Home » US Immigration - Visas » H1B Visa » H1B Visa 2017 – News, Quota, Cap, Predictions, Lottery, FAQs

H1B Visa 2017 – News, Quota, Cap, Predictions, Lottery, FAQs

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]

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 

H1B Visa 2017 Premium Processing Time :

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.

Photo of author
Satheesh Kumar Ilu, commonly known as Kumar, is the founder of RedBus2US.com. He is an Immigration and Study Abroad expert. He holds an MS from the University of Houston–Clear Lake and an MBA from the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee. He studied, lived, and worked in the U.S. and Singapore for nearly two decades, and has traveled to over 25 countries.

   

Other Articles

23,619 Comments

  1. I just got a call from My employer that they received the receipt no , Non-AD/RP, Third time and got picked , thanks all for the wishes

    Reply
    • To All CTS,

      Guys last time the 1st email stating that Global_mobility about NON-AD/RP came on April 29 , check the below comment

      “APRIL 29, 2015

      CTS H1B
      Finally CTS employees started receiving their Receipt Numbers for Non-AD/RP. at Chennai Location. Wish I get mine too ..”

      Reply
  2. TCS sponsored h1b and visa was approved. What if employer B petition is denied during h1 transfer ? Is A approved petition is still valid and can work using A TCS approved h1 before OCT?

    I have a friend whose CASE was revoked after visa is stamped since he resigned from TCS and just wanted to know whether he will come under cap or H1 transfer. He is thinking to join back to TCS again because of this lottery head ache and he is reporting to me and good friend of mine.

    Reply
    • What FY was the TCS sponsored H1B status approved? If it was last year’s, then it should be cap exempt. If you have your I-797 Notice Of Action, give it to Employer B, and they can prove that you were already counted towards the cap, and are cap exempt. Case Revoked means your status is no longer valid for that particular employer, but that you can still apply for H1 status with a new employer for the next 6 years from the original approval, and be cap exempt. So if FY 2016, then you have until 2022.

      *This is not a legal advise, please consult an immigration attorney.

      Reply
    • H1 Transfer,

      Your friend will be cap-exempt based on previous approval notice. This holds true even if TCS had withdrawn their petition post resignation. TCS will have to file a cap-exempt petition for him. New stamping is required if the previous visa stamp has expired or marked as canceled.

      Reply
  3. Just called my school they said my sevis was updated with two different receipt numbers. Looks like both of them got picked. No reply yet from the employers.

    AD/RP/CA

    Reply
  4. What is up with CTS this year? Why are they holding out the mails still! Employees are getting agitated and restless already. at least i’m!!! If i am not wrong last year by this time huge number of approval mails were sent out. Has GM still not sent out the mails or our colleagues who got it approved are not saying it out loud? This could be the worst thing cognizant could do to their employees. RP – Pune.

    Reply
  5. I have filed my petition under AD/RP. I am still waiting for hear back from my employer that whether my check has been en-cashed or not. I believe its been 4 days (19th April) since people have started receiving notices through employer that checks have been en-cashed.

    Is there any deadline for getting a notification ? Should I assume that my visa didn’t get pick. ( Assumption would be wrong). If anyone knows here let me know.

    Reply
  6. USCIS never said they will notify PP early in this lottery process than regular.They only promise that it will be processed in 15 days after May 15, 2016. I am not sure why we all assume that PP petitions are notified first. I think everyone has equal chance of getting notified until 12th May.

    Reply
  7. Quick observation for Non-AD/PP people:

    AD/ PP received emails on the 12, 13, 14 & 15 (four days)
    Non-AD/ PP received emails only on the 14 & 15 th of April (two days)…

    Last week….no more PP emails…..

    Are 2 days really enough to process all Non-AD/ PP petitions?

    (this is from Immigration Girl website)

    Monday does not seem to be an active day for the USCIS, but I think we can still hope for a resumption tomorrow…..and if not, then its game over….but thats just me thinking….Non-AD/ PP/ VT

    Reply
    • That’s just IG’s cases.

      I confirmed with my law firm that they were receiving notification through out last week. All PP.

      Reply
      • Fragomen update:
        Email receipting of premium processing cases selected in the lottery appears to have been largely completed. Employers have begun receiving paper receipts for premium processed cases.
        Non-premium receipting is expected to begin shortly and continue for at least several weeks. Cases not chosen in the lottery will be returned with their filing fees; this is likely to begin in mid- to late-June.

        Reply
  8. Hi ,

    I checked with my school , and they told the SEVIS shows change of status pending . Does that mean my application got selected ?

    Reply
  9. Quick observation for PP people:

    AD/ PP received emails from the 12-15 (four days)
    Non-AD/ PP received emails only on the 14 & 15 the of April……

    Last week….no more PP emails…..

    Are 2 days really enough to process all Non-AD/ PP petitions?

    Reply
  10. Wah is this place quiet this morning? I see not a lot of receipts or checks cashed!

    My lawyer said once they complete processing masters quota, there is a short break before they start sending receipts for general quota. Not sure how true it is but looking at the quiet morning, I feel they may be now moving to General quota for AD

    Reply
  11. 10 AM EST BOSTON 25 APR 2016

    I can speculate to see more of RP (AD and Non-AD) this week as compared to PP.

    – SCIENTIST@STARTUP /
    – OPT STEM EXTENSION JUN 2017 / IVY LEAGUE
    – 1ST ATTEMPT / SINGLE GENUINE APPLICATION

    Good luck to all ! Hope you get it ! and hope I get it with too with you all !

    Reply
  12. This is not part of H1B petition update . Every one’s department are getting updated . Even for ppl who were not nominated for H1B . Please close this topic. No worries on this.

    Reply
  13. Hi Cts guys

    Can you check by clicking department in the my visa>my case >department and see whether it’s updated by any automation team as last updated by …

    Thanks

    Reply
  14. In todays techie world its really pathetic that we r waiting so long though the lottery was already done some 3 weeks ago. At least they could have flash it on their portal.

    Reply
    • If it’s PP, then u will get mail confirmation or notification.

      If it’s RP, then it’s just based on whether cheque is encashed or not, based on the receipt number will be generated which you will get via mail.
      Correct me If I’m wrong.

      Reply
    • What the **** are you talking? Long process? 240000+ applications… Processing them… Are you kidding me? If you don’t like the process, don’t participate. Stop complaining about everything in life…. Suck it up cry baby…

      Reply
    • CTS CTS CTS……………….. What is this guys???

      Please hold ur patience till April 29th….

      That too only 30 out of 100 selected guys get emails from GM.

      May 1st week will be another 40…

      Finally May 2nd week remaining 30….

      Have patience please

      Reply
      • @CTS-
        Is it you mean to say remaining 70% people were informed through mail, that those are not selected…
        I thought that they are going to send updates to only those guys who got selected in lottery.

        Reply
  15. Any one from TechM got any news from visa cell or their respevtive manager???

    Will they share receipt number if we get selected?? Last communication was to confirm filing is completed

    Reply
  16. Is it Ok if a consulting company filed an H1B for you ? Will the uscis have any issues with the fact that you are a fresh recruit and filed an h1b right away ?
    What to expect if he gets selected in lottery ?

    Reply
    • 1stimeh1b,

      Yes, it is ok to file through consulting company. However, if it is a small-medium size company, USCIS may pay extra attention to ensure that company and submitted contract/project are genuine.

      Reply
  17. Current Data:
    AD/PP – 92.00% of selected candidates were informed
    Non – AD/PP – 94.00% of selected candidates were informed
    AD/RP – 39.00% of selected candidates were informed
    Non – AD/RP – 3.33% of selected candidates were informed

    Reply
  18. I called up GI help desk and asked when I can expect the results. This is the reply I got:

    “The results will be available 6 weeks after filing. So please check with us after Mid May.”

    This is true and I’m not trying to spread any rumors here, All the best everybody.

    Reply
  19. Received my Receipt number today :). Had to call up Mobility and get the updates from them. I had to try few time before they provided it to me.

    Reply
  20. CTS,

    Anyone from CTS belonging to NON AD/RP got their receipts? Has GIT team started sending receipts?

    second time one genuine application 😐

    /Thanks

    Reply
  21. Any updates or notifications regarding non AD/ regular processing H1-B lottery??? I heard few of them got selected in this category..!! Till when can we expect this results in such category?? Kindly let me know.
    Your reply would be helpful to few members including me.

    Reply

Leave a Comment