Updated : November 25th, 2015
H1B Visa 2016 Filing Season Complete, Cap reached on April 7th, 2015.
Planning for next H1B season, Check out H1B Visa 2017 FAQs
As many of you know, H1B Visa 2015 quota was over in the first week and a whopping 172,500 H1B petitions were received in first week by USCIS. H1B Lottery / random selection was held by USCIS to select 85,000 H1B petitions to fulfil the work permit cap. Many of the unlucky ones are already wondering about next year H1B Visa quota. Also, some of you are planning for H1B visa for next year, you also would be wondering regarding the same. This article addresses many of the common questions, it will be updated constantly, whenever any changes to info. Bookmark this page ! To start with, firstly the news updates on this season, followed by many commonly asked questions.
Official & Unofficial USCIS News Updates Regarding H1B 2016 Season
- November 25th, 2015 : There is no special news as such, but we have our readers reporting that their H1Bs are still being approved that were under regular processing. So, if your status is stuck at one status, there is still some hope…
- July 14th, 2015 : USCIS released a note saying that they have returned all the petitions that were not selected in lottery for FY 2016. If you do not hear back from USCIS by July 20th, then you can contact them. Check Press note
- May 4th, 2015 : Data Entry for Selected H1B Petitions Completed
- April 14th, 2015 : Premium Processing H1B 2016 starts from April 27th
- April 13th, 2015: USCIS receives 233,000 for FY 2016 Lottery complete.
- April 7th, 2015: H1B Cap Reached for FY 2016. Summary of USCIS News
- April 6th, 2015: Guidance to file Second Petition, if Delivery Service Errors
When will the H1B season for fiscal 2016 begin ?
USCIS will accept petitions for H1B Visa 2016 season starting from April 1st, 2015. USCIS did a press release on March 12th outlining the details. Read summary of press release by USCIS on H1B 2016 .
Will there be lottery again for H1B Visa 2016 ? Predictions ?
We had lottery for FY 2015 and FY 2014. The total number of petitions filed for FY 14 were about 125,000 and for FY 2015, there were about 172,500 petitions… As H1B Quota did not increase for FY 2016, and the demand does not seem to decrease, we would very likely have lottery for FY 2016. Read H1B Visa 2016 Lottery Predictions, Dates, Results
What is the H1B Visa quota Cap Count ? Would there be any changes to H1B 2016 count ?
H1B Visa quota cap count is the total number of petitions that USCIS will accept for a fiscal year to provide temporary work permit for highly skilled workers. For the 2016 fiscal year, the cap count is as below :
- Regular H1B Quota : 65,000
- H1B Masters Degree Quota ( only US Degrees) : 20,000
- Out of the above, a total of 6,800 is usually set aside for Singapore and Chile citizens as part of the free trade agreement between them.
As per the press release in March 2015, the quota did not increase. To give some background, as per the Obama executive action in Nov 2014, no changes were announced to the H1B Cap count. There was proposal in 2013 to increase H1B cap from 65,000 to 110,000 and Masters quota to increase from 20,000 to 25,000 did not go through as of March 2015. At least, for this FY 2016 season, the quota is fixed and it will be as above and no changes.
When should I start planning for H1B Visa 2016 ? What are the steps ?
It depends on your situation. Below are few scenarios and your plan.
- If you are a student on F1 Visa in USA, you need to plan for your internship/ CPT or OPT employment at a company that can sponsor your H1B Visa for FY 2016. In my view, you should start now to find something for the fall 2014 and continue that for next spring so that you can file for FY 2016
- If you are in other country and planning for H1B, it is good to start your process around the end of this year 2014. It will give you enough time to find sponsors, search for job, etc.
- If you are on H4, L1 or other visa in USA and planning for H1B for FY 2016, you also should consider looking around end of this year i.e. December 2014.
We have published step by step plan, you can read the article How to plan for H1B Visa 2016 ?Step by Step Guide
Most asked Question – How do I Find H1B Sponsors for FY 2016 ?
This is a million dollar question ! One of the biggest challenges is to find a good sponsor that can offer you a job and wait for you to start work after 6 months of filing your petition. You should review the detail article on How to find H1B Sponsors for FY 2015. Your first place of start is to find the H1B Sponsors in an area or by company. Use our H1B Visa Sponsors Database to search and filter. Read this article on details on how to search in our H1B Sponsor database. We keep the database updated as DOL publishes data. Do NOT share your email or phone number on our website as comments, there are many people do H1B Sponsorship fraud by requesting money using your contact info. RedBus2US.com never provides personal guidance on H1B sponsors or seeks money from anyone, we only display publicly available data on our H1B Sponsors Database page. We DO NOT sponsor H1Bs or guide anyone. Beware of H1B sponsorship Fraud !
What about Comprehensive Immigration Reform ( CIR) – H1B Visa Changes ? What are they ?
There have been some proposed changes to the H1B Visa program to cater to the demand in the US economy as part of the Comprehensive Immigration reform. Below are some of the proposed changes.
- H1B Cap to be increased from 65,000 to 110,000 per year. Also have provisions to have it up to 180,000 in case of extreme demand.
- Advanced degree from US cap quota to increase from 20,000 to 25,000
- The Filing fee for H1B could go up to 10,000 USD
- Additional H1B rules to avoid H1B Visa fraud by employers
- Mandatory LCA posting for 30 days before it is certified.
These were proposed in 2013, but nothing has moved significantly and all the above are just proposed rules. We are not sure when they will be implemented. You can read Summary of CIR – Immigration reform – H1B Visa and Green Card to get an idea. The latest update is that Obama has taken executive action on Immigration in Nov 2014 and none of the below are included as part of that. Stay tuned for updates.
H1B Visa 2016 Fees – Any changes ? How much does it cost ?
There are various components of the fee. The H1B Application filing fee could range anywhere from $1,600 USD to $4,400 depending on the size of the company. The attorney fee can range from $500 to $3000 depending on the attorney. If you apply for premium processing that is another $1,225. The fees has not changed in the past couple of years for FY 2014 and FY 2015. Unless USCIS revises fee based on immigration reform, it should be same. We will keep you all posted. For complete details of the fee by components and break up, read the article H1B Visa Fees and Who Pays for What ?
H4 Visa EAD rule impact on H1B Visa 2016 Season ?
As you know, certain H4 visa holders are now eligible for EAD. The H4 Visa EAD Rule Passed earlier in 2015 and is effective from May 26, 2015. USCIS will start accepting applications for EAD from those eligible H4 visa holders starting from May 26th. The question is that will that have an impact on number of H1B petitions for this fiscal year ? It very likely will have certain impact on the number of H1B applications that are filed for this year 2016 quota. Many of the H4 holders, who would now be eligible for EAD, may not apply for H1B visa, just because it gives them more flexibility to work and more choices to work as well. We would have to wait and see, how much of an impact that would have, but it is very straightforward and no brainer for eligible H4 visa holder to avoid the H1B processing.
H1B visa Premium Processing Changes to H1B Visa 2016 quota ?
USCIS updated in their press release that the premium processing will be accepted for FY 2016 quota and they will only begin that “no later than May 11, 2015”. What it means for the petitioners is that the official 15 day premium processing clock starts from May 11th, 2015 and their petition could be adjudicated within 15 days from May 11th, which would be May 26th, 2015. USCIS can process them earlier as well, but their new timeline is just indication for setting the right expectations to meet the stipulated time frame for premium processing.
Track H1B Visa 2016 Cap Count updates ?
As in previous years, we have created a page, where would track the cap count updates for FY 2016. You may check out H1B visa 2016 Cap Count Tracker.
While you wait, you can check out April 1st – USCIS H1B Visa 2016 Season Starts Today, When to expect Lottery ?
H1B Lottery Completed – Official Tweet and Press Release
USCIS Completes the H-1B Cap Random Selection Process for FY 2016 http://t.co/fQ6EPUb8Y4
— USCIS (@USCIS) April 13, 2015
H1B Cap Reached – Official USCIS Tweet and Link to Press release :
We have reached the congressionally mandated H-1B cap for FY 2016 http://t.co/RTja7POWYY — USCIS (@USCIS) April 7, 2015
Any other questions ?
I got my acknowledgement and case number yesterday. All the best to the rest of the folks. This was third time for me. Time to go and celebrate in silence.
Friends
Latest & Fresh News –
The USCIS has completed the data entry.
Its a little old news bro. Watch out in USCIS and Immigrationgirl.com.
Hi All,
My CTS friend got his receipt number today for Non-AD/RP.
Waiting for mine. Finger crossed…
Did your friend receive the email yesterday or today? Please confirm.
Today bro…
At what time and what is the starting letter of your friend’s name
Vermont or California?
dunno…
Is there any 3Rd batch released in cts..
Waiting for nonAd/RP/CA
IBM seems to be slow to take off in sending notifications,no updates in the tool as well..still hoping to hear a good news before this week ends…
Any updates from GIMS ?
As usual same reply … Wait till 2nd week of May 🙁
I dont know on earth what d F*** will be there during 2nd and 3rd week of May.
All comes down to the same thing. Feeling obsessed .
**** *** **p*o & *IMS
Is this reply from Service connect, or did you physically went there and asked them.
I think Service connect reply will be scripted.
Hi, please let me know if we get the receipt number- does that mean that you have been selected in lottery? whats next?
pls reply..
I have faith in you.
Trying my luck with above name.. since luck only play’s role in this.. so want to believe in this waiting for CTS VT/RP result….
I am NonAD/RP/VT. I am still waiting to hear the good news. But begining to lose hope every hour that passes by. Few of my colleagues received their receipt number yesterday. All of them were from CA.
Any more hope left for VT/RP?
Being very Superstitious that this name brings me luck.
Me too waiting for the same RP/VT.. We can wait till friday.. After that chances are thin.. So dont lose hope… U r from which location ?
CTS – Chennai (Mepz)
In your project any body received ?
4 received the receipts. 2 – VT and 2 – CA.
Exactly the same here too.. 4 received out of 12. 2VT-2CA
Another batch of receipts were delivered yesterday for CTS folks. Majority for CA center and few for vermont folks.
I am still Waiting for a good news and mine is CA RP.
Good luck to all…. and wish me good luck in return…
Any update from Cognizant today?
Nothing new came in today… Waiting !!!
Trying my luck with this name… I know it sounds rubbish, Still cant avoid:(
Has anyone from CTS, CA Center Regular Processing got their receipt? So far seen most are from VT Center
guys,
Does GIT team inform us whether our cheques have been encashed or not? Thats the best possible way of figuring out whether we are selected or not.. Don’t lose hope…I havent seen anyone from my department getting the receipts.. so its definitely not over for us…
H1B Visa sucks…
Hi,Anyone from TCS got any update?
Not yet 🙁
Any update from Wipro guys ?
Got Luck..
Still we are waiting for receipts from VM center
“GAME OVER FOR EVERYONE WHO HAVE NOT RECEIVED RECEIPT “- I havent received a receipt yet . Better luck next time guys . Party hard , life isa journey and anything can happen anytime …take care , have fun and plan 2017 .
Notification on USCIS website
***UPDATE 5/4/15 – As anticipated, USCIS announced the completion of data entry on the H-1B petitions selected in the lottery. This does NOT mean that all receipts have been delivered. But, it does signal that the last of the receipts should be in the mail and on their way to employers/attorneys over the next week or two.
I the check is not cashed by May 4th means we are not selected though.
Correct?
Do you even understand what that means. You are planning to go to US but can’t even comprehend.
lololol,
that means – don’t make unnecessary noise with lack of knowledge. stay calm and wait for your turn
Does this mean that from May 4th no more checks will be encashed? or no more petitions will be processed further?
I am trying to understand their statement. Kindly help
TCS guys any updates?
Got reply to my email..”Your application have been filed successfully with USCIS”.:) 🙂 🙂 from FDFU as of now .No Further. What’s going on…..
YOU MORON TCS has updated that on the VTS.. its same info you got by email.. 😛
Why dont guys even do a background before coming to the forum
KAM Bol zyada khol
Hi All,
Anyone from Tech Mahindra got reciept..in regular processing?? Please let here know..
Any updates from WIPRO. I think CTS is leading by giving positive updates
Received my case today – Non AD/PP VT – Receipt date 27th Apr .
Lawyer forwarded it to my employer yesterday.
DM
which company ?
American
Any one from Accenture got an update? or does your initiation in RMSC got updated?
By when can we expect first batch of receipts to be announced for TCS employees. Some people are telling that the results will be announced only by last week of May. Is it for the first batch or last batch?
Still same response “GIMS will closely track on the application status and share confirmation of your application as and when we receive an update from USCIS. We shall revert to you with status update of your application during the 2nd Week of May.” “
Anybody from Tringapps got any update?
Guys any luck for cts? out of 8 , 3 persons got in my account,which means the selection ratio is correct that is more than 30 percent.
My head says its over,but my heart says wait till 15th may.
Experts please comment.
Wch centre your and your friens were filed? If u r lucky, u never know. It’s all luck man
Any one from infosys, got their receipt numbers in AIMS.
Thanks
Sumith
Some people are getting receipts. It has started from friday
Yes I got it yesterday. Dont lose hope. They update it on daily basis as they receive the cases. All the best!!
I got it yesterday. All the best. There is still time left.
request for evidence notice was mailed means…
You got an RFE. They have sent you the notice regarding the RFE. You will have to provide extra documentation in support for their query and then wait for the result of approval.
Any one from Cognizant received receipt today?
Any one from IBM Pune received receipt for RP?
IBM Bangalore had sent some receipts on last Friday,not sure if IBM sends it in batches.
Any one from IBM Chennai received receipt for RP?
Yes I do have it. IBM Pune RP/Vermont.. I got it on 27th April.
Hi Guys,
Just now I called the GSD team, she told me to wait till this month end and they are getting the receipts only in batch wise.
Again I need to wait till this month end 🙁 and my sleepless nights will continue…
All is well..
this was my third time.. still no news.. i am not desperate to know , what outcome would be.. its all luck.. it can be yes/no.. but now chances are little low. will try again if nothing comes out positive.. thats what i can do.. luck will play his role & me too..
Any updates from PMSD ??
In my case this is also 3 rd time. still no news.Now chances are low
Anyone got receipt number (Regular process)?
Finally good news ……Thank you goddd…..thanks to the forum
frdns…here is my story this is my 5 th attempt for US Visa , 2011 – L1B got rejected 2012 – H 1 due to internal politics in office LCA filed n application din sent to USICS 2013 – H1 din picked in lottery 2014- same story n now it gone through….. every year i am a silent follower for this blog n ends up Wit lot of disappointment…but this year it’s my turn:)…the failures showed me the true colours of few people in my life n made me stronger every time wen I failed ……those who r waiting fr results all the best …keep faith n God … Do good n be good…mine is NonAD/not sure on RP or PP .Receipt num WAC 1514553***
Congrats … but you have a lot patience … really appreciate you…. all the best
great buddy, hats of to ur patiene u desrve it
Genuine Multipal application dont get RFE. I got picked in both.
The lottery process will pick multiple applications but it will cause troubles when they do the data entry and find that out. BTW how was your multiple petition filed?
Multiple applications don’t cause problems. Duplicate applications do. Multiple is when a person applies through different companies. Duplicate is when the same company files more than one application for the same person.
Yes I agree..it will not make any trouble if u have 2 recipt from 2 different employeers…
CTS guys those who have recieved Receipt numbers,may i know at what time of the day did you recieve the emails ? As far as comments in this blog from cts guys, receipts started to come in cts from thursday last week and also yesterday.So it has been 2 days.pls correct me if i am wrong.did anybody get chance to speak to git team?what are they telling?
My colleagues got email on 29April, 10.30PM IST. I heard more receipts will come this week from my Manager.
CTS mail trigger:
Batch 1 – 29th April (between 5:30PM to 10:30 PM)
Batch 2 – 04th April (between 6:30PM to 8:00 PM)
Not sure about next batch,,,,,,
Typo error-
2nd batch – May 4th
It seems Wipro GIMS is sleeping still……
hiii
Last year I was a silent spectator of this blog.Opened it in the middle of the night,early morning and through out the day.I did not post any comment.Did not go through in the end.But somehow was able to convince myself that this is the first attempt so better luck next time.This is my second attempt and still no news yet. Mind is getting filled up with all sorts of superstitions.Dnt know what to say.Its really sad to accept that luck determines everything.With each hour counting chances getting slimmer. CTS guys, can anybody let us know what is the overall status in CTS?Anybody talked to GIT Team and what are they saying?
Even mine is 2nd attempt from CTS. Still no receipt!! Mine was California center….
Guys LUCK plays the major role in our life. Most of us dont understand this. The word LUCK means the same word FATE. Every minute we live is due to this LUCK, but we call it FATE. Everyone here are lucky enough to see our comments and others. Thank your GOD for giving that LUCK continuously.
Anyone from CTS, (California Center, Regular Processing, Non AD) got their receipt?
Hope this brings luck to my wife. 5 got selected out of 9. Hope my wife’s is one of them.
Hey , just saw the email from the employer today morning.
My application got selected. I was a silent viewer on this form for the past 15 days. Hope this name also brought some luck .
me too…I am hoping get it today
Mee too… hope for the best. 🙂
Hope this name brings luck to me..Hope for the best
Good news for me… 🙂
Any chances left guys ? I have seem to lost all my hopes this was 2nd attempt and still no updates.. Feeling really bad without any proper updates..
“Guys Game over for all who have not received receipt till yesterday ” . Even I haven’t got it. Stay strong , We can do better somewhere else this year . Cheers and party Hard as we are not selected .
Notification on USCIS website
Anyone from IBM India got the receipt?
No info
I have received it on 27th April..few of my friends got it on 30th April..I believe they have started sending …so keep the hope till 15th May.
No
Hi Friends, I have been regular customer for this site since last year April. Mine wasn’t picked in lottery last time. I have opened this site more than 1 lakh times in the month of April and May last year and same case this year as well.
Finally got receipt yesterday from VT. Good Luck to who are all waiting. And I pray God to give equal happiness(in some other way) to those(233k – 85k =148k) who would miss this year.
Once again Thanks to all.
Hey hi .. are u frm cts bangalore ??