Sharing my experience here.

    1) Lottery : 2nd May 2015
    2) RFE : 28th July 2015
    3) Responded to RFE : 10th October 2015
    4) My case was approved on 1st December 2015
    5) Visa interview 21st and 22nd January 2016

    My interview is about 30mins.

    Interview Questions :

    Once we greet each other he started asking questions?
    1) Can you give your passports?
    2) Which company you work for?
    3) Can you tell about the company?
    4) How many years you have been working in the company?
    5) What is the project? (While I was explaining about project, he asked for project documentation. I handover the documents)
    Also he was googling for some information.
    6) You also work for any client? Can you give me client letter?
    7) What does this client do?
    8) Who pays you when you are working for client?
    9) Which city you will be travelling?
    10) Can you give me LCA?
    Provided
    12) What is your current salary now?
    13) What is your salary in US?
    14) What will you do if you don’t have work in US?
    15) Why do you want to work in US?

    To my wife he asked he asked marriage date and finally he said visa is approved.

    Reply

  30. Finally good news to share!!!

    Case Details
    Lottery – Apr 28th,2015
    RFE – Aug18th, 2015
    RFE received – Oct13th, 2015
    Case Approved – Jan21st, 2016

    Regular-Vermont, EAC1514654***.

    I would like to Thank Kumar, Saurabh and Redbus2us.com for all the updates and news..this site honestly kept our hopes high and All the best guys, i know the wait is frustrating..

    Reply

  31. Has anybody got approval notice from ssinfotek/pginfotek
    Did any body from ssinfotek/pginfotek went for stamping .
    Please respond

    Reply

  32. Hi Saurabh,

    A small Question from my side… If response received status is updated on Feb-01-2016. Can we except the approval/denial status updated by Apr-01 i.e before next H1B cycle.

    Thanks
    Ravi.B

    Reply

    • I’ve seen some frnds whose status got changed from RFE to Approval in just 3weeks..they are RP only.. So, u can expect it on or before 1st Apr…

      Reply

    • Sanjay….,
      In the past years, they have processed most of the petitions by April 1, to clear-up their desk for next filing season. I expect the same to happen this year also.

      Reply

  33. I am a graduate and batchler degree in education (b.ed).I have 8 years teaching experience.can I apply for H1B visa?for a teacher job in USA.plz help me.

    Reply

    • hi, yes you probably can… I currently have a cap excempt h1b with a school district. Feel free to ask any questions. I am a bilingual elementary school teacher.

      Reply

  34. Hi Saurabh/Kumar,
    I’m really confused by seeing “Withdrawal Acknowledgement Notice Was Sent” status against my application. While im still waiting to touchbase with my employer, I want to know whether My employer can revoke the withdrawal?
    Any other guidelines would be much helpful for me.
    Anticipating a reply, Thanks

    Reply

  35. 27th jun “name was updated”

    15 jul rfe

    September 15, 2015, we received your response to our Request for Evidence.

    Waiting WAC…

    When this will be approved?

    Reply

  36. Hi guys,

    I got a situation, I applied last year and I got receipt number from my employer in June. In august it was aRFE and then by nov2015 case got approved. Now when I got my approval notice I can see DOB is wrong completely and my name and receipt number is there. When I asked the employer about it, they are not sure whose notice is this and said the details of documents not matching mine. Also they are not replying now and I came to know some other guy from USA also applied h1b from them with same name as of mine whose dob is coming in approval notice. Please suggest what should I do? I am stressed.

    Reply

    • Your employer is the right person, none of us can suggest on this…

      Will that approval notice contains passport#? If yes, is it yours?

      Reply

    • Sanju,
      Do you mean to say 2 different people with same name applied for H-1? Looks like employer may have been confused about which person’s petition got selected. If the DOB belongs to the other person, then it would be their petition and not yours.

      In the end, your employer is in the best position to sort it out for you.

      Reply

      • Thanks saurabh for ur response. But it took 8 months and then I came to know at happened. I m gonna sue the employer. Just frustrated as they r not even replying on my email.

        Reply

  37. Thanks to redbus2us and to all who has shared the details or guided others through this forum.

    I got my VISA stamped @HYD consulate on 21-1-16.
    I had booked the appointment along with my wife , kid and I was bit nervous on that day, however the interview process was really smooth, the VO asked below questions and approved the Visa.

    My Petitioner name
    Highest Qualification
    Salary
    Roles and responsibilities
    How did you find the job
    Who is the client ( I said it is an in-house project)

    Questions to my wife :
    How long you have been married
    Where are you going in US

    Finally VO asked to go through the rights pamphlet. Thanked the VO and left the counter.

    Now I’m planning to travel in Feb month, however the passport validity is till Aug2016. Can i travel and do the passport renewal in US or will there be any issues at POE, Please suggest?

    Reply

    • Hello,
      When you replied in house did VO asked any questions? Please tell me how big is your company and the in house is a real one?

      Thanks

      Reply

  39. My case is Received status since Apr’13,there is no change since Apr’13.

    What could be the reason? Still how much Percentage cases are in Received status.

    Reply

    • I’m in the same boat. have you applied thru consultancy or MNC ? My employer has raised an SR , waiting for the response. What is your series ?

      Reply

    • Nice to hear there some other people are like me .., I’m also still in “case was recieved” … I’m applied through consultancy ..

      Reply

  40. I have got approval yesterday from vermount data centre and Regular processing.My RFE response received from Nov 2nd.

    All the best guys those who are waiting for approval.

    Reply

  42. Thank you! I am in the US, so mine was a change of status… I work in education. Does anyone know if I can switch employers later, like august?

    Reply

    • Ne,
      So you are working on H-1 at the moment, correct? You can move to a different employer anytime as long as you have been maintaining legal status in US i.e. getting paid on H-1.

      Reply

      • Hi Saurabh, thanks for your reply. Yeah I am on cap exempt H1b, filed a non cap exempt h1b. My lawyer said that, since we filed a COS, I must start my new job within 30 to 60 days. We are just waiting for appoval doc to proceed. Thanks so much!

        Reply

  43. I am glad to share that I got my visa Stamped @chennai consulate today 22-1-16.

    I booked the appointment along with my wife and Baby I was extremely nervous on this day. Had an appointment scheduled at 8.30 am but I reached there by 7.40 am. the security person they are very nice people they told me to go inside because your having baby ,after that securtiy check and then me and wife went directly to the VO counter .

    only three question VO asked

    My Petitioner name
    Project details
    Highest qulification
    at last VO said your visa is approved
    then i came outside 8am.

    Reply

  44. Got my H1B stamped yesterday, The interview was so simple which i never expected, only 3 question and no documents was asked.

    Me: Good Morning Officer
    VO: Good Morning, How are you.
    Me: I m fine.
    VO: Are you working for XXX company
    Me: Yes
    VO: Which company u will be working in US.
    Me: XXX company. (my current company and petitioner are same)
    VO: what will be you pay per annum.
    Me: YYYYY/annum
    VO: Thanks, your visa will is approved and gave me pamplate .

    No documents was asked, except my passport. VO did not even see my I-797 notice.

    Wish all of you guys best of luck who are still waiting.

    Reply

  45. Hi Saurabh/Kumar,

    I got H1b stamped for myself and H4 stamped for my wife successfully in JAN 2016. . I will be travelling to USA shortly with my wife. We are planning to have baby this year. I also intend to file H1b for my wife this year in march 2016.

    Provided my wife gets selected in H1b lottery and gets COS from H4 to H1, this year by OCT 2016 , my questions are:-

    1. What will happen if my wife gets pregnant and cant work starting OCT 1st 2016?
    2. Should my wife again switch back to h4 from H1b?
    3. What is my best option? Should I wait for 2017?

    Regards

    Reply

    • H4toH1,

      1. If it is genuine medical reason, then she should be fine.

      2. If her H-1 was filed and approved w/ COS, then she doesn’t need to move to H-1 again. She will be on medical leave. Keep your potential employer and attorney in loop as delivery date approaches.

      3. How about file H-1 w/ consular processing. Its a personal decision, but she may want to be with the newborn for few months before joining the workforce. Filing w/o COS would keep her status as H-4 and she can then decide when to start working. For this she will have to file COS from H-4 to H-1 or enter US on stamped H-1 visa. Her employer should agree to H-1 filing w/o COS.

      Reply

  46. Hi Saurabh/Kumar,

    My employer withdraw my petition since it was in security check and I got mail from USCIS today. WHen I checked with my employer he is saying he can apply next year for me. What are the chances of getting approval from the same consultancy if selected in lottery. Since he withdraw quite a few petitions this year as all went into security check

    Reply

  47. Hi Guys,

    Is there any approvals from the EAC152****** series lately???

    Also., anyone applied through UnicornTek consultancy waiting for their results.,

    Reply

  48. H1B approved two days before. It was 45 days after the RFE submission date. I was in double mind whether to apply for PP or not. Almost a year, God somone should change this H1B process. What a long wait. I will all others here, All the best!

    Reply

    • Congratulations! It will help everyone if you could let know which centre (vermont or California) employer is MNC or consultancy and dates of RFE received response sent and approved dates.

      Reply

    • Finally my case was approved!!!! Not in IT, but maybe my dates can help someone.
      Rfe Sept 1, Rfe response received Nov 24, case approved Jan 21! Vermont Eac. I saw a few other approvals today so hopefully everyone gets their approval soon! Thank you for the forum! Great job!!!

      Reply

      • Congratulations ! Are you applying from outside US or from US ?
        How many days will it take to get an appointment for an interview ? can you please share the details you know. thanks.

        Reply

  49. Hi, is there anyone still waiting for H1B approval?

    Ive been waiting since Oct. 15… No news yet..

    April 27th – Lottery
    July 28th – RFE Questions
    Oct. 15th – RFE RECEIVED by gov.

    Should I be worried?

    Thanks!

    Reply

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