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 ?
Team ,
I am a silent reader of this site for last 3 years. my lottery is picked and got the results on April 20. I applied for premium processing and I got the approval of H1B on May 1.Vermount centenr.I was applying since 2014 and final got picked and approved this year
Keep hopes, I pray all the waiting gets results for all the people.
Thank you,
Vinay
Praise the lord
Last two years watching this site. Finally got mail from my employer today selected in lottery. Really big happy news to me. Best of luck every one waiting for results.
So most CTS receipts are coming from California, any info from Vermont?
I’m a cts’ian got it from VT. NAD/RP on 29th apr
Yes today few cts folks got receipts for ND\RP\Vermont.
Good luck to you…
Anyone from Smartplay Inc got the receipt number?????
My employer got 11 cheques en cashed yesterday out of which 10 are for AD/RP and one for Non-AD/RP.so guys keep hopes, i am also waiting Non-AD/RP
For how many people your employer filed H1?
They filed for 55 people
hi guys , my petition got picked and my employer mailed Receipt number yesterday, this is my second attempt and finally luck comes to my favor .all the best to every one.
Mine was NON-AD/RP
California or Vermont ?
Vermont
Cognizant Guys,
As far i know there is no big update in chennai yester and also today. Only people from Pune/Hyd/Bangalore was receiving mails yester and today.
Only one guy from my project(chennai) received mail yester. Please share if anything you people know abt chennai.
Also Yester and today people are receiving receipts only from California… No update on vermont. Please share if you have any info. Dont go for multiple threads please.. Keep replying for the same post itself, i will be helpful for everyone who is awaiting for the result!!
Please find the below post from Immigration Girl:
***UPDATE 5/5/15 – Regular processing folks should keep calm, we are still receiving receipt notices for regular processing cases despite yesterday’s announcement that data entry is complete.
Vermont, Regular, Masters cap update: At this point, 62% of our cases were selected
California, Regular, Masters cap update: At this point, 58% of our cases were selected
Vermont, Regular, Bachelors cap update: At this point, 30% of our cases were selected
I think Vermont Service center’s batch has been completely received and they were updated on April 29 & 30 itself. Rest of the centers are coming in now. So the rest of the ones from that center have very less chances now. unfortunately, I too am not selected.
i feel we can keep our hopes alive till Next Friday [15th May]. Mine is Non-AD/RP/VT
As per called to GIT team responed that we can wait by this weekend max. After that its over.
HI , one of my colleague got receipt from vermont today May 6 th morning 8.30 AM. she is frm CTS coimbatore. Iam still waiting though 🙁
I don’t think Vermont is over… In regular bachelors processing Vermont is little slow than California.. Please read immigration girl for the updates… We may receive more from Vermont today and tomorrow.. So keep ur hopes alive..
i think one of my frnd received on 4th morning,vermont.
Any update on CTS kolkata…..i am not listening about anyone in my account so far…..anyone got any update from CTS kolkata
I got today 8AM. I want to give thanks to GOD. keep patient.
Two of my friends got selected under regular category last week in chennai. Still i am waiting for results.
Any update from WIPRO GIMS, if so share it ?
Hi Friends,
today morning i have received mail from my attroney that my file got picked up in lottery. All the very best for all.
Mine is Non-AD/RP/VT
Judging by the name changes and people believing in it, I feel sorry for them. I can understand the desperation and this doesn’t make any sense to me. Come on guys, our fates are already decided. This is not going to change anything. Even if you get selected, its not because of the name. Its just your luck, sheer luck.
Come on WIRPO members give some updates, I have not checked my mail box in this frequency in my life time.
OOC have not updated yet
OOC would start updating from 2nd week onwards. We are all waiting. Keep your fingers crossed!!!
Anyone received updates from HTC Global ?
Please reply. Very tensed.
any one from IBM got the receipt on may 5 night ?
Not sure my friend,I am also waiting..Bangalore IBM.Some people got emails last week,after that i have not heard anything
No update from my team for full week.
Was it the same kind of scenario last year as well…
Last year, we had better selection ration and some of the team members has got Receipt by this time.
But this year only 1 person has got receipt in entire floor.
Wat was the last year scenario ?
Here’s a question to ease the tension.
Q: On which device will we see the good news email?
a. Desktop b. Mobile c. Tablet
Guys waiting AD/RP?
sEVIS STILL NOT UPDATE?
ANY CHANCES???
H1B tension must be officially considered a disease.
Your comment made me LOL ! So true !
for me too.
Guys i got my receipt yesterday night, My employer mailed me.. This was my second attempt and i had lost all hopes yesterday till i received the mail at 10.30 pm.. Good luck to everyone else waiting here. Mine was Non AD/RP , VT.
Congrats..I will tell my story today
Wipro… Waiting from OOC
Looks like CTS folks are receiving receipts from yesterday and some received today morning tooo..
Waiting for mine too 🙁
Question: Why people from CTS India are getting receipts and why not CTS US LtoH conversion folks?
Possible Answer: Because the number of fresh H1s applied from India >> number of LtoH conversions in US, though both are counted as new and subject to CAP.
Also, as someone mentioned WAC receipts have started coming for India folks.
i got my I797c from my employer,when i cheked in the h1b status getting below error please
Validation Error(s)
You must correct the following error(s) before proceeding:
At this time USCIS cannot provide you with information for your case. Please contact the NCSC 1 (800) 375-5283 for additional information.
please reply i am tensed,whether i made it or not.p0lease advice
In my case .. we applied for 10 and got 5, where in this we got the names for the 4, where 1 is still as a secret, hope its mine….
Hope that is mine
All the best…
Guys any one from CTS pune got any update?
Guys, anyone received their receipt today ?
Guys I have been going though this site for last 2 years. Last Year I was unlucky. I got picked up today. The mail came at 8:37 am. WAC151465****. One of my friend also got picked the mail WAC****. Best luck to every1. I can understand the pain of everyone waiting to get receipt.
U r from chennai ??
No from Kolkata
Congrats. Kolkata from which IBU?
Congratz man. Can you please tell me Case id of your H1B case?. please check it in Case List in myVisa portal.
Hope the name works for us too..
Guys, finally I got my receipt today morning at 8.27 AM
NON AD/RP/CA
WAC151465XXXX
will tell mine today
Anybody from Cognizant received today?
When I refresh my mailbox, I just see the boring useless read emails. Never refreshed like this before.
Any update for RP/VT..??? Please do reply with your location
still waiting for mine…stay positive,,,:)
did anyone in infosys get update in aims today
there were updates till yesterday. might be they have completed now.
No yet… still waiting for it.
I got it on 4th. I am from hyderabad location. You can still expect confirmations till 15th atleast. Last year I got rejected and people around me got updates till end of may. Hope you guys get it!!!
Are you sure there were updates till yesterday?
Any idea what is the frequency of releasing the batches? Is it Daily/weekly or say alternate days?
No one from my project has received any update yet. I have heard some got the receipt numbers yesterday. I am from Mysore DC.
Please keep posted here for any updates.
So that means… We are getting updates daily… Mostly by evening AIMS must be updating the days results…
FYI : without cheque encashed receipt will not be generated, if your cheque is enchased then think like yours is 99.9% done, rest is not much difficult. so people who’s cheques are unchased till now then we all have only 1% chance,only that 1% hope left is these 2-3 days.
Anyone received updates from HTC Global ?
No..am also waiting for result.
Any news from ooc/GIMS?
Nothing so far. Am sure we should be getting it over the next couple of days(in the positive case). Fingers crossed!
Any luck from danalaw CA???
Any hope for non ad / rp?
I think last day would be this Thursday. USCIS completed updating systems on 5/4. It will take at the maximum 3 days for the employers to receive the same. So, if we dont hear by 5/7, we should be positive and apply in next year’s quota.
I am a follower to this site. Used this name, at this final moment, hope this name brings me luck, God bless! non-ad/RP/csc
Did any one in L&T INFOTECH CHENNAI got receipts this week ??
L&T has some problem in getting H1B visa there employees this years.
How to know?
Trying my luck with this name. My fingers have become bow shaped #fingerscrossed
So many people asking the same question if they are selected or not when they received the receipt no. Why don’t you people read few comments in this blog to understand the simple thing that once someone got a receipt means he/she has been selected in lottery.
++1
Please let me know whether anyone getting mails from Attorney for Premium Processing H1 CAP? I was said that I need to wait the packet returns back to Attorney…Is it so ?
Please confirm !!
If your attorney has not got the receipt yet for PP, it is highly unlikely that your petition is picked in the lottery. Yes, return of the petition means curtains come down for you this year. Better luck next time!!!!
Anybody from RetailEnterprise Solution got the receipt ?
Hey Guys,
One question: I’m at CA doing my OPT, but I’ve noticed that my attorney sent my petition to VT. I’m a AD/RP case. The attorney told me that the VT is the place for all masters degrees. Since I have not got anything from the USCIS, will there be a chance that my petition was delivered to the wrong location????
It should go to California service center. You attorney is just covering his ass for big mistake he has done here. Your application packet would probably be rejected.
The lottery is run at one office and then selected petitions are forwarded to the respective offices (VT or CA). The attorney did make a mistake in filling as ur center should have been CA. This mistake will not have an effect on the outcome of lottery. If at all it becomes a problem for u it would happen only after ur receipt has been issued. Hope this helps.
Anyone got update from HTC Global services?
Hi, I received Form I-797C with Notice date as April 22 and Notice type as Receipt Notice and Amount Received. Now, when I check the case status at USCIS Site it is showing as: my case was received. Even for my friend who didn’t receive his Receipt Notice also showing the same status. Is this means he got selected in lottery?
And also, after receiving form I-797C, what will be the next procedure, and how many days it’ll take for Approval.
Plz help.
Thanks
Congrats!! It means your petition is picked in the lottery. Assuming it’s Regular Processing, it can take upto 3 Months for USCIS to adjudicate your case.
Thanks for your reply. Hope Everyone selected in the lottery will get the Approval’s without any issues. All the Best.
Hi I got mail from employer that my receipt number is “WAC151XXXXXXX”, this means i got selected in lottery? please somebody help to understand this and what will the next steps ? mine is Regular processing
Hi Friend,
Congrats!! you are selected in lottery.
Thanks my dear friend!! , I wish good luck for everyone in this forum.
Is there any chances for cheque encashing this week …h1b applied is non AD/RP….. Do anyone know about it,is there any hopes…please tell…..can we keep hopes
yes, you can keep hope alive, after 15 th May you can give up.
Anybody got update from 8kmiles ?.
Even I am waiting did you call them ? They say 55 got selected
you called them ? is it true 55 got selected? How many they filed?
Yes it seemd they applied for 150 and they received 55 so far. I called them. They asked to wait till 15th but i guess it over
so they already informed to 55 candidates about their selection?
Did any1 from 8KMiles received receipts so far ?? From this blog I see 55 got selected ? Did they shared news to these 55 candidates ?
No Not yet. Waiting for same
I’m new to H1B, so need you suggestion to take a decision.
In this year I applied H1B from 3 Consultancy, and got 2 receipt numbers in lottery.
What will be my next step. with whom I’ll go, what are the factors i’ll consider, please advise.
As the receipt numbers come to the employers, in this case how USCIS will know what candidate is decided ?
Thanks for your valuable time.
Understand that you stole someone’s career here.
RFE – Speciality Occuption
Any suggestions/ideas about the documents that I need to submit?
Please don’t hesitate to leave any comments regarding the RFE in general.
First get a job that requires specialty occupation.
My lawyer told me that they don’t expect receipt if the check is not cleared yet. I hope there would be some exceptions. I have been reading all comments since beginning of April, and please don’t blame others. Everyone has reasons to come here or stay here. I wish applicants who live here would be considered different way, it is really painful period from r everyone, it is not easy to wait an answer that you might loose your home, your job, your love at the end. People who filed multiple petition through different employer, if you got picked, enjoy. it is not your fault that others didn’t get it. Just the system can’t satisfy every need. My friends who live in U.S, like me and was not picked, let’s not blame other people who are not currently in US, they have a right as much as we do, yes it can be more hard for us to force the country and leave all we got behind but let’s just not. I am a turk and we believe that tonight, may 5 to 6, it is a night that your wishes is being listened more:) I wish everyone’s wish comes true, wherever u are, whomever u r with, and however u want.
Amen!
Today Any body got lottery result
no update from CTS yesterday as of i know
Hey, reading this forum, it seems like cts is sending receipt mails almost everyday….however, when i check with my friends, heard very few have actually got the mail. Do you have any update in your team?
I got an e-mail from GIT today with the receipt number. My application was NonAD/RP.
“The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (CIS) issued confirmation (receipt) notice for the H-1B New CAP-2016 petition filed on your behalf. The receipt number is “WACXXXXXXXXXX”.
at what time did you receive the mail
9:30 am
Hi My friend ,
Got the receipt no from Global mobility today morning 7.30 A.M
Didn’t expect it, I thought just another day we are checking our inbox and suddenly here came the receipt no.
Hang in there guys ,from yesterday night 4 friends have called me that they have got the receipt no
Out of 8 k applicants from CTS , for now 1200+ have been selected
We should be getting more receipt numbers until May 13 .
All the best to everyone .
Cheers 🙂
Are you sure about these numbers? How do you know?
How do you know the numbers?
I called GMT and enquired them, u can do the same
8k have been sent to uscis ,that too for EIM we have 1512 (which i took from the to list of the mail received from GMT long back
From 8 k we should be getting atleast 2500.Don’t lose hope 🙂
California or Vermont?
I think CTS is receiving mails only from California. Any update for Vermont? Anyone received from vermont received mail yesterday or today????
Please do reply guys… Any update on RP\Non-AD\Vermont????
Received it from Vermont EAC**********
I guess Vermont has started sending receipts from Monday
We can expect until may 13
Yesterday(5th may) one guy from my project (chennai) received
Just got notification mail that mine got picked up in lottery and received receipt no as well. Never thought of it. Checked mail several times and still wondering how! Mine was from CA and NON AD/RP.
Best wishes for others, hope you will receive it soon. Update from Kolkata.
Exact time please… 🙂
7:52 AM today…
Hi, I received Form I-797C with Notice date as April 22 and Notice type as Receipt Notice and Amount Received. Now, when I check the case status at USCIS Site it is showing as: my case was received. Even for my friend who didn’t receive his Receipt Notice also showing the same status. Is this means he got selected in lottery?
And also, after receiving form I-797C, what will be the next procedure, and how many days it’ll take for Approval.
Plz help.
Thanks
If I understand you correctly, “Your Friend” can check status without a receipt number? This is first of its kind. What information do you enter in USCIS Case Status site to check status of application that has not been assigned a receipt number yet!!?
First enroll in a “H1B 101” class then post question here.
🙂 Forget the receipt number. I come here for comments like yours.
AK,
You find my comments interesting or my name:)? I have decided to troll these fake candidates. I went through a lot and got picked in lottery this year. This was last chance on OPT STEM extension.
Premium processing?