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.
Nonsense
When is the lottery date??how many petitions filed this year
All the best to all the people who are waiting for lottery…ratio is 1:2.25
I received confirmation that my petition has been filed! I heard from a source that those who file early have better chances .. Good luck everyone 🙂
Ram,
Petition received on 1st day (Apr 1) and the petition received on last dat (Apr 7) have exactly the same chance of making through the lottery. No preference given to ones received earlier.
This year is surely lesser than 2015, here is my logic:
2015
Total: 539807
10/01/2014 – 03/31/2015 – 148862
04/01/2015 – 09/30/2015 – 394455
2016
Total:402630
10/01/2015 – 03/31/2016 – 154503
04/01/2016 – 09/30/2016 – 256656
You can see that the number of LCA filed during 2016 is less by atleast 120000 during April-Sept 30th. We should only look at LCAs filed between 04/01/2016-09/30/2016 (MM/DD/YY). I also checked the top 75 companies on Myvisajobs.com, I compared their number of filings with last year and there is about 30-40% reduction this time. I also tried to filter data based on zip codes and look into LCAs for multiple filings. Companies are not filing as many multiple openings in a single LCA. Example: I saw that TCS had applied for 15 people in a single LCA and all were new employment. This year I did not see more than 6 in a single LCAs. This is my small and simple analysis, please do not spread false rumors and cause distress to others. And to be honest all this means nothing. If it is our turn to get it, even if 1 million people file, we will get it. Stay positive and hope for the best and also keep a back up plan just in case. All the best guys! 🙂
Good analysis. Mine research also points to similar number.
Note: Last years number 04/01/2015 – 09/30/2015 – 394455 also includes LCAs that were filed after april 1, 2015 with start dates in between 04/01/2015 – 09/30/2015. And per month there are about 15k lcas so this year total will be approximately 256656 + 15k lcs per month until 09/30/2015
I am not sure if your prediction will come true, but I really like the way you have analysed it, very logical.
Wait… too soon to jump to a conclusions. LCA count would start increasing again from Monday onwards.
Yes it will go up, but the way I see it is they update it on daily basis. And if you are in the lottery for this year, you should apply for an LCA by now. Cause the LCA process takes atleast a week.
So now, it is showing 411,828 LCA filled.
I hope it doesn’t grow exceptionally on Monday and Tuesday.
Regards,
Anuj
Can someone please educate me on
1. What LCA means ?
2. How different is it from the number of applicants ( I observe LCA > No of applicants )
3. And what do u mean when u say LCA from Jan-March and April – Sept?
Thanks in advance
Hey guys,
PFB the latest info
year filed approved company
2015 27k 8.5k tcs
2016 9.7k – tcs
2015 33k 14k cts
2016 10k – cts
Can someone please educate me on
1. What LCA means ?
2. How different is it from the number of applicants ( I observe LCA > No of applicants )
3. And what do u mean when u say LCA from Jan-March and April – Sept?
Thanks in advance
Good luck guys. I also expect around 180K by comparing the LCAs.
Since April 1st has passed and everyone had a good laugh with all the stupid comments, lets get back to serious discussion.
@ Data Analysis, does you prediction of ~ 190K still hold true ?
All the applicants are going to have some sleepless nights 😮
Lets wait till Mid Of April to hear it officially from USICS, till that we have to really on our friends exclusive contacts Reports from USICS 😛 🙂
@ Data Analysis did a good analysis of the LCA data. What did you do?
I think you are the stupid one. Do you have a theory to prove the number is way larger than 190K? I
I don’t want to get into “calling names” , I’ll leave it to your dignity. May be you misread my comment, I was not referring to @Data analysis when I was talking about the stupid comments. If you go through the thread properly you’ll see what I mean. I was just asking @Data analysis if his prediction still holds true as the count of LCA filed has changed.
This is my 3rd time petition. All singles. Let’s see what happens. Be fair now else life can be unfair in the long run.
Could THEY be talking to us from the future ??
If the people working in USICS can send data directly to us , can they relay us LCA quantum data ??
Moreover not all work with TCS, Infy.
LCA count reached 408,448.
WHERE ARE YOU GETTING THIS LCA INFO FROM ?????
https://icert.doleta.gov/index.cfm?event=ehLCJRExternal.dspAdvCertSearch
Here U Go……………
Do not panic
Department of Labor(DOL) typically certifies more than 3 times the number of foreign work requests than the number of H-1B visas issued by USCIS.
wrg
Indian it people give some info i mean real info in approx.Am from tcs,we hv initiated h1b in march last week..its war out here..total count is between 2k-3k this time..i heard cognizant,infy,hcl etc all are filling less…so if indian mncs are filling so less and no of lcas are also less compare to previous year,managers are saying it will not cross 200k this time…Anyway it will be clear after 4-5days but people who have info can update..we can estimate..
it reached 200 K on very first day, they expect it to be 400 K by April 7 th
Where do you get this information? Who are “they”?
Cts filing more than last time TCS and HCl filing less due to margin pressure and infy will file more or equal for wipro no idea so there won’t be any change for these big guys now accent IBM Microsoft count is important and also uscis has started to do lot of security check and because of this we can see less petititions from consultancies
Ohh really you have connection with uscis . Don’t believe that.
Soon you will get to know the numbers, so don’t get mad when I reveal the numbers
Can’t believe they got 200 K applications on very first day. Expect to be around 400 K
From where you got this information??
Have few connections working for USCIS. They added Vermont and California collections and it was roughly around 197 K.
They bundled out packs each contains 1000 and separated in to master cap and general cap later before lottery
How many applications under master cap?
If it’s 200k then it will be around 50 percent more for remaining days ..let’s wait and see… and hope this will the last year for H1 lottery
Press release. USCIS accepting applications till April 4.
It WIll go till 7th April. They used to accept only working days
ROFL
CTS provides tracking no and emails. TCS doesn’t even provide that to empolyees? How to know if my petition has reached US dept?
What is the status of VTS currently..any buddy from TCS please share !
Too many “C”, ” T” and “S”
Based on LCA & multiple LCA filing comparisons with last year my guess is 120K – 150k this year .
multiple LCA : Total Worker Positions in one LCA
150K seems too optimistic, My guess is it will be definitely more than the last year, and could be around 260k-280k.
Regards,
Anuj
yours is plain guess 🙂 mine has some logic.
6 more days to go, so your logic which appears to be based on lca count will get a big surprise. Also, please be aware that the websites showing lca count is not updated daily, it is having a lag of 1 week sometimes.
Hi friends, looks H1b applications hits high on the first day itself. Wall Street Journal news has in detail info but cud not read it as it demands subscription. Below is the head line.
Tech Industry Rushes to Grab New H1-B Worker Visas
20% chance for non advanced and less than 50% for advanced degrees, this is insane. Shit has hit the ceiling this time.
If you haven’t done advanced degree in US, you deserve lesser chance. In fact advanced degree should not have any cap.
Able to get 30 days subscription with WSJ. This news is just a overall view of the H1B program but does not hold in any info on applications received count on Apr 1
still guess 150 k approx?
i am guessing it would reach between 450k to 500k and not 100k to 200k..if this is the count DAMN!! from 500k only 85000 select including master quota..Doah! feeling sick!!
What a ridiculous comment! Dont post ur guesses unless u hav a theory to prove it. Otherwise, just shut up. I am guessing it would reach 5 million . Are you are feeling sicker now ?
Looks like JONGADU and MANNY are the same guys
You r really wasting time and please dont into politics with this stating DONALD TRUMP…
Share the news and not ur suggestions as USCIS not gonna make any decisons from this forum
@TooSmart
If only is was “Too Smart” to come up with such names. We are discussing on a forum, you are welcome to agree, disagree, or ignore our comments and stop wasting your time. I work at big MNC and know people who set trends for such discussions on a higher level, so my opinion comes from facts and what is going to happen.
I agree too.
I came to USA on my merit through a top MNC(internal transfer) on L1B. Have approved i140 since 3 years. Already wasted 4 years in this h1b visa race.
Could not get selected in the lottery in previous years.
On the other hand, a couple of my neighbors filed H1b for their wife using fake resume(both never worked earlier) and got the visa last year. They are still struggling to get a job. Both filed multiple h1b applications with the USCIS.
Ans here am I with patents in my name struggling to survive in this country.
Heard fo many similar cases.
the more you expect the more you disappointed. For example India and WI match.
Just hope for the best!!
why r u opposing my suggestion ? On one hand I am calling for removal of H1-B program, on the other I am calling for a diluted version of O1 program. So I am asking for removal of “luck” based system and introduction of “merit” based system. You should be happy that you will not have to depend on luck anymore and you will be able to qualify for O1 visa on merit. O1 visas do not have any cap number, they are unlimited.
@Jongadu
No offence….anyone can hav any suggestion…i was just trying to make u understand that this forum is us, not for Usics …If u need their attention on ur suggestion u gotta be talking to them directly , not here … but dont use the word merit so often….and how do u propose anyone who got graduated 5 or 5+ years ago working in india for MNC’s like TCS, CTS, INFY, etc still dreaming to get a work visa, shud be happy if the merit system is brought in ???
Pls explain
of course, those who have worked more than 5+ years must have several patents and achievements under their belt, they will easily get a diluted version of O1 visa. Remember, O1 visa can be filed any time of the year and they have no limit. So effectively all bright people will come. No gambling with career as in H1 system.
Guys, I seriously want Donald Trump to come in and put things straight in the H1-B system. Increase the wage level for H1-B or make it strict in someway so that the ever mushrooming body shop XYZ-Tech companies do not abuse this program anymore. Right now this is like ‘anything goes’ kind of program.
May be abolishing this program altogether and bringing in its place a diluted version of O1- visa .. can be a good step.
@JONGADU
I guess you should take some rest and come back later not before april 8th coz you are really making everyone sick of ur perverted thinking
what part of my thinking is perverted?
@TooSmart
I agree with Jongadu’s perverted thinking, maybe you have some better points to raise, then say otherwise do not just write words you don’t know meaning of
I agree, man at some point a xyz consultancy contacted me and I was dumbfounded from their practices. Fake resume, fake interview, fake graduation dates, fake certificates, fake companies, fake id’s. What kind of baloney is this.
My question is this:
If you are a genuine candidate why anybody including consultancy would want to fake anything for you?
It all starts with the candidate. If the profile is shady they will do these stuff.
You don’t really know how things are working, do you?
Completely agree with Jongadu. It is so irritated that those outsourcing companies dominate the visa program by flooding the system with many fake applications. They screwed up H1B system. The U.S government should reform the H1B now!
Just heard that due to fradulant applications, petitions from India has been suspended. They will probably be denied 🙁
What is the source of this information?
i cannot understand onething. i heard that in india for computer engineers are getting high salary and wipros and infosis are paying like anything.and why people want togoto US.
Why do you want to go?
My dear suja, you say these companies are hiring people and giving too much salaries. I feel sorry for your ignorance, these companies are giving oppurtunity to only those with 9 and 10 year exp, therefore people are looking for jobs else where exp doesnt matter, only knowledge matters
This time I heard from my sources in USCIS RaGa, Kejriwal and Modi too are in h1b race.
It was confirmed when USCIS disclosed this on their website. They say these guys will not get any preferential treatment and will have to appear in the examination in the consulate.
RaGa will definitely receive RFE
RaGa was ready for that, as usual. He just did a press conference giving the RFE reply in advance to USCIS.
It had an excellent impact around the world since he went green and avoided using any paper to reply to the RFE.
“We have to eradicate poverty in USA and especially USCIS employees”, he said. He wants to make ‘America Great Again’.
This is scary. LCA data link show application for 2016 went up three times since today morning. Now the number looks somewhere close to 378k by 4pm on day 1.
what dates did you put in?
I am under master cap, do you know how many applied under this last year ??
Around 50 k
mm, will be 60 K this year, have a 33% of chance
33 % + general cap, so around 50-60% worst case, 70-80% best case
hope for the best. Since they conduct advanced degree lottery first, do they announce winners early ??
Don’t know, they will process all applications, conduct lottery, send notice to premium processing applicants selected, then to regular selected, then to non selected
if it is 420 K as most of the websites predict today, we have almost no chance to get selectes
1 in 6
looks like lot of folks are trolling here
Looks like people here are celebrating April fools day here with their comments.
FedEx even called me that my application cannot be accepted today as they are not prepared for such high volume.
First time in history USCIS is unprepared to accept the application on the first day.
Breaking News is, the number of applications is so high that USCIS will not accept the petitions at all. This time, they have decided to conduct an examination of all the candidates.
Examination will include written, group discussion and an interview at the consulate.
Syllabus is common for all applicant: US History, US Polity, US Economy and US Culture, H1B process, Math, Science and Geography.
Now anybody can appear in the exam even if you do not have a job in US. For people scoring high marks USCIS will find a job for them.
I have a buddy working for USCIS. He just texted me that they have received around 170 K applications by 4 pm ET on first day. They estimate it could be 400 K by 7th of April
Oh really, they processed and counted same day and then your buddy somehow got data and texted you !
It is up to you believe it or not.
Exactly, you could have done some thinking before posting
which center ? Vermont or California ?
neither
This is exactly what I was hearing from USCIS, they expect to count almost 200 K in very first day. They expect total of 420-450 K by 7 th of April. Not looking good
420k, lol
Come April 7 th , you will see the numbers. I did reveal the numbers before USCIS reveal it. If you check last year my numbers, they are exactly similar. I am getting numbers directly from people who entered the data to computers
Again, lol
Hahahahaha
People in USCIS manually entering data -> Collect the number from all the people entering data around USA -> Adding them up -> Calling Muthuswamy immediately on the number of applications reached.
This is how Muthuswamy is getting updated every minute.
Its Rajnikant posting with different name. #muthuTheRajni
Rofl
This is not exactly what I was hearing from USCIS, they expect to count almost 2 million in very first day. They expect total of 4.2 million-4.5 million by 7 th of April. Not looking good
USCIS says that
Million??
You are out of mind. Fool.
You are wrong. With new examination rule, the count is supposed to go upto 1 million this year.
We need to appreciate USCIS on the transparency as they have already sharing the data and calling people or advising FedEX to call the applicants immediately on the status.
They are also publishing hourly data on the number of application received.
Here is the link. bit.ly/1SsO5Tk
I have a lot of buddies working for USCIS. They just texted me that they have received around 1 million applications by 4:30 pm ET on first day. They estimate it could be 4 million by 7th of April
My prediction is it would be close to 300k.
I have approved EB2 petition since 2013 but because of the green card waiting for Indians my company is applying for H-1B.
I have two master’s degree from US so I would be eligible for advance degree.
They should put cap on Telugu people, all green card processing time and H-1B lottery will vanish.
@ CTS Analyst
Exactly even i am predicting the same around 240 to 260 K
I believed the analysis done by DATA ANALYSIS was somewhat correct but still my analysis showed a different result so thought of keeping shut.
@ R programmer
Please share your analysis with everybody. I will update my predictions if I find some interesting facts in your analysis.
It is going to be a lot of applications. My application was sent back by Vermont processing Center saying they did not have enough people to process it and Fedex was told to come back tomorrow.
FedEx even called me that my application cannot be accepted today as they are not prepared for such high volume.
First time in history USCIS is unprepared to accept the application on the first day.
Breaking News is, the number of applications is so high that USCIS will not accept the petitions at all. This time, they have decided to conduct an examination of all the candidates.
Examination will include written, group discussion and an interview at the consulate.
Syllabus is common for all applicant: US History, US Polity, US Economy and US Culture, H1B process, Math, Science and Geography.
How do you know it was sent back by the processing Center? mine had a problem too so in case of being delivered by 12 today is supposed to be delivered by 6pm but they didn’t tell me anything abouth being sent back or anything of that sort.
Mine was supposed to be deivered by 12 but my tracking said delivery exception so I called fedex and they said due to high volume USCIS did not accept the application at that time and fedex was told to deliver it tomorrow.
Yes that’s what mine said too and called them and didn’t say anything about not being able to be delivered, checked again later and was delivered at 5pm
Any idea/projections for advanced degree applicants this year, last year most of people I know personally got it
LOL… all advanced degree applicants want you to know them personally now.
To All CTS,
Don’t be happy as u got an shipment email, coz thats just automated email for all those whom CTS nominated just like you get a CAB (not CAP) email even if there are no CAB available..
Really not sure why the last year’s LCA count for CTS went down from 3046 to 2634 …
Even i was guessing around 200k ( still less than last years) but one of my US friend predicts around 260k
Again its purely LUCK, so forget you will getting an email from CTS again :'(
I think this year general email for CTS also specified that they will update the tracking number of FedEX in 10 days time.
I dont think thats fake
We are not over excited here. This email is a confirmation that our case is not held back for some stupid reasons by account managers or global mobility. The final acknowledgement will be our case id getting reflected as shipper reference on FedEx website!
This year, it will be my second attempt for H1B…. so, finger crossed!!!
second time doesn’t mean last time.
Are you in advanced degree cap?
I wish everyone get selected for the H1B Cap..!!
Remove the lottery only!! LOL
Best of luck ppl and leave it all to GOD 🙂
when do we know the total number of applicants?
Hey guys, just a thought, would not it be nice if USCIS selects H1-B petitions in the descending order of salary ( instead of random lottery?). This would have several benefits:
1. No congressional approval needed, since there is no change in cap numbers
2. Companies will be forced to pay us more , it they want H1-B visas for their employees.
3. Companies more likely to hire US citizens if the salary becomes high.
4. USA gets more taxes out of us if we draw more salaries.
5. People with strong background , who can command more salary will get through in H1-B, no more a function of luck.
WIN WIN for all.. Let us start a petiotion to USCIS to select H1-B lotteries on the basis of salary.. just arrange salary in descending order, pick forst 65k or 85 k.. and be done with it.
Good idea. Desi consultancies will then start preparing offer letters beating everybody in the game.
Get a visa using an offer letter with high salary then abandon that petition and file another one with cap exempt.
Free hand for desi consultancy firms.
it can be done but then the employee can compalin and get the promised wages legally. I have heard of several cases where Desi companies have used H1-B visas only to get cheap labor, such practices will stop.
The problem my friend is desi consultancy are always hand in glove with the applicant.
They will do it together.
Please stop all buddy nonsense particularly Muthuswamy and craps news like “Feedex was sent back” and EXAMINATION fake news. please dont make this forum a crap like FB..
almost 60% are faking …Looks like nothing is truth …
What if all seats taken by salary beween 100k-120k what will you do?? People with low salary will not apply at all. What about their dreams? You want rule that suits you??
yes, but atleast it will be based on certain level of merit and qualification. those who can not command higher salary, know pretty well whats lacking in their resume. Everybody will be responsible for their H1-B visa chances, not like its right now.. all on the basis of luck.
Thats what I am saying. You quoted range 65-85k and I am sure you belong to this range. My point is what of all 65k taken by people with salary 90k-120k? You are left again. ;).
NoWin-No-Win 😀
Guys,
After all the analysis by me and others, my prediction is < 190k applications this year.
2016: 170k – 190k
If we are extremely lucky then it could even be 160k – 165k.
Hoping so, fingers crossed! Best luck to all of us..
the shahs peerally law firm in California expects the number to be around 250 k this year.
Big law firm vs engineer
250k vs < 200k
Lots of Comments – Suggestions – Guidance – Predictions – Analysis.
Wow Thanks to each and every one on this Page.
All The very Best Every one.
I was just going through my case details for last year’s H1B application where the LCA validity is mentioned as till 1st July 2018. It means that the same employer applying on behalf of the same client resides in the same location retains the same LCA which looks to be valid for a new H1B petition. Please clarify if I am right or wrong with my assumption.
New LCA has to be raised this year, even if its for same employer and Same Location
Thanks for the update. Sounds encouraging after checking the LCA analysis.
I got the mail too…
Anyone from CTS got mail from GM Service Desk for shipment confirmation like last year. I see that we got a mail on 1st of April last year that the case has been shipped.
Yes… I got the mail
Hi cts
So when you got mail?
8.53pm
Which projects do you guys work in
Thanks CTS. I too got it now. the mail says something like this.
Good Day. We are happy to inform that your H petition for FY 2017 has been shipped to USCIS for 1st April delivery, as scheduled.
🙂
Yay… Got an update from GM. Good luck guys.
Anyway to know how many applications did uscis received until now or till end of today?
We Sud have some updates tomo..
People who analyzed data, can you write here what you projections are?
Very less comments here so far, seems like less people interested this year to talk about it.
@ Lets Talk
Pretending as not interested, as each passing day is adding extra pressure.
Hoping the total petitions will be <200k, to have a reasonable chance.
We want to talk about it. Everyone is just very tense up right now I assume
As per LCA Trend Analysis It will be around 150K this Year, Lets hope for the best and Pray to God for All. Good Luck Mates….. 🙂
Hoping for the best this year. Good Luck all 🙂
BTW when would likely be the first date people start hearing back on the result? Any thoughts?
Ky,
As per USCIS, official start date for selected PP cases is May 16, but I think people will start getting selection notification by 3rd week of April.
How to find my case number?
LCA Status Just before few hours for H1B Petition Submission:-
Year No: Of LCA’s No: Of H1B Applicants
2016 -> 402630 Suspense
2015 -> 539807 233000
2014 -> 430613 172000
2013 -> 414297 125000
2016->402630
2015->539807
2014->430613
2013->414297
2016 LCA still counting …..
where do you get this number from?
Total LCA filed from 01/01/2015 to 31/03/2015 -> 66863
Total LCA filed from 01/01/2016 to 31/03/2016 -> 321701
which is a increase of 5x of LCA in same duration, should we worry for this?
Nope, this is not a problem. We should look between 04/01/2016 to 09/30/2016.
@TechPrash:
Also, please do the math properly and create panic, the data you mentioned is incorrect.
Sorry, Not create panic 🙂 All the best Brother!
All the best everyone. Believe me, you will get through lottery this time for sure.
LOL, its a mathematical impossibility that we all will get through.
I think all the analysis done going wrong now. Total LCA as of 31 night March reached 402630 another few days left. So it might reach approx 5 L. So we are almost reaching last years mark.
Fingers Crossed… Best of Luck… This is my 2nd time.. hoping for best…. 🙂
No you can’t track. You can only get fedex courier number from them which you can’t be sure as the courier package may contain multiple applications. If you are paying for your visa(which is illegal) , you can ask them for fedex shipment number, because they have your hard earned money.