If you were one of the unlucky ones not picked in whopping 233,000 H1B 2016 Lottery Applications , you might be already wondering when is the next H1B season going to start. Also, some of you may be studying in US and some working abroad and planning to work in US next year. This page will be constantly updated with the latest details and commonly asked questions around the next upcoming H1B Visa fiscal year of 2017 season news and updates.
[alert type=”warning” close=”false” heading=”H1B Visa Cap reached for FY 2017, Lottery Done “] On April 7th, H1B Cap for FY 2017 was reached. Lottery was done on April 9th. Read News Summary – Over 236,000 Petitions for FY2017 [/alert]
- H1B 2017 season start date ?
- H1B Cap for FY 2017- Regular ? Masters ?
- H1B 2017 Predictions? Lottery?
- H1B Lottery Myths ?
- How to plan for H1B FY 2017 ?
- How to find H1B Sponsors for FY 2017 ?
- What is H1B Fee ? Details
- Any impact of Comprehensive Immigration Reform(CIR) on H1B
- What is H1B LCA
- H1B 2017 Premium Processing
- H1B 2017 Case Tracker
- Latest News Update of H1B 2017
- When is the next H1B Season ?
- Sample H1B Reject Notices for FY 2017
When will the H1B visa 2017 season start ? Date ?
Short answer April 1st 2016. Typically, USCIS will start to accept petitions for the next fiscal year starting from April 1st of the previous fiscal year. USCIS fiscal year is from October 1st to September 30th. So, for H1B quota of fiscal year 2017, which starts from October 1st, 2017, USCIS would typically accept applications from April 1st, 2016. The H1B Visa 2016 season started on April 1st of 2015. Also, in the H1B Rejected Notices of 2016, USCIS mentioned that, the non-selected candidates can file H1B petitions for FY 2017 on or after April 1st, 2016.
USCIS announced on March 16th, 2016 that they will accept FY 2017 petitions from April 1st, 2016. Read Summary of USCIS press release FY 2017 .
Also, we have written an article summarizing on What to expect in H1B FY 2017 Season
What is H1B 2017 Cap ? What are the H1B 2017 Quota numbers ? Regular vs Masters ?
If you new to H1B, I suggest you read All about H1B Visa Cap- Regular vs Masters. In simple terms H1B cap is a congressional mandated maximum number of petitions that USCIS can accept in a year. As of now, below are the H1B cap number for fiscal year 2017. The below numbers are confirmed in press release by USCIS on Mar 16, 2016.
- Regular H1B Quota : 65,000
- H1B Master’s Degree Quota ( only US Master 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.
There have been many discussions around change in H1B cap numbers by Obama administration since 2013. The planned proposal was to increase the regular quota cap to 110,000 and Masters quota to 25,000. No changes for FY 2017, the above numbers of 65,000 and 20,000 are officially confirmed by USCIS in their press release.
What is H1B Visa 2017 Prediction? Will there be Lottery again for FY 2017
Update : USCIS Updated on April 12th, 2016 that they have received over 236,000 petitions for FY 2017 quota and the lottery was completed on April 9th.
Looking at the past trend of H1B season in the past three years, we could very likely have lottery for FY 2017. Last year for FY 2016 quota, there were 233,000 applications. We have done a detail analysis with the H4 Visa EAD rule in place considering the economy, students graduating, OPT news, etc. You should read article H1B Visa 2017 Lottery Prediction News, results, Date .
If H1B lottery, will there be any preference in lottery for Large companies ? Premium Processing
Well, no preference for anyone, all are treated equally, including premium processing. There are many such misconceptions about lottery process, we have compiled a list of such myths and criteria, you should read Myths of H1B Lottery, Criteria
When to plan for H1B visa 2017 Application ? How soon ? What should be the strategy ?
It is never too late to start planning for your H1B 2017 season. If you plan to work in US on H1B visa in the next coming fiscal year, below are some suggestions based on your situation.
- F1 Student in USA : If you are studying on F1 visa and about to graduate in next one year, you should seriously look at finding an internship or co-op at companies that can sponsor your H1B visa. You can search for H1B Sponsors in a particular area using our H1B Sponsors Search Tool and try to get an internship to work there on CPT or OPT after you graduate. This is a strategic move and will require sometime, so plan well.
- Professional from outside USA : If you are a working professional outside US, planning to work in US on H1B, your best bet is to find Multinational companies that have major US presence and secure a job there, so that you can position internally for applying to H1B visa, when the season starts. This is a very strategic decision, you need to carefully assess your options, speak to the company if such options exist and then only choose it.
- Other H4, L1 Visas : If you are on these visas, your best bet is to find companies just like I mentioned for F1 students that sponsor H1B visas and start interviewing and keeping the conversation going so that you can ask them to file H1B when the season starts.
We have put together a Step by Step Plan on How to apply for H1B 2017 Quota
How do I find a H1B Visa Sponsor – The most asked million dollar question ?
If you are student in the US, it is very straight forward, you find the list of H1B Sponsoring companies using the tool in an area as I mentioned above and get an internship in one of them so that they can sponsor your H1B visa. Unlike, if you are coming from outside US, it can be tricky. If you work for an Multinational company ( MNC), then they will have some internal process to pick the candidates and then process H1B visa for them…The other option that has been used and abused is the consulting companies route…Many a times, the H1B aspirants approach a body shop IT consulting company to file H1B for them and they apply for the same. It gets nasty with the body shop consulting companies. The comments on this H1B Companies Reviews article are quite eye opening. I advise, you beware of the consulting companies and avoid fraud. Also, WE as RedBus2US do NOT provide any guidance or assistance or sponsor anything. If someone claims that, it is pure fraud and they are trying to trick you, we are not responsible for that. Please be careful. Anyways, for various other options , You may read article How to find H1B 2017 Sponsors
What is the H1B visa 2017 filing fee ? Is it same or any changes ?
It changed slightly this year with the Omnibus Bill passed in December 2015, that will increase the H1B filing fee by $4000 for FY 2017, until 2025 for certain companies that have over 50 employees and have more than 50% of their employees as H1B or L1 visa holders in USA. Check USCIS Guidelines on H1B Fee increase. Depending on the size of the company, the H1B filing fee can vary anywhere from $1,600 USD to $7,400 USD + Attorney Fee. There are various fees components that make up this number range, for more details Read Summary of H1B Filing Fee 2017 – Who pays for What ? . Below is a high level summary. Also, one key change is that, there was $2000 USD additional filing fee as per Public Law 111-230, this law expired on Sep 30, 2015 and that is not included anymore.
| H1B Fee Component | Fee in USD |
| Base filing fee | $325 |
| AICWA Fee | $750 or $1,500 |
| Fraud prevent & detection fee | $500 |
| Fee based on Public Law 114-113 ( if applicable) | $4000 |
| Premium processing fee (Optional) | $1,225 |
| Immigration Attorney Fee | Varies from $500 to $3000 |
What about Comprehensive Immigration Reform(CIR) and Obama Executive Actions for H1B 2017 Quota Increase ?
There has been many articles and discussions since 2013 around immigration reform by President Obama and changes around and some like below have been discussed in the last couple of years, nothing moved significantly.
- 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 ( Part of this came up as the fee increase in Omnibus Bill )
- Additional H1B rules to avoid H1B Visa fraud by employers
- Mandatory LCA posting for 30 days before it is certified.
The current status on all of the above are basically “No updates”, there are no set deadlines for any of them and none of these are happening for FY 2017. You may read Summary of CIR Changes to H1B . Officially as per press release on March 16, 2016, the H1B cap is confirmed to be 65,000 for regular and 20,000 for masters…hence, no changes.
What is LCA for H1B Visa ? Processing times ?
LCA is a form that has to be filed with US Dept of Labor and get it certified before filing H1B petition with USCIS. It has to be sent along with H1B Package to USCIS. It has all the relevant information about the job position like wage, location, title, etc. It takes about 7 working days for processing of the LCA by US Dept of Labor (DOL). You can read complete details at Why is LCA Needed for H1B – Processing Time, Salary
USCIS Updated in their original press release on March 16, 2016 that the premium processing will begin no later than May 16, 2016. But, on April 22nd, they updated that the premium processing for FY 2017 will begin on May 12th, 2016. What it means is that the official 15 calendar day SLA for premium processing petitions will be starting from 12th. USCIS may process the petitions early as well, but officially their clock starts on that day.
H1B 2017 Case Tracker :
Did you apply for FY 2017 ? We have put together a tracker along with good graphs for analysis. It is completely anonymous as we do not capture your case number or any personal information. It is community contributed data, the more you add, the better for everyone, including You !
[prompt type=”left” title=”Track your H1B Case” message=” Anonymously Track your H1B Case – Share and Get updated from Community.” button_text=”H1B 2017 Case Tracker” href=”https://redbus2us.com/trackers/h1b-visa-tracker/”]
Most Recent News of FY 2017 H1B
Below is the most recent news regarding H1B 2017 season. You can check the updates page as indicated below for the full history and details.
- July 8th, 2016 ( Official ) : USCIS released a press note today indicating that they have completed returning all the petitions that were not selected in the H1B lottery for FY 2017. Read More details here
- May 2nd, 2016 ( Official Update ) : USCIS updated that data entry is complete for selected petitions in lottery. if you were selected, you should receive receipt notices in 2 to three weeks. If not, the chances are very slim to get selected. You should look at your plan B. Read H1B Data Entry Complete Article for full details
- April 22nd, 2016 : (Official Update) USCIS Updated that they will start premium processing from May 12th, instead of May 16th.
- April 12th, 2016 – 6:30 PM EST : Official Update : USCIS released a press note that H1B lottery was completed on April 9th and they received over 236,000 petitions for FY 2017 quota. Read Press Release Summary
- April 12th, 2016 – 11:50 AM CST ( Unofficial Update ) : It is reported on blog by attorney ( immigrationgirl ) that they have received about 40 email receipts of Premium Processing. What it means is that USCIS has already conducted lottery. We will keep you posted with updates. If I am not wrong, they are just drafting the press release now.
[prompt type=”left” title=”H1B 2017 – Latest News Updates” message=” Most recent and complete history of all latest breaking news updates from Official sources like USCIS and Unofficial sources for FY 2017 Season.” button_text=”Latest H1B 2017 News” href=”https://redbus2us.com/h1b-visa-2017-cap-count-updates-tracker-news/”]
When is the next H1B Season ?
The next H1B season starts on April 1st, 2017. Wondering about your next chance for H1B and various details about the next H1B season, check out H1B Visa 2018 FAQs
Sample H1B Reject Notices for FY 2017 ?
USCIS has started to mail out the reject notices for FY 2017 petitions that were not picked in lottery. It says that the start date for next year H1B season is April 1, 2017. You can check out the Sample Reject Notice for FY 2017, Details
We have many more FAQs around H1B Visa 2017. We will continue to keep updating the page with latest news and updates regarding FY 2017. Bookmark this page and keep checking for updates.
Guys any update from TCS??
I didn’t hear even one approval case from TCS folks only RFE updates. Do anyone have any update on approvals??
I did not hear anyone with RFE also yet from TCS. Dont know what is the matter! 🙁
Which location you are from ??
Got RFE
contact – Karanverma39@gmail.com
Any rfe case approved?if yes how long it took usis to approve ???
Hey anyone got approval for EAC1614252** series?
Hi Saurabh,
My petition has been approved by USCIS and thereafter my company has asked me to initiate the stamping process. While initiating the stamping I came to know that I require a project code, project name etc from where the stamping cost would be deducted. My PM says that he at least needs an open position with 6 months projects for me to initiate the stamping through that project. And right now, there are no open positions and so I have to wait to get the stamping done. Further I would also require SOW and MSA of the Project. I know this is a company specific thing, but would like to know if a SOW which has a projection for a position of at least 6 months really needed for Stamping? Do we have to really carry Project SOW and MSA for stamping.
Any information or suggestion/experiences in this regard would really helpful.
cysh1b3rdtime,
SOW and MSA may or may not be required, depending upon the case. If the visa officer is confident about company’s ability to pay you regularly and believe that they have a valid client, they may not ask for those documents. If they have doubts then they will ask for those documents. In addition, the client location should be same as the one mentioned in the original LCA, if not new LCA and H-1 amendment are required.
Hi, Thanks for a lot for your prompt reply once again. Ability to pay should not be an issue as my visa has been filed by a reputed IT company. (Top 4). What I understand from you is that the SOW and MSA should be carried during stamping as supporting documents.If required we might need to produce it. Also I understand that the MSA and SOW should be valid for a considerable amount of time (6 months-1 year or more) for me to get the visa…thats logical.
Thanks once again.
@Roshan
Can you share your interview experience ?
I would really appreciate.
Thanks in advance .
Hi, Thanks for a lot for your prompt reply once again. Ability to pay should not be an issue as my visa has been filed by a reputed IT company. (Top 4). What I understand from you is that the SOW and MSA should be carried during stamping as supporting documents.If required we might need to produce it. Also I understand that the MSA and SOW should be valid for a considerable amount of time (6 months-1 year or more) for me to get the visa…thats logical.
Thanks once again.
Guys,
It’s quite faster processing speed at Vermont Center yesterday.
Total processing count : 446
That’s good. still transferred cases no is very low.
which center is actually processing those cases?
please keep posting the no of visa processed on a daily basis.
How are you getting these statistics, USCIS never discloses this info/
Hope_Hope,
Someone has been maintaining this spreadsheet — tells you the no. of cases that changed on the particular date… Could be received to rfe, rfe to approve, etc. — basically any change in case status.
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1pMsGtKC6sGS2uj4JL3JX5IYytzU5jJO_qJ-UJKXiCr4/htmlview?pli=1#
What is the sequence of steps yet to follow to get stamped VISA?
1) Get the USCIS approval.
2) Petition hardcopy (called I-797 )mailed to USA-VISA office by USCIS (Heard some cases it took almost 1 months time)
3) Petition hardcopy will be sent to India office (depends upon USA-VISA team on how serious and interested, but Employee can keep sending reminder mail to send the copy to India VISA team)
4) Once Petition I-797 is received, Start filling DS-160 form
5) Company to book schedule/appointment (Cureently it is 3-4 months waiting time)
6) Succeed in consulate Intervew
7) Consulate to mail – stamped VISA to India-VISA office
8) Again IND-VISA team to know employee on stamping
9) Then all regular formality like getting on project, approval to travel
Oohhh … How much time for all these steps? Can we travel this year?
Can we book a schedule before we get I-797/petition paper arrives? Your opinion appreciated. Thanks.
My VISA stamped last week and waiting to travel on October-1st Week. All the best guys, this forum is very helpful.
Lucky you
Congrats and Happy travel.
If you get a chance to summarize all your experiences, Would really help the entire forum.
Thanks, Simple question like client name, my wage, how long is the assignment, Who will pay salary, previous travel details … fairly simple ….. Be polite and confident .. all the best.
Hi Roshan,
Could you please share what all questions VO asked you?
Also did VO asked for client letter? If yes, what did you present them.
Thanks,
Rubi
Roshan,
Please share your experience and the questions asked by VO.
It would help all of us.
Thanks
VSK,
Well, in a way you can book the date in advance but it carries following risk:
1. You have to make sure that the petition gets approved by the stamping date
2. If the petition validity is different from what you entered in DS form, then you will have to request biometrics person to edit the fields for you
HAPPY NEWS – APPOINTMENT WAITTIME:
Today:
———-
Delhi – 21 Days (same)
Mumbai – 81 days (increased)
Kolkata – 126 Days (same)
Hyderbad – 13 Days (same)
Chennai – 120 Days (same)
Yesterday:
————
Delhi-21 days
Mumbai-76 days
Kolkata-126 days
Hyderabad-13 days
Chennai-120 days
But my company won’t allow to go Delhi .. only Chennai allowed. Can we expect in other centre it will also improve?
Was it the same case last year .. any idea ?
VSK,
I don’t think last year was this bad. I expect other consulates to also catch up. What will also happen is people will reschedule their appointments from backlogged consulates to Hyd or Del and this would free-up the others as well.
EAC16142* Non-AD/RP – approved on 26th, status changed today.
Hi All , My case is also approved on 26th Aug just checked today on 30th Aug. Can anyone tell me how soon i can go for stamping as earliest available date in London is 20th Sept…Thanks everyone for wonderful blog
Regards
PT- COGNI
COGNI 2ND TIMER,
You can appear for stamping anytime now, as long as you have the required documents including approval notice (original or copy).
My H1B Petition is approved. Thanks for redbus2us for the information provided from the last 3 months.
Congrats IBM 3rd Timer 🙂
Dear IBM3rdTimer, was there any RFE for you?
No RFE for me, but my colleagues have got RFE updated 2-3 days back
Any idea from CG folks why CG is not yet disclosed the approval notice to the H1b approved employees. Its almost a month and no communication from mobility team.
I’ve got RFE almost a month back and still waiting for the info from mobility…Not sure why they haven’t received/why are they delaying to share the information…It is 3rd attempt and got RFE..:(
i also got RFE from CG and waiting for updates from Mobility from last 2 weeks.
also not sure whether they will directly collect the letter from onshore or will involve us in order to collect the same from onshore management.
Last friday we’ve received an email(who ever got the RFE) saying that mobility is tracking the status and will update the VRF once they receieve information from uscis.
Hi CGh1,
Did you receive any info yet from the Cap mobility team ?
I am also in same situation and eagerly waiting any response from Mobility team .
Thanks
Last week Friday only people have received email to start filling DS-160 whose Petition is Approved.
May be your case is not yet approved so no updates to you.
My case was approved on 1-Aug. That’s why I was worried why so late. I guess they have not yet enabled the link. I am.yet to get the email from them to fill ds-160
What is available slot in Hyderabad for H1B now?
Would it make sense to upgrade to PP now ?
Even i thought of making premium but some people got denied directly after making into premium ,they mentioned in this same forum
@Anil
Nothing like that I did an upgrade to PP and got the approval within 3 days it depends on case to case.
no. it is not worth making it PP now. pls wait one more month. why you guys are so impatient !!!!
Hyderabad
Visitor Visas 9 Calendar Days*
Student/Exchange Visitor Visas 5 Calendar Days*
All Other Nonimmigrant Visas ‡ 13 Calendar Days*
Check the estimated consulate available time at below link :
https://travel.state.gov/content/visas/en/general/wait-times.html/
Is there any chance for the companies to block the slots for stamping well in advance?? I assume they can postpone the visa slot for couple of times.
Very good idea….In last few years, this mad rush of H1 visa started because companies started “booking” visa in advance thinking that they would need it (in many companies and many cases, the visa holder aged waiting for the opportunity to travel) now if companies start booking interview slots there would be lottery for available interview slots…something to think about?
Hi ,
My case was approved on 15th August and waiting for documents to book Visa slot.
When I checked with my Employer they are waiitng for documents to recive from USICS.
1) Can I book visa slot with out documents or Do I need to wait till documents received.It seems to be visa slots are not available for next 2-3 months.Please advice.
Thanks.
As discussed with my employer he told that the cases which are still showing “Case was received” more chances for approved, the reason of this he told me that if USCIS want any rejection/RFE then USCIS till now updated the status with RFE/Rejection/denied. USCIS also need to give some time to the employer/Attorney for the REF/Rejection case to submit the missing documents, as only one month is remaining to travel to USA on the basis of H1B. If USCIS will give any REF/Rejection then as per process, employer/Lawyer will be less chance to submit the documents before 1 OCT.
This is my employer thoughts, its only basis of his experience, He might be wrong. You can also share your thoughts.
Regards
RAJ
Padmmaja,
Yes, even i heard the same version from few of my friends who are working in USA.
Let’s hope for the best!
Hopefully that is the case. I am bit concerned now as i can see that the series above and below mine EAC1614455 ****are already approved. It seems like they have skipped just my case :(. All the best for everyone who are still waiting. Lets try to stay positive.
then why do we see still case denials,? its supposed to zero according to ur employer’s logic.
its a black box.. no one knows until it happens. thats it
Hi Raj, your view on the h1b approvals might be right as we can see less RFEs for today’s data.hopefully it will be same for remaining cases as well…
http://h1bstat.ru/blog/2016/08/30/day-30-aug-2016/
I am seeing few cases approved on 29 Aug in EAC1614754*** series. Good luck !!!
Any update on the case which was transferred to another center from Vermont. Still the status is same for.
Approved:)
EAC16143553**
RP/nonad/VT
Receipt date… Apr 11
Approved… Aug 26
Good luck to everyone…
Finally, Case status “WAC161465****” changed from “Name was updated”to “Case was Approved”.
This forum is amazingly helpful. Thanks to admins.
Goodluck everyone.
God is great thats y millions of children die every year.
Hi,
Anyone recently got approval in the series EAC1614652*** series?
Mine is still in ‘Case received’ status.
Thanks!
I am waiting with same series
EAC16146529**
I am in the same series too and there is no update till date and shoes Case Received.
I am in the same series too and there is no update till date and shows Case Received. (Text error in the above message)
Worried ,
Guys , Is it possible that if case is still in pending that means there is delay from employer ?
I heard that if case is still showing “Case was Received” there is delay from employer side like something is missing i.e. SOW , client letter and all.
Nothing like that
I think you are write , but someone scared me.
Sourabh /Kumar,
What about your thoughts ?
Worried,
Nothing like that. No need to worry.
Thank you Saurabh 🙂
Slot detail across india
Chennai – No slots for scheduling for past 2 weeks
Kolkata – No slots for scheduling for past 2 weeks
Hyderabad – 2nd week of Jan 2017.
Mumbai – from Dec 1st week 2016
Delhi – from 3rd week of Dec
NO NO … Current waiting times are
Hyderabad-13 days
Delhi-21 days
Mumbai-76 days
Kolkata-126 days
Chennai-120 days
But how fast Chennai and Delhi changed … wondering? Is it realistic?
Any TechM Luck guys so far here?
Hi ,
i got approval on 9th July , Series is WAC161445**** , but i did not got any confirmation from TechM visa Cell. I just check it on the USICS site.
Some of my friends from the TechM also got the approval on the USICS portal , but still waiting for the TechM visa cell confirmation.
Thanks,
Oh …. One month to inform you by Employer ? Or is it USCIS sending hardcopy late?
Hi ,
My status is approve but “We will mail your approval notice” is written , I don’t know if they have sent the doc, or about to send.
Got updated to RFE in USCIS on 25th-July. Our Visa cell mailed me regarding RFE on 19th-Aug. Contacted my manager for the evidence documents on 19th-Aug and doing followup daily but no reply yet. Its not only USCIS..you have to bare with our process aswell.
True ! but have faith , it will be approved.. 🙂
Hello sourabh,
i cam to know two days back that my H1 b got picked and approved by end of june in General quota. But i came to India in 2nd week of June and will be returning back on same F1 next week. I am still balance with one more semester. Please advise if there will be any problem at port authority if i am entering on F1 and having my H1b approved, which will be active from Oct 1st. Appreciate for the help by replying to this.
thanks.
no issues. you are safe.no need to worry, enter with F1 and u can do change of status Or re-enter after h1b stamped once u r ready
Thank you for the reply. Do you have any idea if immigration people will have the data of H1B approval. I was just asking because if they have them, then definitely there will be a question. Please let me know if you have any idea. Also do i need to carry employer offer along with approval letter. Please advise.
Hello Saurabh/Kumar
can anybody help me in replying to this. I am very much scared since i did not receive any approval copy from Attorney.
raj kumar,
You left US in mid-June and H-1 was approved in June end. So most likely it was approved with consular processing and doesn’t impact your SEVIS record. So you can enter US on F-1 even though you have an approved H-1 petition. I don’t think they would ask about the H-1 approval at PoE, but in case they do you can say that you want to complete your studies now and don’t want to utilize H-1 at the moment.
Before traveling, contact your DSO to confirm that your SEVIS record is still active.
Thank you very much saurabh. I checked and my SEVIS status is still active . Also the college got information that H1b got approved and will be active from 1st oct’2016.
I have receive notice from USCIS that I got selected in lottery process, but i still didn’t get approval for next process, Can anyone please let me know that what is further process.
wait until decemberfor some it might take long even,either you will have any of these status change
case transferred
rfe
approved or rejected
Folks,
Any one for Chennai location got their appointment dates scheduled for H1 Visa ?
I am hearing from my company that the dates are not available right now and it has been freezed. Is that true ?
Thanks
Yes, for Kolkata and Chennai consulate interview slots are frozen. You won’t get a date to schedule your PAI until the slots are open.
Yes. got this info from Mobility team. heard only mumbai is open.
Reposting my comments
Hi Saurabh,
My h1 status is still “received”. I have f2 visa and I am currently in India.
My husband is in USA as a student.
I wish to travel to USA asap. but since h1 is taking so long I would like to fly on f2.
my global immigration team told that :
1. If I travel on f2 before my h1 petition is approved, then my petition may become void and USCIS may not process it further.
2. Though I can travel on F2 after h1 petition is approved and before h1 stamping is done. (later I have file f2 to h1 cos from US) itself.
Request you to please confirm if my understanding is correct or not.
yes simply it will get rejected
Ridhi,
Don’t agree. Your H-1 will continue to be processed and not impacted by your F-2 stamping and travel.
Hi,
Anyone applied from Cosmic-I
Hi,
After long wait , received RFE.
Non AD/Regular-California
WAC1614153***
My attorney should reply.
Thanks.
Hi Saurabh/Kumar
I have following queries .It would be really great if you can reply to the queries :-
1. Can you please let me know what is the process to be followed after H1 gets approved , uptill the Stamping gets done.
2. What are the documents which we need to carry during stamping. ?
3. Will it be OK if i get my old passport renewed and carry both passports during stamping ?
Thanks,
Saurabh
1. Can you please let me know what is the process to be followed after H1 gets approved , uptill the Stamping gets done.
You will need to fill DS -160 for you as well as your dependents and book your appointment for visa stamping. your employer will give your petitions and i797 and other supporting docs/
2. What are the documents which we need to carry during stamping. ?
your petition, i797, supporting docs like SOW, employer-client contract, project description. LCA and your entire marksheets, marriage certificate, payslips, IT-R documents.
3. Will it be OK if i get my old passport renewed and carry both passports during stamping ?
you should carry both/
Thank you H1Advisor for detailed reply even I had almost same questions and appreciate if you clarify couple of related such as –
1. Mark-sheets – I do have all original semester mark-sheets provided by University e.g. II, IV, VII and VIII including final combined mark-sheet and degree certificate. But those provided by college internally for some semesters e.g. I, III, V, VI (printed on plain paper but signed by principle) I do have photo copies as some time back lost somewhere on photocopy center as they anyways didn’t look like originals like University mark-sheets (colored) . At least those from Mumbai university had this provisions few years back.
Some say, anyone would require university mark-sheets if et anyone ve to verify.
2. ITReturns – how many years ITR they verify?
3. I was one of the director of a Startup which is closed down business long back now but name still appears in MCA site – would that be concern or should I ensure entity is closed officially with follow up myself?
Thank you in advance!
whatever marksheet you have – you should carry
3 years ITR
that shouldnt be a problem. You should have something similar like a relieving letter or notice.
Thanks a Ton H1 advisor. This will surely help. Appreciate the help you are giving to H1 aspirants over this great forum.
Hi All,
Is there anyone from “Prosoft Technologies Inc” ?
If yes, has anyone received approvals so far?
Thanks
me also same company. waiting for approval.
Me also same company prosoft IT services,inc. Waiting for approval.
Mine is lottery number is EAC161475**** and it shows “Case Transferred To Another Office” when can we expect this status change?
Hopefully you will get an update by Sep-Oct. But there is no guarantee. It can take couple of months more also depends on load. Or you can make it premium and you will get respnse in 2 weeks time
Any one know which processing center is taking care of this “Case Transferred To Another Office” which starts with series EAC161475****
kk
Hello Guys,
I am seeing so many people are commenting that don’t go through consultancy’s for H1B visa. First of all How do you define a consultancy ? In India every firm from big IT giants to small scale is a consultancy and they are providing Indian work force to US (or some other country) through H1B (or some other visa type)
Please don’t spread the news that only through big firms H1B will be approved, until and unless the firm is legal (also the applicant) and following all the rules and regulations as specified by US laws, your application should be approved.
So all the best to each and every applicant and have lots of patience.
Which ever company aka consultancy asks employees to pay for visa is actually committing an unlawful act. As per USCIS, H1B visa must be paid by employer. I would assume those are fake consultancies.
Those who go through that are at greater risk from loosing their money to being get deported with permanent bar from entering back into US.
USCIS is getting better and better in identifying these people now. Best of luck.
yes, paying money is illegal. Some companies will ask for security deposit to accommodate the loss if the candidate didn’t join them, but refundable after they join. Otherwise paying huge money doesn’t make sense. If you pay the entire money, you dont get any hand and at the end, consulatncy will not bother to respond to rfe, stamping and even place you for a job.
Some consulancy will not even file and eat up your money. So think before you jump into such business.
Hi,
My case was approved 1 month back. But Still I haven’t received my I-797 from my Employer. I spoke to him weekly basis – Every time answer is same NOT received from USCIS. What need be done! Kindly advice.
Your employer’s attorney should contact USCIS and seek what happened.
SK,
I agree w/ H1Advisor. The SLA to receive the document is 30 days and employer should contact USCIS if they don’t receive it within 30 days.
Thank you !
Hi Saurabh – Even yesterday I spoke employer he mentioned that still approved petition has not been received from USCIS. My Petition has approved on July Last week. Its been more than a month. I don’t know where is the delay,
Is there any away we can track – Is any one facing the same problem. Based on your experience it will take this long?
SK,
if it has been more than 30 days, then they should contact USCIS and follow-up.
Hi Saurabh – I am tired to follow-up with Employer. Can I follow-up with USCIS? – Please show some direction.
SK,
Unfortunately, only employer/attorney can follow-up and not you.
Usually it takes a 25 days to a month to receive I797 copy after approval.
Please check with your employer.
as per comments so far.. applications got denied who applied thru consultancies, very sad.
Even I applied thru consultancy and got RFE in June 10, 2016…. Still now no response from consultancy whether they will handle it or not and donno what type of RFE, if asked they told company information can’t tell….
I am so scared… h1b will deny and money loss… 4 Lakhs…
guys…Please careful while applying thru consultancy
dude, why am I seeing these losses ? Your companies makes you guys pay for H1 fees? That is illegal man. show them this.
http://www.computerworld.com/article/3064712/h1b/us-uncovers-20m-h-1b-fraud-scheme.html
total frauds and shady shit that your employer is doing and others like that. and they find people like your self (no offence) to make a fool. I bet he will be charging $150/hr the end client (if not a shell company of his own) for your work, and will be paying your just $55-$60k per anum. which is less than $30/hr .
Yesterday, more transferred cases were processed and first time i saw that large no of RFE cases.
My employer has not shared receipt number but when I asked they said that the status still shows “Case was received on 11th April” Are there others who have the same status for 11th April or is my employer bluffing. My Employer is a big IT firm and client is one of top 5 bank in US. I have 3 yr IT Exp.
Most of the people have the same status
What is the Day number for 11th April Cases? is it 132 or 133
PLAN TO FLY NEXT YEAR ONLY —- ENJOY INDIAN FOOD, FAMILY TILL THEN 🙂
Since processinng is very slow and consulate interview/stamping dates are almost more than 4 months .. hoping travel this year not practical…
enjoy your Indian food, family, and plan other country till next year ..
What you say?
Agree ….. Planning to go Australia for 6 months … then Let’s see…
why everyone in this forum is talking about consulate dates. Even approved candidates also :'( I saw Hyderabad is having only 13 days waiting time n Mumbai is having 76 days. But i don’t know why people not choosing this centers.. Scared!! Is there anything like rejection ratio in previous years?
Case data for 180 series is now fully updated to latest and the view is changed. Please refresh your browser when you visit – https://worktheme.com/tracker. Thanks.
My status is still case was recieved…. I have 3 yrs IT exp…is there any min yrs of exp. one must have in order for the case to be approved?
Mine is same status with same series
Hi EAC16146****
Mine too same series with 11yrs of IT. same status
Any one from CG waiting for status change like me.
Mine receipt no is EAC161475****.
It’s still showing Case is received.
Yeaah …still waiting … I am in EAC1614853*** …Still Case was received.
You might have to wait till Sep end hence don’t worry. Interview slots are late everywhere except Hyd hence people who got approved will also have to wait
Hi am also from Cg still waiting for approval but couple of them got approvals any idea did you check with mobility team my series is eac161435****
My case is approved, employer says he is waiting for i797 Can some one explain stamping process like..
Docs required for stamping?
Slot can be booked in HYD? Some one scared not to do there due to rejection? I am doing first time pl be genuine I learnt many things from redbus so pl don’t dilute this site 🙁
Is it mandatory to do for wife I’m planning to do next year only due to personal reasons?
Thanks…
Take it as a joke , fraud has no race, language , any greedy can do it irresspective of language or region . America can’t afford not loose H1b candidates. They even give opportunity to become american citizen for h1bs even though its non immigrant visa
Silly reasons like frequently refreshing uscis status site, attending interview in particular reasons wont be a hurdle for h1b as its related to skilled and experienced, america can’t afford to loose them. if H1bs are in india , there will be a silicon valley ,amazon , microsoft , intel ,facebook headquaters will be in india , and revenues comes from all over the world to india. This is truth , because I experianced it, I know the value of skilled workers when I shut down my startup due to lack of skilled workers, Here in india startups are starving for talent , Jawaharlal Nehru kept IITs, IIMs not to learn and go to US
Iam Waiting(waiting ended),
Documents required would be passport, resume, offer letter, client/project documents, degrees, mark sheets, I-129 copy, 797, experience letters etc. There are articles on this blog where people have shared their experiences and documents required.
It is ok for you to attend the stamping by yourself and your wife appears later.
Thanks Saurabh for quick help.
26-Aug-16 – news update from USCIS on visa scam https://www.uscis.gov/news/news-releases/uscis-assists-20-million-visa-fraud-investigation
Can some one please tell me, what happens in case you have a RFE on Employee-Employer relationship and the client changes in between? Can one file an amendment?
Duvidha,
It is very difficult to change client in middle of petition processing. Change in client (location) requires new LCA which cannot be done for a pending petition. Had the petition been approved, you could have done that by filing LCA and then H-1 amendment. As amendment is filed against approved petitions, it is not an option for you.
In such cases, if we provide the docs of previous client.
Do they approve it??
h1b_rfe,
If the previous client is still an active project, then you can. At times, the consulate would decide to verify w/ the client and if the client project has ended, then this means trouble.
me and my friends petitions were denied both went through different consultancies.
This is my second attempt and in the process, lost 5 lacks so far.
guys, helps me out to find an MNC who can do h1b for employees who are with them for less than one year?
Am sorry to hear that your’s and your friend’s petition got denied. Wish you a good luck for next year. If you can post about the consultancies & your case number you can save other candidates time, money & the pain that you have gone through. You are about to save someone’s life.
Ohh!! Dont understand one thing …y do consultancies initiate if they dont have projects to place the people…
Its all about making money. they can make 100-200k on every application. thing that i do not understand is what they are gonna do if these people take these frauds to USCIS with evidences
could you please explain that what reason they have denied your petition. what r the documents they are asked in RFE?
I am Happy that Your Case is denied. I do not understand WHY YOU GUYS ARE PAYING MONEY. YOU DO NOT UNDERSTAND SIMPLE RULE. IF YOU ARE PAYING MEANS YOU ARE DOING SOMETHING WRONG. FIRST READ THE H1B CRITERIA.
BECAUSE OF YOU IDIOTS, MANY OTHER GENUINE PEOPLE ARE SUFFERING AND THEY HAVE TO GO THROUGH LOT OF SCRUTINY.
H1B IS FOR A SPECIFIC PROJECT AND SPECIFIC COMPANY. Desi consultancies will file your visa by showing fake Client, fake client SOW and other fake documents as they do not have any actual project.
They search for the project and client Once they get you in US, place you in contract in other clients and charge 150 to 250 $ per hour and they will pay you 50 to 60$ per hour. That way they earn lot of money.
If your case is not approved, they are not in loss as you are paying them the Visa money.
There are some genuine companies also ask for money for H1B as they invest all the money for processing and they fetch the client based on your resume but later candidate refuse to join. But I have one suggestion for those companies, they can ask for a Bank guarantee. In this way they are not doing any fraud by asking money from candidate as the money is in bank on Candidate’s name only and if candidate do not join they can recover their losses from the Bank guarantee.
I request other members to share their thoughts and correct me If I am wrong.
Yes, please don’t waste your money like gambling. If you are paying entire money, then there is some problem. If you are going to pay 100% money to them, consultancies will not have any loss if something happens. At the end, they will not bother.
Mr Hater,
“I am Happy that Your Case is denied.” This explains how PSYCHO you are.How one person disappointment is your joy?
“IF YOU ARE PAYING MEANS YOU ARE DOING SOMETHING WRONG”. This sentence explains how dumb you are.
. You’re so called GENUINE Company applied H1B for you make you doesn’t saint.
So you are expecting your GENUINE Company will pay $150 per hour to you?
Who told you that companies get clients showing resumes?
If Desi consultancies apply with fake documents, they will be screwed in future if not now. You don’t need to worry about it.
USA dream is not only yours, its one’s. Every one chase it within their capacity. You can’t say they are idiots IDIOT.
Ok Mr Trolling Hater.
You pay your Hard earned money to those SSC fails and make their dream come ture 😛
Nothing update on this series Eac1614253*** any idea what time they update statuses?
When can get visa appointment if any lca change again?
Even my case starts with the same receipt number EAC1614250***.My case got transferred on May 18. When can we expect status change??.Is there any deadline for transferred cases.
I’m also from same series eac1614254@@@. still waiting for status update..
Anyone rfe approved????
Mine was denied after an RFE
Have you applied from some outsourcing small firm. Could you name the firm
How many years of IT experience you got?
And what was the RFE all about?
I am in L1B for the past 2 years. Applied the H1B (COS) and got picked. I know that max 6 years (L1B + H1B) I can stay in USA. After 4 years if I stay one year outside of USA, Can I use same H1 petition(without lottery) for another 2 years (remaining H1 petition validity and without GC Processing).?
I’m not sure what you are asking. If you are changing from L1b to h1b. max you can stay 6 years ( including your previous L1b period : L1b +h1b), because both are considered to be work permit visa. After 4 years, you have to come out from US and stay in India for 1 year and apply a cap subjected h1b( again lottery). Or you have to think about filing a GC so that you can extend h1b beyond the max period.
Also, please note if you filed a l1b to h1b with COS, upon h1b approval your status automatically be changed to H1b and legally you are bound to work only for H1b employer. If you are continue to work for L1b employer, it is considered to be illegal and out of status case. So dont run into this situation.
Thanks for your reply and suggestion. I applied L1->H1 from same company.
one more question. once COS approved I hope I will get new I94. Can I change the job without stamping ?
-Jana
Your new employer should apply new H1B cap exempt aka transfer as COS. Once approved,you can change to him.
Yes, you can change. But if you are going out of US, you need to stamp the h1b visa to reenter.
Hello Guys ,
I don’t know If I’m wrong or right here but sharing my views.
I think , those who already gone through the Interview process are not sharing their experience 🙂
All we are getting good info from this forum, I think that part should be blank. So that we all know further process.
As I’m also a part of redbus2 and I’m following this website since Feb 2016 and trust me guys I learnt many new things about H1 which no one can explain better than this website. Thanks to Redbus2
Saurabh and Kumar , Guys you are doing good work . Well Done
I appreciate your work .
Regards
Divyanka
Happy to hear. Cheers 🙂
Any one left from CTS, almost vry 1 case got processed, nly i left?
We are also waiting.. EAC1614453***…
EAC1614353*** approved on Aug 26.
Still Waiting, EAC1614153***
This waiting period is kinda exhausting, the process seems very slow than usual.
My OPT ends this NOV. Hopefully I get some update on my case.
To H1Aspirant,
My suggestion would be to upgrade to PP if ur so hurry, bcos they are in creed of money, mine approved within 4 days after I upgrade to PP, again results differ case to case I m not sure
Thanks..
Interview slots are not available in chennai at all . Any idea how it possible ?
Heard so . I have been told that the calendar is closed and slot booking are not allowed. only mumbai seems to be available. dont have much clarity on this
Hyderabad is available and timeframe is 15 days only