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.
Hi Guys,
I got RFE WAC1614752*** Does USCIS send it by E-mail also ?
If yes , In how many days Attorney get these details ?
I believe your attorney gets it right away. Then they will decide if ul b informed about it via email.
But , this will be sent via post. So, it should take 3-4 days minimum.
Waiting for rfe decision and Anamika, I appreciate your quick response 🙂
I checked with my attorney and he just received it from USCIS .
How soon your attorney got it from your status changed to RFE?. Immediately or few days later?
@ Anamika,
RFE status updated on 14 Sep midnight , and my attorney got it on 20th sept late evening.
My work extension has been approved. Today the employer received the I-797C. Will the employer receive also the I-797B with my new I-94? Why do they send two separate documents? Can I renew my driver license with a I-797C form?
My case is approved EAC1614755*** after long waiting today . I have been watching this site since my case was applied this year. It is immense information. I have some knowledge of H1B because of this site. I appreciate Saurabh for his lot of information sharing. Wish all of them get approved.
Cheegs,
I saw similar scenario recently. The person was initially mailed 797C and later 797A with I-94 attached at the bottom. So you may receive one soon.
Hi,
1. I have been issued RFE on June 24th.
2. Responded back on Sept 9th.
3. Status updated to “Response to USCIS’ Request for Evidence Was Received” on Sept 13th.
4. Status changed to “Case was approved” on Sept 20th.
WAC1613950***, Regular processing.
Good Luck.
Can you please let us know what was the reason for rfe
And what evidences you submitted
It might help us
Thanks
Can you please let us know what was the reason for rfe
And what evidences you submitted
It might help us
Thanks
Ur lucky we had submitted docs one month ago still no update 145 series waiting is killing
Wow that was fast! Congrats!!!
{
“forms”: {
“I-129”: 733,
“I-765”: 49,
“invalid receipt”: 99,
“I-485”: 26,
“I-192”: 53,
“I-539”: 12,
“I-131”: 6,
“notmentioned”: 12,
“I-865”: 5,
“I-290”: 5
},
“statuses”: {
“Case Was Received”: 392,
“Fees Were Waived”: 86,
“Case Was Approved”: 255,
“invalid receipt”: 99,
“Name Was Updated”: 31,
“Decision Notice Mailed”: 4,
“Request for Additional Evidence Was Mailed”: 60,
“Case Transferred To Another Office”: 1,
“Case Was Transferred And A New Office Has Jurisdiction”: 4,
“Fingerprint Fee Was Received”: 8,
“Case Was Approved And My Decision Was Emailed”: 17,
“Card Was Delivered To Me By The Post Office”: 9,
“Request For Premium Processing Services Was Received”: 1,
“Case Was Rejected Because I Did Not Sign My Form”: 1,
“Response To USCIS’ Request For Evidence Was Received”: 17,
“Date of Birth Was Updated”: 2,
“Case Was Received and A Receipt Notice Was Emailed”: 5,
“Amended Notice Was Mailed”: 1,
“Card Was Mailed To Me”: 2,
“Card Was Picked Up By The United States Postal Service”: 1,
“Case Was Rejected”: 2,
“Withdrawal Acknowledgement Notice Was Sent”: 2
}
}
Thank You..!!
Looks like mostly RFEs are issued at the end…
Not necessary. 161465, 161455 and 161445 series is slow. You might get approval in first go.
Wait till oct 15th. It will give you clear picture.
My series is EAC161495XXXX
Still it is showing as CASE WAS RECEIVED,can anyone in the same series waiting for the same
Very frustrating to check the status daily and get the same result. Hope everyone get their cases approved at least by October.
last year its dec and jan
Hi Sanjana , my case was approved on 3rd sept i think it should take another month to process >95% of petition (based on last year data) so just have some more patient ..soon you will get approval news 🙂
Regards
Praveen
Anyone applied from Chisrin Corporation, Inc. and got any update
Has USCIS started revieweing RFE responses?
It seems no one has received approval after RFE.
No i think really frustrating
last month i got RFE and after submission of documents i got “Case Was Received and A Receipt Notice Was Emailed” today on website.
Can anyone suggest how much time it will take after this.
Thanks in advance
so did u get any update on RFE. If yes kindly share.
Am on the same boat too… but i didnt get any update yet
My case is approved till October 2017, and the current project has no open position, so I’m looking for some other.
My Question: What will happen if I I do not travel by this time neither my organization file amendment, can I still apply CAP exempt or have to apply fresh post Oct 2017.
Thanks
IBM,
You can apply for cap exempt after your petition expires provided:
1. this is your first/fresh H1B application OR
2. you have exhausted your previous 6-yr H1B period, and have been outside of US for 365 days at least
Nothing happens if you don’t travel. You can find another employer to apply H1B cap exempt petition a.k.a transfer. Once approved, get it stamped and travel. You are cap exempt now for at least another 6 years stay in US.
HI Saurabh,
My H1b Application got Approved and my passport is going to expire in Feb 2017.I have not booked slot for stamping yet.
Can I renew my passport now? If I renew will there be any issue at the time of visa stamping as my passport number changes?
Should I update my new passport number somewhere after renewal of my passport.
Can someone please answer my query as I have to go for stamping ASAP
It is better to have you passport renewed, since it is always advisable to have a passport valid for at least 6 months.
Renewing your passport will not have any impact on your stamping, but you should carry your old/cancelled passport during your interview. Its good practice to keep a scanned copy of all pages of your passport, even blank ones.
You dont need to update your new passport number anywhere, but if you plan to take renew your passport before your scheduling the interview, make sure to use the new passport number
Hi Vicky,
Update ur PP immediately, currently within a week u will get a renewed PP. and then go for stamping.
Dont delay..
Mine was expiring in Dec2016, in july I appled for renewal of PP, I got it a week, Now my visa stamping is also done.
Only thing u have to remember, always carry ur old PP while going for stamping or travelling
Vermont center is very slow in processing. My case is still in received state – EAC16141*****.
5.5 months over. Anyone from the same series waiting for so long?
Patience is the key….we all are waiting patiently.
Any kababayan still waiting for result?
Yes Kabayan
waiting after RFE response received in WAC series
Got RFE WAC161475**** yesterday
WAC1614751***
Got RFE today.
Wac1614651***
Don’t know what it is for.
Just talked to my employer, he said no need to worry we will take care that once we get letter from USCIS.
How many days it will take to get rfe letter from USCIS? And in how many days we need to send response back to USCIS?
Your employer will get in 2-3 weeks. From that day tit employer will have 90 days to respond it.
Did you apply via company or any consultancy ?
Consultantancy…
@RFE
Can you please tell me which Consultancy?
Thank you
Hello,
Currently I am in H4 status, I applied for H1B as COS. Do I need to go for stamping if I have to return to US after vacation.
Regards,
Ann
Yes. You need H1B stamped to enter using H1B and work. Otherwise you can come in your H4 and not work.
Thankyou for your response.
{
“forms”: {
“I-129”: 707,
“I-192”: 49,
“notmentioned”: 63,
“invalid receipt”: 60,
“I-765”: 51,
“I-485”: 33,
“I-539”: 15,
“I-131”: 8,
“I-360”: 5,
“I-290”: 9
},
“statuses”: {
“Case Was Transferred And A New Office Has Jurisdiction”: 119,
“Case Was Approved”: 275,
“Case Was Received and A Receipt Notice Was Emailed”: 9,
“Fees Were Waived”: 101,
“Card Was Delivered To Me By The Post Office”: 54,
“Request for Additional Evidence Was Mailed”: 170,
“Case Was Received”: 119,
“invalid receipt”: 60,
“Response To USCIS’ Request For Evidence Was Received”: 21,
“Decision Notice Mailed”: 10,
“Case Was Approved And My Decision Was Emailed”: 21,
“Fingerprint Fee Was Received”: 9,
“Case Transferred To Another Office”: 7,
“Date of Birth Was Updated”: 2,
“Document Was Mailed”: 2,
“Correspondence Was Received And USCIS Is Reviewing It”: 2,
“Request for Initial Evidence Was Mailed”: 1,
“Receipt Notice Was Changed”: 1,
“Name Was Updated”: 3,
“Appeal Was Dismissed”: 4,
“Card Was Mailed To Me”: 3,
“Card Was Received By USCIS Along With My Letter”: 1,
“Payment Fee Was Returned For Insufficient Funds”: 1,
“Case Was Rejected”: 2,
“Withdrawal Acknowledgement Notice Was Sent”: 1,
“Revocation Notice Was Sent”: 1,
“Document Was Returned To USCIS”: 1
}
}
Can we get this for other series as well?
follow http://codepen.io/anon/pen/wWbdYW
Hi ,
Can you prepare for “EAC1614950” series also please.
follow the instructions, you can change it to use any series you want
its not working, its giving this error
Cross-Origin Request Blocked:
First-timer
I would like to know the status for this series EAC1614852***
Thanks
Can you kindly update us on EAC 1614650 series please as lot of them are awaiting on this series.
Hi
I’m in EAC 161485**** series could you please explain all this to me?
Has anyone from capg received hardcopy after approval and scheduled an interview?
Thanks everyone
My case is approved today: EAC16148 series
Hi,
Anyone in the series EAC16 14950XXX got approved?
Mine is showing as RECEIVED from past 5month.
Hi JVS,
Same myne also. Case Was Transferred And A New Office Has Jurisdiction.
Regards
I received my RFE notification last Friday and i sent an email to my employer asking the details of the RFE. But did not receive any updates from my employer yet. How long will it take for my employer to receive the RFE details from USCIS?
Guess SLA for RFE is 1month.
Hi H1BVizag, I got RFE 2 days back. BTW I am also from Vizag. Be in touch
Wonderful to hear, lets be in touch. drop me a mail venkybomaatgmaildotcom
My case was transferred from May 20th. No update in my case status when checked on my case status . But today when I checked with my consultant they said its under RFE. Why do I don’t see it in my case status.
Saurabh does the case no changes when it transferred to other place. My case no is EAC16143xxxxx
If Im not wrong, RFE is a change in status. You should see that online on USCIS website.
No there is no update in case status. Does the case no changes when the case is transferred to another office.
A Case number does not change for any reason, once it is issued after the lottery pickup. There are quite a few ppl who have reported online the discrepancies in the sync between the USCIS website and the actual action been taken.
I would recommend you ask your employer to give you a copy of the RFE for your personal records.
Hi Saurabh,
I have a question related with visa stamping appointment schedule. My attorney and I are using https://cgifederal.secure.force.com/ website to schedule an appointment. As of now i am in USA and i am planning to visit India in December 2016. My H1B got approved this year only and my current status would be changed from October onward. Now since i am planning to visit India in December, i have to visit consulate to get the stamping done but on the website i don’t see any appointment available until February 2017.
Is there any other way i can take schedule an appointment?
I doubt on my next question but still want to check that is it possible someone can browse the same site from India on behalf of me and they can see a date available?
Keep trying, you may get lucky if some one cancel theirs, the website is same for every one. If I were you I would first book the slot in February.
Thanks USCIS. I have already booked the appointment which was available very first in February. Anyways, i will keep an eye on it and will see if there is any cancellation so that i can reschedule for December.
Is there anyone else in the series EAC161445*
This series had not moved since ages!!.
Anyone?
who said it doesn’t moved every two days there are 2-3 approvals.
i am in same series, i started seeing this when it has 3 approvals now it has
received – 411
approved – 233
rfe- 103
approval got increasing since from august 1st week.
Hi Kumar,
From where did you get this number,?…is there any site we can get this data from?
HTTPS://h1bstar.ru
Hi, I am in 161465 series and still its shows case received status..just awaiting for updates patiently…Regards.
Am in the same series 1614452**** waiting for an update..
Even i am also into the same series, still received status , before my number every1 got approved .
Yeah seems like,not surewhen they’ll update!!
Hi,
My petition was approved on the 12th of this month, my org has not received the approval copy yet. Can I book the slot for stamping? The earliest slot is one month away and by then I am hopeful of receiving the approval copy (as per 2-4 weeks TAT mentioned).
What’s your series number?
Did u convert it to PP?
Regular only, I do not have my application number.
Saurabh,
can you please respond to this query – can I book appointment while approval hard copy is awaited. USCIS website shows approved status.
You can book your appointment anytime (even 5 months back). The only criteria is that when you go for the interview, you should have the 797 with you, else you will need to reschedule.
There’s also the start and end date on the 797 that need to match with your DS 160, but i guess this can be updated later (during finger printing) if they dont match.
Are u sure appointment date is available after month….I heard dates are not available until Feb 2017
I heard that there should be minimum of 6 months validity for passport at the time of stamping.
Is that true or can I go for stamping with my existing passport which has validity less than 6 months.
You should renew your passport. It is much better to have a passport validity the same as your visa petition validity.
HI Saurabh,
My H1b Application got Approved and my passport is going to expire in Feb 2017.I have not booked slot for stamping yet.
Can I renew my passport now? If I renew will there be any issue at the time of visa stamping as my passport number changes?
Should I update my new passport number somewhere after renewal of my passport.
You can go for renewal. I did the same..
Hi Saurabh,
I have F-2 visa and was in US for few months and had to return back due to personal commitments (my husband is currently working on OPT)
Currently, I work in Company A and this year I have applied H1 through company-B and the status still seems to be in ‘Case Received’ and now I am planning move back to US
So my question are:
1. If I am travelling back on F-2 visa within 2months (as I have notice period) and in that time if my H1 is approved, will it be a problem for me at immigration having H1 approved and travelling on F-2?
2. Incase if my H1 is still on pending for approval while travelling, can I apply for COS through the same employee once I am in US and also will Immigration officer get to know about my H1 status
3. How much time it take for COS approval if I had to work in US
4. Incase If decided to wait and get my stamping done and then travel on H1 only, So in advance can I schedule my appointment date(without knowing the approval date)
Any help is really appreciated!
Regards,
Preethi
1. Should not be an issue as long as you have not got your H1 stamping done.
2. Dont think you can change your filing status to COS at this stage. Instead wait for your approval, and then travel to Canada or Mexico (if you dont want to come all the way to India) and get your stamping.
3. Dont think this Q is valid in your case, since your case is not a COS
4. You can book your appointment anytime, but the main criteria is that when you go for the interview, you should have the 797 with you, else you will need to reschedule.
There’s also the start and end date on the 797 that need to match with your DS 160, but i guess this can be updated later (during finger printing) if they dont match.
Preethi,
1. No issue.
2. After you enter US, COS cannot be applied until H-1 petition has been approved. Once approved, you can apply for separate COS.
3. It could take 2-4 months, or longer.
4. You can do this, but you will need to have approval notice by the stamping date. You also need to provide some information from the petition (like validity dates) in DS-160 form which you won’t know until later. So if you complete one now, you will have to modify the DS form later during biometrics when actual dates are known.
Thank You Saurabh and Vishal for your suggestions!
This will really help me in taking decisions at this point.
Hello All,
After a long long wait of nearly 5 months ‘My Case was Approved’ yesterday Sep 19th.
Mine is NON-AD RP, Series EAC16142, Vermont center, Not Transferred.
Good luck for the remaining…
Hello Suresh,
Could you please tell us,What time(IST) you got the approval update..
@Migrant,
I am not sure of the time, when I checked the status this morning at 11 AM I saw the change in status
Hi Suresh,
Congrats on getting the approval. My series is EAC1614355***, anyone waiting in this series
I am from CG, anyone from CG awaiting approval, did you get any information from the mobility team? Thanks in advance
Am too from CG with series EAC1614851***. Case transferred and still waiting
Hi Shree,
Thanks for replying.
My case status is only received its not updated to anything. Did you check with mobility, have any updates, if so please share. Thanks
Hi Sunitha,
I am also in the same boat. Working in the Cogni. I am from WAC service center waiting for the approval from last 5 months. I checked with Global mobility team, they are telling this year, USCIS has changed the processing time from 5 to 8 months.
Thanks
Suresh
Hi Sunitha,
I checked, they said we have to wait till Oct first week for any status change 🙁
Hi Shree,
Thanks so much for your information. Let us wait till October first week, am also following up with mobility if i also get any updates will let you know. Thanks
Hi Shree,
Thanks for replying. For me it is in received status only, did you check with mobility did they give any updates, if so please share. thanks
Hi suresh,
Thanks for the valuable information. All the best.
Hi Shree,
I m from CG too. My Case is been transfered no updates yet.
I am from CG.
My case is approved and Mobility team asked me to fill DS160 and Stanley forms.
I have shared DS160 and Stanley form prints (Not yet submitted ) and they have paid the Visa fees and scheduled appointment.
OFC – 29th Jan
Visa Interview – 21 Feb
They said, They will verify the DS160 and then Submit. Also they will share all the Physical copies by November/December.
Regards,
~Nero
Me too waiting Eac1614355***
Hi Sri,
Thanks for the reply. Let’s hope for the best.
Hi Sunitha ,
My case is from the same series and i work for cogni my case got approved on 3rd sept.
Praveen
Hi Praveen,
Congrats on getting approved can you please let me know if it was regular processing. Thanks for your reply
me too same series. current status: Case T/F! since 5 may!
Hi All ,
After a long wait finally i got RFE stating “Employee Employer relationship” . Whats this all about , Does anyone have any idea??And whats the % of approval for this kind of RFE .
H1b_RFE,
Employer has to demonstrate how they will control and manage your day to day activities, tasks, hours etc. Is your arrangement EVC or EC?
Thanks Saurabh for the response .
I’ll be in payroll with my employer who is filing my H1 not with the client directly . So mine is EVC model .
Hi H1b_RFE
If you are on payroll with the employer and not the client then you are on EC model and not EVC as there is no Vendor between your Employer and Client.
EVC model is something wherein between your Employer and Client sits a Vendor . If will be working on your employer payroll directly for Client then its a EC model.
@ABC , My mistake , i will come under EC model . Thanks for the correction .
H1b_RFE,
It is easier to demonstrate EER in an EC model than an EVC model. If the employer has someone onsite at client location to act as liaison, then that helps.
Hi All,
My case got approved on Sep 16 (Case#161485****. Thanks Saurabh and all the members of the forum for sharing the valuable information.
Nag
Hi Saurabh,
I am currently in US on L1 with company A and my new H1B petition filed this year 04/2016 by company B and my H1 case still shows “Case was Received” with USCIS. Due to unexpected reasons, my current employer A asked us to leave US in a week. Since my H1B petition is not yet in approved status,
#1. Will I have any issue on my H1B case submitted by Company B If I leave US before H1 petition approval ? Does the H1B application submitted by Company B become abandoned or void If I leave US ? Since petition was filed while I was in US.
#2. For stamping purpose, client letter/SOW is really mandatory during visa stamping in India and Port of Entry at US? Since my new employer B provided offer letter showing it as hiring for their internal project.
Your help is really appreciated!
Hi Nish,
For your point #1.
I was also on L1B in USA, but Last month i had to travel back to india.
Same as like you, my h1 petition is also picked in the lottery when i was in USA but awaiting is approval in india(i came back last month).
L1 and H1 are 2 separate category of visa and it doesn’t impact your H1.
Hope for the best.
Point #2, admin can clarify.
Thanks Jack. Did you take any advise with attorney before leaving US?
Hi Nish,
No. I didn’t condult attorney.
But i did consult my h1 sponsor and he advice me this as per his experience.
You are good. Dont worry.
I wish ur case gets approved.
Nish,
1. Only COS part of the H-1 petition becomes void. Your H-1 petition will still get processed and if approved it would be w/ consular processing. You will have to get the visa stamped and then return to US to work on H-1.
2. It depends upon the case. They ask for client letter when they feel that company doesn’t have any “real” internal projects and would put you on bench and not pay (H-1 violation). So they ask for client letter as proof that you would be a billable asset soon after entering US.
Thank you so much guys for your quick turn around and explanation! Wish you all good luck including me 🙂
Hi Nish,
Best solution for your case is, Upgrade to PP and ask your L1 company to continue on billing untill sep 30th(You said that your company asks you to leave in a week, so ask them 2 weeks time to sell your car/closing credit cards etc).
If your H1B is approved(it will be processed in a week in PP), You can start working for H1B employer from Oct 1st and you no need to go to India for stamping.
Anyone from Infosys who got their interview appointment booked?? What dates are booked for you?? Which location?? Please provide more details on waiting time…..
My Company booked OFC on 29th Jan and Interview on 21st Feb for Mumbai location.
I am from CG.
Not sure they had option to book appointment before 21st Feb.
Hello Saurabh,
Need some clarification.. my h4 extension is already approved but havent stamped it yet. My application is chamge of status to H1b when it was applied will.it be the reason of delay in getting approval? Thanks
Rimi,
So your H-1 was filed w/ COS from H-4 to H-1 and meanwhile your H-4 extension got approved. This should be ok and shouldn’t impact the final outcome of your H-1 petition.
Hi Admin,
Congratulations to people whose case got aproved.
I got REF and asked for below proofs.
SPECIALTY OCCUPATION & RIGHT TO CONTROL
My consultency asking for 600$ as lawyer fee to respond back to USCIS.
Here are my questions.
1.Do Lawyers chrge to respond back to USCIS on my REF cases?
2. What are SPECIALTY OCCUPATION & RIGHT TO CONTROL cases?
I am requesting some one to help me to find the answers for my quiries?
if your lawyers charges or not what you gonna do, end of the day u need h1 visa so u will pay whether its $600 or $1000, yes he charges based on different scenerios whether he is a longterm attorney for company,did he filed h1 petitions on bulk for your company,did he charges h1 filing fees include rfe fees or excluding that ,there are lot many reason which you cant even understand what i am saying because i am in same line of business .
so simply u cant do anything here u have to pay.
and second answer is its a normal rfe ur attorney will take care
Thanks for Answers in Reply Anil, I will pay then.
And make sure you tell the VO during the interview that you paid how much. They will give a royal treatment.
@Mannem
Could you share the consultancy name? I am planning to use one for the next year. Thanks in advance.
Based on your comment, I am guessing that you are also paying for your Visa.
It is violation of H1B policy to pay for your visa and Attorney fees. But you will pay considering the future you will get after getting H1B.
My only request to you is IF due to some reason you will not get response even after paying 600$ or 1000$ then DO NOT GET UPSET or DEPRESSED.
MANNEM,
1. As per H-1 rules, employer cannot ask you to pay for the lawyer fees. The employer needs to pay that fees and not you. Who paid for the initial H-1B filing fees?
2. Like other poster mentioned, this needs to handled by attorney. At a high level, the employer needs to demonstrate that the job really requires at least 4 years of US Bachelors degree. For right to control, employer needs to show that they will be managing your tasks, hours etc even when you are placed at the client site.
Hi
My h1b got approved(COS from L) but my wife’s h4 is still pending since we filed separately, in this case., can she travel to India while her H4 is in pending approval and get the stamping done after approval?
H1b appd H4 pending,
If she is traveling to India, then she doesn’t need to wait for her H-4 approval. That would be void as soon as she leaves US. You already have your H-1 approved and she can use your H-1 approval petition to get her H-4 visa stamped.
Do I need any other supporting documents other than my husband’s H-1 approval petition? Thanks a lot for your quick response!
H1b appd H4 pending,
Usually 797 copy is sufficient. However, to be on safe side, she can carry your employment verification letter, recent payslips and proof of marriage.
Hi, Can anybody tell me what are the documents required for the H1b stamping at the Hyderabad consulate? Thank you so much in advance.
K
Today I have received update to my case after 5 months waiting. But the status changed from “Case Received” to “Request for Additional Evidence Was Mailed” 🙁
Now I am worrying about the further updates 🙁
Could someone help me about this RFE process and ETA/chances for the final Approval
My series is EAC1614253###
H1B_RFE_Vizag,
RFE can be trivial or complicated. It depends upon the case. Your employer will have 60 or 90 days to respond to it and USCIS will resume processing once the response has been received. The final outcome depends upon the RFE reason, employer’s response and USCIS’ review of the same.
Any one from Wipro who got petition approved?
Hello,
i am still waiting but one of my team mate received on 31st of Aug.
No updated from anyone today?
Hi Saurabh,
My passport is getting expired in Sept 2017. Should I get it extended before travelling to US?
Note: Consider I’m travelling in Feb 2017.
i think you should and get done with it for 10 years. otherwise you’ll have to carry both passports while tranveling
Passports can be renewed thru Indian Consulate in US as well.
You can renewal your passport considering you haven’t applied for your visa stamping. Anyways your old passport number will get printed in new one.
Infy H1 B,
If your passport is not renewed before you enter US, then the I-94 will be issued until passport expiration date. So you would have to get the passport renewed while inside US and then get the I-94 extended to match the actual petition expiration date.
If your passport is renewed before you enter US, then your I-94 will be issued same as petition expiration date and no further action would be required.
Hi Saurav
Can you please share the link where it is mentioned that SLA is 30 days after case is approved. I need to discuss this with my employer because looks like my HR is not familiar with this info.
Thanks
Vk
My case EAC1614756xxx still in “Case received state”
Can I go ahead for premium now?
What are the chances approval / RFE ?
I think now it doesn’t make difference even if we go for premium processing, Many petitions has been approved/RFE in 147**** series since 1 month. I believe most of the remaining received/transferred cases will be processed by next month..
I think premium helps in case you get an RFE. just 1k+ dollars
my case update is Request for Additional Evidence Was Mailed from past one month and i already submitted documents .Kindly let me know how much time it will take to change the status.
Hi Guys,
Please let us know your experience in H1 Visa Stamping. It would be great if you guide us.
1) What all Docs we have to carry.?
2) What type of questions we have to prepare.?
3) Any further information..
Thanks,
Pune_H1_2ndTime
I received my approval a couple of months back and my interview was in chennai last week. 3 questions were asked:
1. Whats the name of the h1b petitioner?
2. What is your designation?
3. What are your job responsibilities?
Documents verified: Passport and I797 approval notice.
Background info: Employment is directly with the hiring company. I was working on OPT with the same company before h1b.
I am happy to share my happiness… 🙂 with you all my dear friends. My long wait comes to an end. My EAC161425 got approved on 13th Sep.
I am following this forum for last 6 months, It has helped me to be positive.
Thanks to everyone for your valuable suggestions and encouragements.
Anyone having updates on series EAC1614352XXX.
My case falls in this series and is still showing Case Transferred.
By when i can expect in change in status.
saurabh any impact on H1b RFE cases due to elections in US in november
RFE,
No impact of US elections on pending cases.
Case Status Changed: Request for Additional Evidence
Series: EAC161445XXXX
@ Yash
Is Yash ur employer??
Hello,
Please I need some advice/help with figuring out my next step with my authorization.
I was on F-1 which expired in February. Unfortunately I could not do the OPT extension, however, I was within the grace period, when my H1-B application was submitted. I got “receipted” so my school extended my OPT till Sept 30, which meant I could just chill state side till my approval.
Now my case has been approved, do I need to go back home to get my passport stamped, or just return to work on October 3rd
Thanks,
ItsAllAlright
ItsAllAlright,
Do you know if H-1 was approved w/ COS or w/ consular processing?
I can see in WAC148****** series still 426 applications are in received status which are pending. Average 10 applications are picking up daily basis and as per my knowledge till 7th Oct, we should know the result of WAC148***** series of the application which are showing “Case Was received” .
Hope for best!!!