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 All,
Does anyone know whether L1A Premium charges will be refunded or not if the case is withdrawn after RFE. Also Please let me know will there be any impact on candidate for further visa processing under any category.
It’s a bit urgent!!
Thanks in advance.
I doubt refund is issued if RFE is sent after receiving premium charge payment. Also you should provide a valid reason on withdrawal, in case if it has any dependancy over other visa processing.
Better get ur attorney/company advise.
H1-B VISA Experience Mumbai
Hi Folks,
Here is my overall H1-B Stamping experience,
When filling out the DS-160, I selected my visa location as Hyderabad, unfortunately I was unable to get visa interview dates at Hyderabad during my travel to India. So, I booked Mumbai for my visa interview.
*In case you have DS-160 location different to your visa interview location- follow the below procedure
1. You cannot change your original DS-160 location, so you need to fill out a new DS-160 with the correct visa interview location
2. Carry both DS-160’s to get your fingerprints.
3. At the center, they will update your new DS -160 into the system.
Visa Interview – Mumbai
VO: Good Morning
ME: Good Morning, I gave him my passport
VO: Which company do you work?
ME: xxx
VO: What do they do?
ME: Work with companies listed on NYSE and NASDAQ
VO: What’s your position?
ME: Working as an Equity analyst
VO: What are your responsibilities?
ME: stock analysis and financial modeling to our clients listed on NYSE and NASDAQ
VO: What’s your annual salary?
ME: XXX
VO: What is your highest level of education?
ME: Master’s
VO: Which stock is currently undervalued?
ME: Currently the biotech sector is undervalued, and you can see a boost in the next 5 yrs.
VO: Your visa is approved!
ME: Thank you
hi Saurabh,
Please respond to my Questions.
I have approved H1b petition this year. Now there is a change in client. i mean that the client for which the petition was filed is not the one i am traveling for. So there will be amendment. Now my question are.
1.Can I travel without amendment?
2. If not then with normal processing you can travel in 8 weeks with amendment receipt notice. Is this true?
3.With amendment and premium processing you can travel only after 3 months of approval.? Is this true.?
4.Suppose I travel with new Updated client and upon reaching there suppose say in 4 months my project gets changed then in that case,can i stay in US till my amendment gets approved or i will have to return back.
5.Does amendment wait period rule different when you are in US.
Infy_Pune
I am on the same boat. Let us wait for the reply.
BTW. Did the GI team upload the approval notice? I did not find it uploaded though the process is 100% complete with Approval.
Will try and answer afaik, as Infy filed for my amendment and I got stamped with the amendment receipt –
1. Not suggested to travel without amendment as at PoE, different location might trigger something. Moreover, Infy will not let you proceed with this approach 😉
2. This is correct, Infy is filing amendment for all such cases and on basis of amendment receipt which is expected within 5-8 weeks, one can get stamped and travel to new place. Infy gives a supporting letter as well. Google “uscis guidance simeo” for more details.
3. If filing amendment in premium, you’ll get the result sooner, not likely it’ll take 3 months.
4. In case of another change, a new amendment will be filed and you can stay in US, no need to come back.
5. Not aware of this.
@Infy_Bangalore: They will not upload and keep it themselves as one might use it to apply with some different company 🙂 don’t know but might be possible.
@Infy_Amendment_Stamped :Thanks for your info.
1.Can you please also highlight ,in how much weeks your receipt notice came?
2.Can you please share Questions asked while stamping, do questions change if there amendment. Please share your questions.? How is their approach when you tell you are from infy.:)
3.If you are traveling with family then which airlines you are choosing?
4.GI guy told me even after receipt notice 4 weeks might go in actual travel as they have to book flights and all.
5. Have you started your bag packing?
Re the approval copy, mail to US GI contacts, they can share the soft copy. Physical I797B – Approval notice will be given once your stamping is booked by local GI contact.
1. I received it in 6 weeks from date of filing the amendment and started the stamping process then.
2. Qs were location, salary, and reason for amendment, and he said approved. Though my passport was delayed due to AP – Embassy were initially not stamping based on amendment receipt, GI team had some discussions, post which it came out.
3. Generally you don’t get to choose the airlines ;), keep checking MMT and push for a favorable route.
4. Post the receipt, you need to go for stamping, which itself will take a few weeks, then you’ll get the passport, and then iTravel and other things. Looking at the fares which are currently very high, expect it will be towards the late end of Jan and Feb for travel if you get the receipt copy today.
5. Not yet bro, yet to get the go ahead from client 🙂
Golden words, mine is approved finally.
Caution: Two of my friends who applied through a consultancy (DwPractice) got denied, now lost money and a year of time.
This is why do not pay money to any consultancy, consultancies are there to cheat innocent people.
Anyway they are regretting now for not taking my advise seriously.
Along with others here on other sites preparing a list of fraudulent companies to save newcomers from being defrauded.
i applied through consultancy and mine was deney yesterday………………….
Is the case denied or visa rejected?
case denied
Hi,
Its been almost 4 months after responding to an RFE. Its frustrating.
Anyone else on the same boat??
Hi
Which company?
I am waiting since almost 3 months
@Tcs_h1b
Im from CTS
Hi, Is it from vermont or california?
@ACB
California centre
tcs h1b transfer
i have approved h1b petition i797 oct 2014 from infosys ltd. i had travelled to usa for 1 year and then came back to india in oct 2015. i switched to tcs later this year in april 2016. status for my petitio on uscis egov site is now showing as revoked.
as per tcs immigration, since my petition is revoked, it cannot be cap exempt. As far as i know, i am eligible for cap exempt for total 6 years.
could you please help.
hi saurabh and experts
please help. i am in a complex situtation. i am getting offers from other small companies which are willing for h1b transfer.
if i am eligible, what are the chances for h1 transfer approval.
thanks
Hi tcs h1b transfer,
Dont worry buddy. You are eligible for cap exempt. The reason why it is showing revoked is because every company will send a notice to USCIS to revoke their petition when you leave them. This is to prevent any misuse of that petition if any. Only that old petition is revoked, not your eligibility of applying cap exempt. Any employer can do cap exempt with old petition id. You have your old i797 copy right ? You just need that.
You are still eligible. Please go ahead. This had happened to two of my friends and I did that research on that time.
Is the feedback from local immigration team or from a experienced attorney ?
Please check with your company’s attorney. Looks like your immigration team doesn’t have much knowledge on this.
Revoking the the employee’s petition when they leave is organizational policy. It has no impact with your H1-transfer later.
VO: How are you doing sir?
me: Good Morning Sir, I’m doing good, thank you, How about you Sir?
VO: I’m doing good..thank you
VO: Can you plz open H1B section in visa guide line doc(they will give you before interview)
me: Opened and read instructions
VO: Can I have your I797 please
me: handed over
VO: Asked about client name
me: xxxx
VO: Since how long you are working for xxxx
me: new employment
VO: Where are you working and how long?
me: explained
VO: Have you been traveled to US?
me: No
VO: Do you have any other US Visa?
me: No
VO: What is your position at client location?
me: xxxx
VO: Can you explain briefly about your project?
me: explained in few lines
VO: what is your salary?
me: XXXX USD PA
VO: Entered data for few secs and said Congrats Sir, your Visa approved
me: Thanks alot sir
Be confident about the data entered in DS 160, most of the officers were very cool and I can feel its easy pass for H1B applicants, may be spl instructions from Obama Govt not to reject many :-). Also, I can see from other counters for F1..they were taking more time and asking so many details, in one counter I could see few Puzzles(simple ones on paper) as well :-(.
So friends, if ur Visa approved means, 99.9% chances are there for stamping. Be cool and confident.
Good luck.
Hi Visaexp@Hyd ,
Thanks for sharing your experience.
Hi saurabh,
I have my stamping scheduled on 20th. I have a question: I am working for Indian MNC and I will be working out of my company’s office in US. Mine is a production support project for multiple American clients of my company’s product. In my I129 and LCA and other internal documents, the client name is my Company name only.
So if VO asks – who is your client – Then I will answer – My own company’s name.
What if the VO asks – Who is your END CLIENT ?????- should I ans my company’s name or should it be the clients name of our product?? ( Point to be noted: the end client’s name is no where mentioned in any documentation)
Also , I believe , production support projects do not fall under “in-house project”…
Hi
Ant TCS employees who are still waiting for their RFE to get approved??
If yes please share your email id so that we can connect
Stamped @Chennai on 16th-Dec!!
Interview time was 11AM but I entered around 9:30 AM and Interview completed by 10:05 AM.
ME: Hello GM Sir!!!
VO: am Good sir. How abt you?
ME: doing well. Thanks
VO: Please give me PP.
ME: Yes sure. .
VO: Which client?
ME: XXXX
VO: Location?
ME: XXXX (Always tell City,State)
VO: Client?
ME: XXXXXX
VO: How much salary will you get in USD?
ME:XXXXXXX( tell the details which was mentioned in LCA)
VO:Wht will be position from Clent location?
ME:XXXXXX
They have good impression on IBM employee so better if you will wear the IBM tag during interview.With me same thing happened..after seeing my Tag he only started saying “ohhh you are from IBM and IBM applied for you.good,Then he started asking all the above questions. !!!
And Finally much awaited Golden words came out. “Your Visa Got Approved”. 🙂
All the very best for other who are still waiting for interview.
My H1B approved on 15th Dec, RP-NONAD,
Transferd : May 20th
RFE:October12th
RFE RESponse :DEC 2nd
Approved:DEC 15th
series: EAC161495XXXX
thanks for Saurab and All other experts, All the best frnds.
@Saurabh,
My H1b got picked up and waiting for RFE’s response but my college said, there is no H1B pending showing in your SEVIS.
What to do ?
Stamped at Hyderabad!!
ME: Hello GM Officer.
VO: am Good sir. How abt you?
ME: doing well. Thanks
VO: Please give me PP.
ME: Yes sure. .
VO: Which client?
ME: XXXX
VO: Location?
ME: XXXX
VO: Client?
ME: I said in-house project.
VO: what is the project?
ME: Explained.
Then Golden words. “Visa Approved”.
My previous status was RFE response received.
Today status got updated to Notice Explaining USCIS’ Actions Was Mailed.
What does that mean? Is there a possibility of denial? What should I need to do? 🙁
It may be related to employer documents as it was in my case.
Who is your employer.
They have asked me employer documents. Was yours approved?
Need help,
After case was transfer in May, now status updates to “Notice explaining USCIS action was mailed””. Do any one know what it means.
help needed,
After case was transfered from May, now yesterday status updates to “”Notice explaining USCIS action was mailed””. Do any let me know what does it mean.
It appears that you are getting an NOID (Notice of Intent to Deny). You/your employer still have chances to justify why you are eligible/qualify for the visa and get the decision in your favor. All depends on what the NOID is for and how well your employer can justify. Good luck!
“Case Was Received”
Anybody still in the same status as “Case Was Received”? Really worried !!!
Or is it me alone on this state .. please respond
My case status is also same….
Mine also the similar state from April don’t know what else to do other than to wait. Really this is so much frustrating.
Yea … It not only affects official but also personal life as well … waiting waiting.
You applied from mnc or consultancy? Mine is also pending from April I applied through consultancy.
Applied through Consultancy but it does not matter at least there should be some status change like to RFE, but the problem is that it is not moving beyond Recieved status.
I applied through TCS …. still no Luck !
Looks this doesn’t matter … which company you applied for !
Mine too in the status of Case Received
Stamped at Hyderabad!!
Me: Hello Madam, Good Morning, How are you doing?
VO: am Good sir. How abt you?
Me: Am good too. Thanks.
VO: Please give me your i797?
Me: Yes sure. (Passed)
VO to my Wife: Please give your i797 Madam?
Me: She is not H1, she is for H4.
VO: ah ok. There is mistake in system. (She updated something in the system)
VO: Who is your Employe?
Me: *****
VO: How long you are working to your current employer sir?
Me: New Opportunity.
VO: Do you have End Client?
Me: Yes
VO: Who is your client?
Me: xxxx?
VO: What was that?
Me: xxxx spelled it.
VO: Where you will stay?
Me: Client city, State.
VO: How many work for your Employer?
Me: xx
VO: What is your Higer Education?
Me: xxxxx xxxx
VO: What is your Project?
Me: xxxxx xxxx
VO: Explain briefly about Project?
Me: xxxxx xxxx
VO: Do you have H1B previously?
Me: No but I do have B1 and L1.
VO: Silently filled something in the system for 20 Secs
VO: Checking her system very seriously
VO: (Showed me pamphlet) Do you have the Pamphlet.
Me: Yes Mam, I got it.
VO: You can collect the Passports later. Have a Safe Trip to USA. Have a good Day.
Me: Thanks Madam. You too.
Finally Relaxed.
Hi All,
RFE Response was give on Nov 23 but USCICS site still showing “RFE mailed”. is this common even after 3 weeks ?
NON AD, EAC transferred case
In my case response to RFE is submitted on Oct 20 and I am still waiting.
RFE Waiting,
RFE was submitted on 28th September and still waiting.
Did the status changed to”Response RFE Was Received” ? my is still in “Request for evidence mailed on Sept 24” even after responding to the RFE on Nov-23. any one having similar situation?
Not funny… Paid 15k for h1b + 5k for RFE response + 10k for Premium Processing and now company said it was denied. Lost 30k and now I’m here and have no hope. Employer is now asking 20k to appeal and said that they will make my dream come true.
I’m a very experienced professional but I haven’t completed my trade course in cooking. But anyway I have 2 years of experiente installing Windows and Office and also I know how to format machines. Besides that I always give great support to clients when they need to learn how to use the internet. I really don’t know what to do. I’m crying right now and I need a hug.
That is not funny I really want to work as a super ultra professional in the IT Field and my uncle said that I should always believe. I’m american born here in the US and my dream is to obtain the Green Card through h1b employment. Please help me and marry me. I’m not that ugly I swear.
Ok, I can Marry you. Cost will be 200K $ per year.
Can you afford?
Visa Approved at Hyderabad :
Only 4 Questions
Petitioner,
Client,
Designation,
Location.
went with full of fear , came back with dougbt “Is this real or a dream , did my visa approved” (hahahahahah).
Don’t fear my frds, VO officers are really cool , they wont interrogate u , its just a casual talk, Go and get your visa that’s it.
Hi All,
Finally my H1 got approved on 9th December. I was eagerly waiting for it. Thanks for the info you all have been sharing throughout.
I have a question, now that I have H1 approved but my I-94 has status as H4. I currently live in US, so will I have to go outside the country and get in again to get my H1 visa stamped and get new I-94?
Hi Neha,
Thats depends on whether your employer have applied h1b in consular processing or CHANGE OF STATUS(COS).
If applied as COS, then u don’t have togo outside USA. But if applied as consular processing then YES
Saurabh
I have Stamped H1 B for 3 years but not yet Traveled to US , now i have got a employer for transfer is this fine for Transfer from India ??
Do we need to go for Stamping again , else we can travel with the existing Stamping.
If We need to go for Stamping does drop box facility will be fine for Stamping ??
Finally the day has arrived!!!!! 🙂
My Journey so far…
Came to US in 2014 in H4 visa
2015
——–
Applied H1B in 2015
Picked in Lottery – April 2015
Applied Premium Processing- March 2016
Denied – April 2016
2016
———
Picked in Lottery – 16-April-16
Case Transferred – 18-May-16
RFE – 19-Sep-16
RFE Received – 3-Nov-16
Approved – 14-Dec-16
EAC161425****
Thanks to Redbus!!! All the very best for all who are still waiting! Hope you will hear good news soon 🙂
“Case Was Received”
Really Sick of seeing “Case Was Received”
It is really a good day today!!
Place: Chennai Consulate
Bio-metric appnt. on 14th Dec 2016 09:00 , but went early and came out by 08:30.
Interview appnt. on 15th Dec 2016 11:30 , but went early and came out by 10:00.
15th Dec 2016, went all formalities before reaching to the VO,
VO: Hello sir.
Me: Hello Sir, Good Morning, How are you sir?
VO: Good, Thank you sir.
(Mean while I passed over my Petition and NewPassport to him)
VO: How long you are working to your current employer sir?
Me: Around 5 years and 8 Months sir.
VO: Are you going to work in Client place?
Me: Yes
VO: Who is your client?
Me: xxxx?
VO: Which location you will work?
Me: Client city, State.
VO: (Passed me pamphlet) You must know your rights Sir, before you go to US.
Me: Sure sir, Thank you. (By this time I was thinking I’m thru, but silent filled throughout after that for 20 sec)
VO: (Checking his system very seriously)
Me: (I’m thinking do he checking my travel history of my B1, or do he concern on my religion)
VO: Thank you sir, Your VISA is approved
Me: Thank you very much sir, Have a very nice day ahead
VO: Thank you, you too sir.
Me: Thank you.
When before I reach to the Hall of Flame, I could feel my pumping heart, which was that strong shaking my body too. In order to get away, I started talking to a person behind me who is for B1 and giving him idea of what questions I was asked when I went last year for B1. That made me cool before I reach my VO.
Finally my long wait fruited.
Congratulations. Stamped at Chennai!!
Please guide me how can i book visa slot and also how do i know wait time of Visa slot before booking.
My employer helped on that dude!!
To find the slot, you can visit below portal to know.
https://travel.state.gov/content/visas/en/general/wait-times.html/
I got approval email from my employer regarding my h1b, and they shared the case#, when i am checking status, it shows that the case was approved on 6 June 2014 o_O on USCIS website, I’m totally confused.
i hope it’s a typographic error……..
Is anyone else is in same situation ?
@Saurabh : Please suggest something!!!
Check with your employer. They shared wrong receipt number. That maybe by mistake or on purpose.
The receipt number is decodable. Google how to split it and read it.
Hello All,
I have come to US on L2 this year and at the same time my h1b petition is approved. Do I need to get stamping done in Chennai or a Change of Status can be applied with premium processing ?
If you are already in USA, your COS should be done automatically from the starting date which you get in your I797. Officially you been moved to the new status. Regarding stamping, you don’t need to visit Chennai or any other consulate in India specially. Once you need to leave USA for any other reason, you must come back with your passport having stamped of your new visa. That time you have to visit any of the consulate in India.
Hi,
I’m really worried. My case just changed from “response to rfe received” to “rfe mailed”. Is getting two RFEs common? I’ve been waiting since September after I submitted the response for the first rfe response and now this.
After 8 mo., my case was approved on 12/07/16 FINALLY!
Case was received on 4/5.
Picked in lottery on 4/25.
RFE on 7/28.
RFE received on 8/9.
My attorney sent a service request on 11/9.
Case was approved on 12/7.
EAC161405……..
Good luck guys
Congratulations!! What is a service request?? I’ve been waiting for 3 months after RFE received
Thanks
Admin/Saurabh/Kumar…
We are waiting for your post on Trump & H1b impact on (existing, current, future holders). Thanks.
Yes ! Eagerly waiting for the truth
yes me too 🙂
HI Saurab..Does USCIS will process our cases (YR 2017) beyond 03/31/2017?? or they will wind up processing all our cases by then..reason being by april, 2017 they will start receiving/processing fresh petitions which will be selected in the lottery.any idea how was the trend in the previous years.
Hi,
Unfortunately my petition got denied y’day. Earlier decision notice was received to support Speciality occupation and equivalent degree. I have MS + 15 yrs of experience and all documents were shared in response. The final decision decision as denied is yet to be received in copy.
Anybody has similar experience earlier? Any info?
Planning to challenge the decision but need to know learning from previous cases? How does it help to get approved.
Hi KS,
What was the status when RFE was issued? Was it “notice explaining uscis’ actions was mailed”?
Through which company you had applied for H1B?
Yes, I got “notice explaining uscis” earlier and attorney responded with all documents.
I applied through small US based company.
Any input to get it approved as I am discussing with my attorney to challenge decision. Any information on this will be really helpful.
Regards,
was your MS from UK? i know one guy who did his MS in UK and has 10 yrs exp but denied petition on same grounds.
I did MS from BITS, pilani.
I do not see that being the reason to deny.
Any cases who got approval after challenging denial.
could you email me at u.wrangler@gmail.com
we can discuss your and my situation
Now received notice of denied for 2 reasons-
Employer-employee Relationship and No Specialty Occupation Work Available.
All the documents – job description, project plan, salary details, education etc were placed in first slot only, still wondering what extra is needed from uscis to get it approved.
Attorney says, providing same documents will not change decision which makes sense.
Really do not know on what basis they deny OR rejection rate in increased this year compared to last year.
Any way to support docs to turn the decision?
Hi All,
Myne also after RFE denied.
As per my employeer word: Its denied bcoz of educations.
Myne is: M.Sc (Organic chemistry)
9 years on IT.
November 1st denied.
Note: But my employer said that reappealed.
But still status is showing Denied for old Receipt. I hope this time they will provide new receipt right.
How can I get the new receipt.
Regards,
vinayak
After the long long wait my case is finally got approved.
Case Received – 11th April
RFE – 26th Sept
RfeResp – 21st Nov
Approved – 13th Dec
Thank you everyone for support.
Hi All,
After long wait my Case was Approved.
RFE Request: Jul 16
RFE Response: Aug 18
Case Approved: Dec 13
WAC series
Thank you Saurab and team for your support in this forum.
Cheers !
Hi Team
My case was approved.
RFE : Jul 17
RFE RESP: Aug 18
Case Approved: Dec 13
Series: WAC
Thanks to Saurab and team for your adorable support.
THANKS
Hi All,
Finally, My Case was Approved!! 🙂
RFE Request: Sep 22
RFE Response: Nov 23
Case Approved: Dec 13
Non AD/RP/Vermont
Thank you Kumar for maintaining a great forum!!
All the best guys!!
Anyone Still waiting for approval who sent their RFE response in August.
RFE Response sent August 17th 2016.
Vermont Center.
I had sent my response on 28th July 2016. But still waiting for the response
“Case Was Received”
Hi Saurabh,
My case is still in “Case Was Received” since April 2016, I am wondering is it possible case or strange case; Or is there any SLA on this decision.
Are there any cases in the past that they prolonged to next fiscal year viz. in this case 2017.
Please need your help here. Thanks in advance.
There is no SLA…Yes, I have seen cases stuck in that state for long time…You can speak to your attorney and ask for follow up from their side and check with USCIS.
“Case Was Received”
Can we have any hope on this as same is there from the beginning ? Or quota is already over on this H1B?
Receipt: 18 May
Rfe: 16 Aug
Rfe response: 9 Nov
Approved : 12 Dec
WAC1614652###
So relieved ! Wait for 230 days 🙂 Maza aa Gaya
Wow.. Maza aa Gaya!!!
Do H1B visa needs any kind of verification prior traveling alike as we do for UAE Visa (OKAY to Board). Your response would be highly appreciated.
No really, stamped then , you are all good to go.
Nina,
Nothing that I am aware of…
Saurabh, Kumar, All,
I need one genuine advice.
Does is advisable to convert case to PP at this stage?.
I heard more rejection during rfe response converted to PP. Also those guys are getting 1 year of validity.
Can u please suggest from your experience?
There is no such trend as of now. Upgrading to PP at this point of time is not suggested since, you can see lots of cases are getting approved from case received/ RFE response received.
Wait for some time, you will get good news.
Hi Raghu,
I have real nervous situation here…..
Today my Employer received H1B APPROVAL NOTICE and the approved dates as below
start date: 12-06-2016
end date: 11-05-2017
Considering current date I hardly have 6 months visa. And I am planning to fly sometime in feb 2017. what if my visa extension didn’t get approved before May 2017.
I am really confused and tensed. Please suggest how to make forward step on this case.
Hi Parameshwar,
May I know when was your case approved and whether it was filed under regular?
You are not reading it correctly:
start date: 12-06-2016 – December 6, 2016
end date: 11-05-2017 – November 5, 2017
So USCIS gave you 12 months Validity
Man its MM-DD-YYYY format
So your petition is valid till 5th November 2017
How come your visa is approved from June 2016 ? Its 6th December 2016
Use minimum common sense before you put your questions (sorry for being harsh)
Looks like you are working in Infy/Wipro/TCS or some desi consultancy 😛
🙂 what made you think so
Parameshwar,
Yes I am wrong with date format…..apologies for posting such a silly question but I was so nervous when I see the dates,
@Its MM-DD-YYYY! 😛 : Who cares if you work for Silicon vally/Wall street, do you think you will get special treatment if you are from Google?
End of the day we all work for money even if it TCS/INFY/WIPRO/Google…
End tag line: East or West..Desi is the Best….especially in my case desi comes first for everything..
Hi Parameshwar,
Approval durations are at discretion of case officers. May be some of the project documents you have submitted have validity only until then. One thing important is its nothing against you or the company.
So your immediate priority is get your H1 stamped and travel to USA as soon as you can. With couple of months in the US – You can apply for extension with valid documentation and you can continue to work while the extension is being processed even if your I94 expires Precisely for around 240 Days after expiry.
One more thing is if you file premium – you will know your extension decision in 15 days.
So plan in such a way that you file your extension / transfer in a timely manner once in the US so that decision is most probable before I94 expiry. the reason i say this is if I94 expires and your extension is denied – you will be out of status. This doesnt mean you have to leave US but your options are minimal at this stage and in most cases you will have to discuss your case with attorney if an when that happens
Thanks Raghu for detail explanation.
I will plan to go for extension as you suggested.
Hi there,
I think it is November 5 2017.
Hi Team,
1. Can you please tell me what is the Visa interview wait time in Hyderabad.
3. How can i book Visa interview slot in hyderabad. (Please provide any Links or information)
3. My Petition is approved on 8-Dec-2016 and how many days it will take to get docs.
4. Can you please post interview questions which are asked VO in Hyderabad
1) check online at ustraveldocs.com
2)answered in question 1
3) to take appointment you need to have i797B it takes 1-2 weeks to reach docs at your US office.
4) N kinda question can be asked do a google search once you book appointment
tip : get all required docs for stamping from employer and ask for a mock interview.
my company filed amendment for new location , my petition filed on 1st dec in regular processing.Any ide how much time it will take .And when i can fly to the location after filling petition.
Long time , really long.
Ask them to make it PP. we are still in april – may season, DEC is really long
Hello Admin,
After entering into USA I had applied for F1 and was waiting for reply and in April 2016 my h1b was applied with change of status and got approved and just saw F1 got denied, so is my wife still in status as her H4 approval is pending.
All who are worried because of TRUMP’S Comments on H1B Visa, this might make you relaxed.
http://m.gadgetsnow.com/tech-news/blind-protectionism-wont-help-in-creating-jobs-says-nasscom-about-donald-trumps-remarks/articleshow/55940553.cms?utm_source=facebook.com&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=GadgetsNow
Just off track question..
My visa is stamp by company X and are waiting to know my travel date.
My current employer A, i hv 3mths notice period. How to get early release . Any experience /suggestions will help.
Hi,
This is a typical state of employment who works for body shoppers, Do you have confirmation from client for start date ? if no then wait till that time. Once it comes your h1b employer will ask you to come there ASAP, you need to get an early release by request or buying out notice period. If negotiating for notice is not possible(Personal Brave Advice) : start serving notice period now 3 months from now will be FEB , good time for new jobs to arrive in market.
Take decision as you feel conformable, if you think you can get job in India at any time, please serve resignation latter after consulting to your h1b employer.
“Case Was Received” status:
I have same status as “Case Was Received” state till now.
Anyone is in the same status and is there any deadline on this wait? Thanks in advance.
Me too have the same status … waiting !
No deadline I think , we gotta wait and be patient
No SLA .. you gotta wait and be patient … all the best
The consulate mentioned in my I-797B doc is Kolkata, however, I will be appearing for my interview in New Delhi Consulate as I got an early interview date for New Delhi. Will it cause any problem?
Note: I have filled up my DS-160 form for New Delhi.
Its not an issue, u can attend any consulate in India.