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.
How can you say that now you are left with just 5%..the game is still on!!
All the applicants of your attorney can be selected as well..
It’s complete luck that’s why they named it lottery my friend..
OM NAMAH SHIVAY
Any updates Non AD/RP/VT.
Accenture Non AD/RP ????????
When is the approximate last date by when AD/PP people can give up hope about this year?
It’s most probably over think of plan be. That is what I was told
Plan B
Hi K.
What is your Plan B? I am really nervous right now because I still have not received any news from my employer. But the last time I checked with them, receipts are slowly trickling it. Thank you.
For the past 2 years I was not so keen on lottery results and finally mine was not picked. This year I am going through sleepless nights…still no updates….
4’th Attempt:)
Finally I got it this time.
Received receipt today.
All the best guys:)
Vinay
non ad/ rp ??
Congratulations
This is my second time , NON AD/RP CA, still waiting for my luck. My company has filed H1b for 15+ people under same category and yesterday only one got notified. Hope i get this time.
Best of luck for all those who are waiting and waiting just like I am waiting.
same is the case with me.my company filed close to 30 and till Monday they got notified of just 1.ALL of a sudden yesterday the count increased to 6 and now i assume i stand only 5% chance.its too painful to wait for that 5%
Did anyboby receive updates today? Looks like not much notifications….
immigration girl received 19% of notifications for non ad rp ca today.
Guys,
Please do not open any blank mail with subject h1b receipt, this mail is totally blank with weird attachment, which is nothing but VIRUS.
I have got such mail, thought to inform you all.
AD/PP/VT havent heard anything ..I guess i didn’t get picked again right?
its over you morons, go start packing the bags and leave the country..idiots
I think its better you leave this blog idiot. Its about all our careers.
Haha poor you! Do you have any idea what US will be without immigrants? I am sure you are not educated enough to understand that. Let me guess, you parents didn’t pay for your tuitions? And you couldn’t do anything in life that you all the free time in the world to come and comment here? Pity you
Well Said!!
Do I stand a better chance if i had applied in PP?
NO..its just you get to know the result first and your processing is fast
But I find that PP candidates have not posted anywhere as 3rd or 4th attempt…
that is coz generally people who applied PP are AD guys which stand better chance then NON-AD guys and thats y u r seeing that trend.AD people have better chances of selection as they get two chance .
okay…
anyone else has 2 applications picked up. I had put in 4 applications, have got 2 selected. How should I proceed, can I hold on to both till Oct 1 before I decide which one to pick.
🙂
You are welcome fool, I hope to take 2 more places by having the rest two applications selected 😀
I hope so too, so that you loose all the fees you paid
Haha smartass. Poor Bob s dad has a lot of black income and it may not matter for him buddy. People become what they see from young age. Looks like honestly doesn’t run in his family.
Bob don’t forget to update us when you are packing your bags to leave the country! Others won’t atleast be packing even though not selected. They ll just implement Plan B
Doesn’t really matter what you do, as you will get denied the visa for multiple fillings anyway. Good luck to you next year when you submit one genuine application.
is your dad in USCIS moron, i have 4 different employers with 4 different client letters..will have my approval in a week while you can keep waiting for your result.
USCIS will scrutinize petitions with multiple applications this year and no one will believe your stories about unrelated employers.. I already got selected with one genuine petition, so don’t worry about me.
I know 2 of my friends applied with multiple H-1Bs last year through consultancies and got at least 2 picked for each. Both got denied finally. They filed as AD process.
my friend had 2 picked up last year, he just revoked one and is working in the US after getting the other one stamped.
Why there has been no news from yesterday morning till now ? 🙁
If I call my consultancy, they say still there is time and they got less number of NON-AD.
They dont even feel like answering 🙁
Same here
Not much notifications today…
NON-AD /REGULAR????
ANYONE?
AD/PP/CA
2nd chance…single application…lucky name? say wha?
Guys believe me no name will get luck…its all ur luck…have faith in what u do and keep plan B ready…everything happens for a reason…
Still waiting.. Hope to hear something today / tomorrow..
Finally my h1b picked in lottry and got my receipt number..Non AD/RP/CA..All the best to those waiting…Your receipt number will soon come to you..Thanks GOD
congrats….pls pray for me
any1 has any idea if non ad rp cheques always get en-cashed first .my cheque is not en-cashed so are there any chances for me.NON AD RP CA
do not worry, i receive notice first, ad/rg/vt
ok..thanks i hope it is the case with non ad as well.though i guess very little chance for me as most of them 6 out of 28 got it.its just the hope which is keeping alive.
@Anup,
When was your receipt generated? When did your lawyer receive your receipt.
My check encashed on 21 April, receipt generated on 20 April.
However, I have not received the receipt in mail yet. Kinda worried now.
I think company do not want to share the receipt number
Anyone from Accenture who has been notified already of the result?
Is it over for the PP guys?
No. Have you been in touch with people mobility on this?
AD/RP/VT
6th time!!!! Finally!
Congratullations
There was no lottery 6 years ago, you liar..
No I think first lottery from 2009..
There was no lottery for the few years before 2014 lol this is a lie
LIAR and others,
Here is the H-1 cap history (since I got into H-1 and started tracking it):
2006 (FY-2006) – Cap reached in May 2006
2007 (FY-2008) – Lottery in April 2007
2008 (FY-2009) – Lottery in April 2008
2009 (FY-2010) – Cap reached in December 2009
2010 (FY-2011) – Cap reached in January 2011 (best year)
2011 (FY-2012) – Cap reached in November 2011
2012 (FY-2013) – Cap reached in June 2012
2013 (FY-2014) – Lottery in April 2013
2014 (FY-2015) – Lottery in April 2014
2015 (FY-2016) – Lottery in April 2015
2016 (FY-2017) – Lottery in April 2016
You may read article on H1B Cap reach dates History
No. Have u got in touch with people mobility for the same?
I am AD RP VT
My check got encashed on April 21. I have not received the receipt notice yet.
Anyone in the similar situation?
I did. Not receive either .
I got letter from USCIS that they received my petition for change of status of my wife(H4). Does this mean I am selected for H1? My employer and attorney has not received any receipt for my application though.
Yes you are selected.congrats.I saw many cases like this in immigration girl blog.Congrats..Pray for me pls.
Thank you . Best wishes for you .I pray to lord you also don’t need to suffer waiting for result.
hi all,
Wanted to know if all the checks are cleared at single go by Uscis for the selected ppl..
or is it like 1 by 1..??
Hi admin,
Can u plz answer my query . 🙁
NB,
They are done one by one as they start to process the picked H1B application in Lottery.
Hi Guys,
I think we still have time for RP.
Status update from @immigrationgirl
immigrationgirl.com/updated-h-1b-lottery-receipt-results-as-of-april-28th-for-fy-2017/
Any chance left for AD/RP/CA?
AD/RP/CA. DSO said there is no SEVIS changes as of yesterday morning.
Same here…
Few people thinks its a lucky name n myself also feeling same..
immigrationgirl.com/ …seems to be out of service..
“Error establishing a database connection”
Anyone know the lottery results on Non AD-RP..
I have a doubt on every information provided by “h1bslaughteragain”
He seems to be playing with others emotions. Sometime he show that he is from TCS, sometime from CTS……followed by INFOSYS and some outside consultancies.
@h1bslaughteragain: please stop this play …and stick on your genuine identity
Hahahaaa …. Actually somebody said it was a lucky name … and so now many people are using it …. thats why there are posts from the same name for multiple companies … The info might still be true…
Hi Dongali,
That name is used by many ppl who are believing that, that name is lucky…
Thanks guys…GOt it 😉
And sorry to Genuine “h1bslaughteragain” 😉
Is anyone here who works with Cora Tekach from Tekach Law Firm in Washington to apply for H1B?
non-AD/RP/VT 3rd Attempt.This wait is killing me
I am getting this on my h1b status. Can you please tell me what does this mean?? Does everyone goes through this??
“Case Was Received and A Receipt Notice Was Emailed”
On April 15, 2016, we received your Form I-129, Petition for a Nonimmigrant Worker, Receipt Number WAC**********, and emailed you a receipt notice. It is being processed at our California Service Center location. The notice describes how we will process your case. Please follow the instructions in the notice. If you move, go to http://www.uscis.gov/addresschange to give us your new mailing address.
Out of 28 , 6 are selected.I dont think any chance left for me.Totaly shatterred.
Relax its not the end of the world! You will find something better in life
Waiting from last year this is my last attempt .
Iam AD/RP/VT.
Is there any hope this system has to change to improve a lot
Third time Non-AD/RP/CA eagerly waiting for my receipt.
h1bslaughteragain ID will favour my luck.
CTS Folks..GIT gonna release another set of receipts tonight.Good luck guyz.
How do you know ?
May I know the source?
please dont make folks sleepless night if you are not sure
Picked. AD/RP/VT. Got notification from lawyer yesterday.
Dear Admin (Saurabh),
In your experience, when is the last date, by when 90-99% AD/RP results flow in. I know, no one can be certain of that, but you are in the best position to make an intelligent guess.
Your answer can provide a near-definitive answer to many of us than ever-diplomatic HR and attorneys, who parrot “there is chance till we see returned package through USPS” !
Shilpa,
Based on past experiences, I think most of them should be notified by May. If USCIS makes an announcement of data entry completion, then it should be done within 1-2 weeks post that date (to factor in postal delays).
Still waiting.. This is for the 3rd consecutive time I have applied
Case selected under USCIS Lottery System.. Feeling Happy..:-)
Best luck..!!!!
Today any one got NON-AD/Reg receipts?
Has anyone heard from Ocher technologies Atlanta. I am Non-Ad/RP.
Team,
Waiting eagerly , i am Non-AD, PP through Frag anyone know anything as to why we havent heard anything .
I am CA processing center but is there any hope for Non-AD, PP or its time to plan something else.
Case selected under USCIS Lottery System.. Feeling Happy..:-)
Best luck..!!!!
You’re talking about your iPhone cover case?! 🙂
Just for fun. Congrats anyways.
Yea man.. Lol
Non-ad/rp/ca
Frustrating
hope “h1bslaughteragain” brings luck.
trying from past 3 years
Hi ..Anyone Received receipts for Non AD/RP/VT from Ajace Inc, VA ? waiting eagerly for their updates
hope “h1bslaughteragain” brings luck.
trying from past 3 years
Well.. I cant believe I am saying this, but wanna try this name myself too for luck ‘h1bslaughteragain’..
Coz, miracles do happen, like Ban lost to India by 1 run in T20 WC 2016 .. 😛
Try your name instead.. You will be lucky…
Has anyone’s case been selected and approved?