Home » US Immigration - Visas » H1B Visa » H1B Visa 2016 – FAQs – Lottery, Quota, Immigration Reform, News

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.

   

Other Articles

28,610 Comments

  1. Is there any news from Fragomen NYC on PP/VT results? Till now, I haven’t see any from Vermont. How is that possible?

    Reply
  2. There is also a talk going on that there are less than 37000 master guys and most of them will be given priority even in the general lottery.
    AD guys say strong there is a very good chance.

    NON AD guys feel jealous , cry .. do watever you want, we are the deserved.

    Reply
    • I dont think, so, there are many AD guys including me, see not picked in lotter last year. Same year, I see many non AD guys who are my friends and their friends from india got selected and received their H1.

      Dont trust talking unless you see the cases/scenerios.

      Reply
    • Seems you got some random number from ur head and posted it here. USCIS never discloses the break up. Keep dreaming – the so called deserved

      Reply
  3. In the same boat as you. It will be such a shame to invest $160K in a MBA from an Ivy League work in a $200K job yet to proven that working hard does not count and all that was needed was dump lucky in a lottery. Also same Fragomen is my attorney and ADD

    Reply
    • Don’t worry buddy, we are being put to test. Times like these have made me realize not to take our job and life for granted. I hear my friends always complaining about how boring their job is, how they are being underpaid blah blah blah. I don’t even feel like talking to them anymore, but they will never understand the pressure and torture we are going through.
      Anyway, I hope we get through this mess soon. Good luck

      Reply
  4. i filed “ONLY ONE APPLICATION ” to be genuine AD/RP , when can the genuine guys expect the results?
    I heard they developed a alogorithm to get more AD guys picked. 10 out of 10 friends of mine AD/PP got picked.

    Reply
  5. April 17, 2015
    One of my analysis is below —

    “”””On April 13, 2015, we received your Form I-129, Petition for a Nonimmigrant Worker, Receipt Number EAC1513852190, and sent you the receipt notice that describes how we will process your case. Please follow the instructions in the notice. If you do not receive your receipt notice by May 13, 2015, please call Customer Service at 1-800-375-5283. If you move, go to http://www.uscis.gov/addresschange to give us your new mailing address.””””

    So we dont know for whom USCIS had mailed this. So they are are expecting everyone should receive receipts by May 13th, 2015. Otherwise they are asking to call them and check. It seems to be anything if you dont receive until May 13th for AD or Bachelors, the chances are seems to be lost. I am just letting you know, so that those who are having plan B will goahead on time, with out waiting for this.

    Reply
  6. Rough Assumptions of h1 masters quota:
    Let us say there were 80k masters guys who filed for h1, Among them 20k will get in masters quota, i e 25%
    Remaining 60k in regular lotterry with 153k competing others for 60k applications, chances of getting in regualr lottery for Masters is around 28% which is 18k, so 20k+18K =38k which is 43% of masters students getting picked, so the Odds are 40% of all masters guys picked in lottery. i,e 1 : 2.5, roughly 1 of out every 3 ppl will pick in lottery.
    No matter how many ways you calculate this is what it will comes to!!!!

    Reply
    • Know your data last year there were only 90k students on OPT including bachelor degree students. of which only 30k aND 28k from China and india ain’t bachelor included. Not to mention many from Canada and aussie need not go for h1b.

      How on earth 80k advance degree applications

      Reply
        • Not true till 2012 that was the case because there was no lottery. But after that the it giants started to see lottery and started increasing applications to win the probability game. Of course ad ppl have increased on not increased by 300% from 2012 from 20k to 80k. Students increase by a steady percent of around 10% per annum to usa.

          Reply
          • Why do you think USCIS hides the AD numbers? Why dont they release the total AD petition numbers just like they do for all? What harm will it do to them?
            The short answer to that is if everyone got to know those numbers then no one will come for higher education in US. The were exposing those numbers before 2012 because they werent filled up and if you noticed they keep steady with the overall numbers that is percentage wise. AD is between 1/4 and 1/3 of 223K.

        • They keep steady that’s my point given any abnormal increase. Would check infy tcs wipro applications in my visa jobs even they werebincreasing at steady pace utilizing 2012 and ad was 1/4th of that. But from 13. Look at h1b dependent companies applications they kept increasing it by 100% but u think student increased by 100 % nope. Definitely there are more ad ppl my guess it now they make up around 1/8 or 1/7th. Considering ad ppl also won’t have multiple filing options. at least many wont.

          Reply
      • Ok, In that case consider people who graduated in last 3 yrs, OPT and STEM Ext ppl also filed this year, whoever graduated from colleges filed for h1 due to tough lottery last yr. 40-50% of them are filing this year, wouldnt it be 80k or more then….there are no facts for real, its logical conception, see how many ppl come every sem! It is possible that huge number of masters ppl filed for H1B, prove me wrong if u can…USCIS wont let those numbers out because looking at the ratio of VISA available and no of filings, no one will come to study without jobs visas!!!!

        Reply
        • One of the very big law firm had confirmed that there were As high as 86 % chance for ad people last year. Check immigration girl. I know it’s just her firms which may file around couple thousand h1 only. But it gives a perspective of 25k masters ppl. If all 5 k apply this year. U think it can increase to 80k. I doubt. Anyway. Good luck mate. I go by the numbers that I see and data that I have look at uscis reports to congress each year they give a lot of details. And reason for not displaying numbers for ad is random lottery is highly biased towards American companies and ad people. Believe it or not . It is. No way anew infy has same chance as Microsoft or Google of getting h1b.

          Reply
    • Agree!

      The cap on the AD should be lifted. These are highly skilled with advanced degrees (MS, MBA and PhD) from american universities who lived at least 3-5 years in the US and they should be kept for their great knowledge.

      I do not understand why would the US take Non AD from other countries who do not even speak english. It is ridiculous with all these fake indian IT companies.

      Reply
      • Yes US knows that, you didn’t get job in your home country nor you cleared GATE. With dad’s money u came here and to do AD. Now tell are you worth for this country?

        Reply
        • You mean with a 4.0 GPA and a full scholarship to one of the greatest colleges in the US? Non AD , what are YOU worth? … other than lower salaries…

          Reply
          • Lower salary beats 4.0 GPA and a full scholarship to one of the greatest colleges in the US. Ask any roadside Tom or a company CEO.

      • Lol. Rightly said by person above me. Out of so many folks who opt for MS, only 20% are genuinely talented. Only d ones from top universities. Rest all are there coz of their dads money. They get an MS degree somehow and still have the audacity of calling themselves highly skilled.

        Reply
          • Need to tell your dad that he wasted his money on a empty vessel who has a degree but lacks talent. Your english says it all.

          • Yeah, my English says it all. Glad we can speak and write in it unlike some clowns that come here so that some Americans can throw peanuts at them and make them dance to their iTunes.

      • I’m bachelors degree holder and currently working at the same level as person holding Adv Degree. So its wrong to assume that only adv has skills.
        I think 20K allotment to adv degrees should be removed and they should implement point system or something and should consider which candidates knows what and how they are going to use it to move the company and US forward.
        And how do you know that people coming here from different country do not speak proper english? Look before you leap. tc

        Reply
  7. Any one received email confirmation from Fragomen for AD/PP/Vermont yet? I am at work right now and hardly able to concentrate. (These pretzels are making me thirsty!! Seinfeld reference).
    This is my last chance, it would be such a shame to go back after a Masters from an Ivy League and having a job at one of the top banks in US. Hoping for some good news by EOD today and praying for other people like me whose careers depend on this **** lottery!

    Reply
    • hey bro, feel for you. The majority of people won’t get it, it is ok and we need to move on!!

      no news for me too. time to kick off plan b.

      Reply
  8. @Lordh1b,

    there will not be a problem if you filled 2 application. did you filled through RP or PP, if you filled by RP then i think we will get reply by next week end

    Reply
  9. Guys, I did not get it yet…still waiting..yes people are misusing my name, ignore them and let them i will not change my name

    Reply
  10. I have been asking my Immegration team, for update eveynow and then, I ask her to check for back account. after a long waiting she sent me, Approved Labor Condition Application. its certified. I m in 🙂

    Reply
  11. Just got picked, Non AD_PP_CA, So Thrilled!

    Good luck to everyone who is waiting, I think Non AD/PP applicant who got selected is beginning to receive case numbers. If not today, probably by the end of next week most PP applicant should all have their numbers.

    Reply
    • Got an email from Balglobal few mins back….

      USCIS has received around 233,000 petitions.  The receipt notices that are going out now are for petitions that were accepted and premium processed. We anticipate that receipt notices will start being received via mail next week and continue to be received until late May. We will update our system as soon as notices come in. We have not received yours as of yet.

      Reply
  12. GGGGGGGOOOOOOOTTTTTTT IIIIIIITTTTTTT!!

    Just received the sacred call from my Attorney!!! AD/PP/CA.

    Today I will have Vodka with Coke for sure!!!!

    Reply
  13. Hi Guys,

    I have been trolling this site for the past 1 week. I lost the lottery last two times. Painfully doing my second masters to stay in status. I got my receipt today. Feeling very happy.

    Thanks and All the best for guys specially in their last attempts.

    Reply
  14. Advanced Degree/ Regular Processing:
    Anybody got SEVIS update info from university? ..Please all reply here guys…help all…… !

    Reply
    • Hi,

      I am also waiting for same AD/RP haven’t heard any news from this category till now. We still have hopes right?

      Reply
      • Me too, waiting for AD/RP. Don’t lose hope guys. I think it might take a week for us to start hearing receipt send out. Just fyi, for our case, USCIS will not release receipt numbers via email. So even though they have started AD/RP. it might takes few days to get receipt numbers on the mail. Pray and don’t lose hope.

        Best of luck to everyone

        Reply
      • Yes, there’s a way to track

        for example
        EAC151385**** (EAC-Vermon)
        WAC151355****(WAC-California)

        You can replace the last four digits with a random 4 digit number, let’s say you replace the last four digits for Vermont (EAC) with 3500, if a case exists, it will say a receipt has been sent. So, Uscis selects and send notifications in order, for example EAC1513850001……….EAC1513850050…EAC151385**** until they finish notifying all the applicants whose applicatins are with vermont center. same thing applies with california service center WAC

        Reply
      • h1bslaughteragain, I’m serious. I haven’t failed twice before, but this is my only chance so I can relate.

        If you have got receipt, congrats!
        If you got receipt but you are not h1bslaughteragain, well still congrats!

        If you haven’t got receipt, well I’ve been thinking these days. I know very few people didn’t get selected when they filed legally and ethically; One of them could extend her OPT and if she fails again she will wait for a short time then apply for H4 work permit; Another transferred to H4 for half a year and then found a decent job in Switzerland (he’s not European).

        So although I don’t believe in god, I believe fate will make a fair decision. If you truly want to and deserve to stay in US you are very likely getting it; and if you truly don’t want to go back to your home country there’s probably another good choice waiting for you.

        Best wishes to all!

        Reply
  15. Good afternoon,
    Can someone help me. The lawyer sent my H1b visa application from Cleveland, Ohio. For the LCA approval she contacted an office from New York. My question: Which service center Got my application, Vermont or CA? Haven’t heard any good news if I my application was picked or not still waiting. Have a wonderful day and wish you the best!

    Reply
  16. I got it niggas…sevis updated..confirmed it from my univ…i think the best way to know is to get in touch with these guys…can’t tell you guys how big of a relief is this flower plucking (read ***** *******) visa..hope everyone gets it…bam bam

    Reply
  17. My employer did not receive any Receipts for 20 he filed AD/PP/VT Attorney says none in Atlanta area have got receipts so far, Hoping by the end of the day we have some good news

    Reply
    • my employer also filled two in Atlanta Area. We are constantly checking our email, bank account for check deposit and in contact with attorney. Hope to get my ticket got pick up
      Note: Its AD/PP, so should know by end of day or plan B will be in motion from Monday

      Reply
  18. Guys,

    i have filled two files by RP, and didn’t get any reply from employers, according to them RP will start from coming monday

    Reply
    • Hi PK,

      Even I applied through two consultancies RP.Is there any problem if we apply thru two consultancies.Many are saying that multiple applications are not picked this time.I am totally tensed.Something Noid they are saying :(.

      Reply
  19. For ppl doing multiple filing and are on their OPT extension and need cap-gap extension…if the application gets picked up from the secodary company and not the company where u r currently working in….do u immediately have to change the company or can wait till Oct 1….can anyone please help?

    Reply
  20. this is what the lawyer @gsiskind quoted to someone ” those who premium processed and were selected should hear within next few days”

    So its not like the last day to hear things.

    Reply
  21. Is there any one get the receipt number from VT’s email not from SEVIS or got check cashed?
    I’m just curious: did VT start to send emails to attorneys yet?

    Reply
  22. H1B premium processing done…its a crucial day for pp guys.god gives us the best and just hang in there for his approval..

    Reply
  23. Hi,

    I have a question , previous year I am not selected in lottery under AD/RP and now doing second masters and applied H1b, so now can I check my current school DSO if I am picked in lottery..i.e if there is any change in the sevis.

    Can I do this?

    Reply
    • Yes, you can do this. I am also doing my second masters (MBA). But I would suggest dont do it, since you are RP it may take time to update the sevis information, give it some time. I dont want you to be demotivated if you find out sevis is still unchanged. Stay positive, pray hard…:)

      Reply

Leave a Comment