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.
Wht the hell are you talking… Go get a life…
Hi,
How to find the processed date with receipt number like wac143…??
IBMer’s any updates?
I received the receipt on Friday early morning IST.
Which account…? As per my understanding IBM they didn’t started sending receipt so far… I heard only for 2 guys received and most of them are pending.
There is no response from Case manager too.
Cant give the account name here. 2 People including me received it last week.
Ghaanta Karega tera baba… go home n take chill pill
Meanwhile
www. computerworld.com/article/3064712/h1b/us-uncovers-20m-h-1b-fraud-scheme.html
Hi Guys,
Any update from CTS NCR ? How many received their receipts till now?
Meanwhile..
computerworld.com/article/3064712/h1b/us-uncovers-20m-h-1b-fraud-scheme.html
Anyone from Accenture to get an update from People Mobility ?
Still waiting..God Please help..Please give me one chance
Non Ad / RP..
U missed DJ wale Babu ?
Just kidding. Me too in same boat bro.
Best of luck.
Thanks …Same to u…
Seriously worried thats why….
Bro it’s my second chance…my current carrer plan is on stake. Lots of thing I have to change and replan …If I fail in getting lottery.
God bless u and everyone in this forum who r waiting for the good news.
my friend you have auch excellent combination your name;no one can stop you from getting picked bro
keep faith in nirmal baba
cheers
I am waiting good news from my employer. May be today i will received it.
God bless every one like me…..
???
Seriously?
Come on bro. It’s only ur luck which is going to drive u in next 2 3 days. Either u vl get or not. SP be ready with alternate plans.
To CTS,
One of my colleague got the receipt num on monday with the EAC161465*****
Admins or Anyone,
Can u tell me what date would 146 refer to and what was the last date of receipt generation like was it 151 or 152 ???
Also someone stated earlier that the receipts r getting generated in alphabetical order .
Is it really true coz thats what is the only thing that might make our hopes really alive atleast till the end of this week
From which location in CTS? Any info about NCR?
Guys in other forum it worked for few people. So I changed the name. ☺
2nd timer NonAd/rp/ca
this week is last. Hopeful of getting reciept by Friday..
Nirmal darbaar ki Jai…
Jai nirmal darbar.
1 to 2 percent chances only.
Start working on ur plan B
HI All,
Can any one please answer my question
I have applied two H1s thru different employers and both of them are picked in lottery. What i have to do now?
1) Do I need to withdraw one petition before approval process?
2) Will it create any problems if I don’t withdraw either of the applications the application as I am still waiting for final approval.
3) What should I do if both are finally approved?
4) What is the right time to cancel any one of application ? ( Both are have equivalent score in terms of size and reputation..etc.,)
Admin !!!
Can you please share your opinion on this case 🙂
Thanks in advance..!
I don’t think admin should answer people like you, who waste other people chances by applying more than once.
Exactly..This guy is a ridiculous idiot. I feel pity for myself and those who are still waiting
What we can do boss !!!
there is a lottery system, it common for every one and there is no way to prove our skills before lottery to select for H1B…!!!
You have to blame lottery system not me.
Boss, if you know very well it is a lottery system applying twice through different employers amounts to cheating those who can’t. You might think you are smart but there are many who will be cursing their luck for not getting selected.
Looks like Mr. KR is shooting time passing question… there is no way that both the petitions will be picked as Passport Number is one of the key criteria for the eliminating the duplicates..
you should not do anything till both are approved, who know some documentation flaw might lead to rejection in one case. once both are approved, you go for stamping with i797 to whom you want to join in USA.
Thank you
I think u did mistake , USCIS will catch the duplicate case sooner or later
Depends. If they are both in-house projects and both are small consultancies then you may end up getting denied for both. If they are large and reputed companies then both will easily get approved. If you have 1 with the genuine client letter and one in-house project then you better withdraw the in-house application,.That case happened to my friend last year and he got approved for the other one. USCIS knows the trick that people send money to some shady consultancies to have higher chance in the lottery so they rejected lots of in-house projects last year.
You will get RFE and then denial for both ?
Leave them to get approved…
If they are entirely different org that’s fine else if they are sister concern and the relation can be traced the employer will get a query…
Setting aside all these you have to wait for the approval. atleast one should be approved..
if you cancel one and the other gets revoked.. what will you do?
KR || Need Some experts Help,
1. It is not required, but can be done. Also, the petition can be withdrawn only by the employer who filed it and not you. Do you think employer will be willing to withdraw it and take the financial loss of few thousand dollars?
2. USCIS may issue RFE to ensure that the 2 firms are not related to each other. This is more probable if both of them are small consulting companies.
3. You can pick either and work for that employer.
4. There is no “right” time. The safest route is to let both of them process to see which one gets approved; and then make the choice.
Any updates from Wipro ?
Lottery process is over as per yesterday’s mail. Did anyone got any news in Wipro ?
Friends…No updates till now. It too much frustating. Just 5 chance left. Finger crossed. 2nd attempt …RP
…..devastated…..there is no Plan B or C……
First Timer, Non AD- RP.
Just now, Got the mail from the immigration team that my petition has been picked up in the lottery.
Congrats! Please share part of your receipt number like WAC/EAC16146***** Wanted to know when it was generated and when it reached you
WAC1614351125.
Track the number to get the date..
Are you from CTS?
dude you ahould not publish case number like this openly,if too many people will search;it can get suspended
And Thanks!!
Thanks!!! WAC1614351125.
Nope.. Not from CTS.
who is your employer?
L&T
Can you share your 1st letter of your name?.. so that we can hope that its coming in alphabetical order.. please…
Nirmal Baba
Non ad Rp Vt…..Please do some miracle
Normal baba ki jai
Nirmal baba ki jai…..
Baba kripa karo…. and get lottery success email for us.
Nirmal Baba – open ur 3rd eye and shower ur blessings. We need h1b. All hopes gone with anouncment by usics on data entry completion. Only and ur superpower can save us.
last year they announced on May 4th and received my file number on 12th May. and in 2014 i received in october. both years petition denied. this is 3rd time. keep hopes
Only nirmal baba can save us now. Baba please…….
Anyone from Hanu software
Does any body know the processing time for L1 VISA? I mean , If My employer files L1 in August’16 ,how much time It might take to get approval ?
DJ Wale Babu mera Visa Laga de,
L-1 petition would take 2-4 months to process. The visa stamping can be done soon after that.
As USCIS completed all the data entry as on May 2nd for all the selected petitions in lottery, till when USCIS could draw the cheque for the same? Any last date? Any idea please suggest…
Got the cheque encashed yesterday. Waiting for receipt number now.
Are you sure ypur check got cashed yesterday? or your employer informed u yesterday?
Anybody got receipt from CSC?
If the cheque is encashed, how many days it will take for the employer to get and send us the receipt
Does cheque encashment 100% gurantee that our petition is picked ?
Non-AD/RP
Yes.
How many days it takes for us to get the receipt ?
max to max 7 days
Thanks @GoodGuy
Anybody got receipts today in CTS. Yesterday many of my friends got.
I don’t see a single receipt today. Whether it is over as even ucis has completed all the data entry .
same here bro.. Go for plan B..
Dude, actuall lottery was already done on april 9th, now if we pray, god will change the lottery once again ;)….. all is well 😉
IBMer’s, any updates?
Yes one person whom I know got the receipt yesterday night itself.
I would never know if all of this wait for getting selected in H1b Lottery was worth it or not.Time to accept it and Move to plan B.
Any one got receipt from ICS INC non ad/RP.
Please update!!!!!
VK
Anybody got update from Aricent bangalore ?
Hope Nirmala_baba will bring the golden mail.
Let me know :p Btw who is this baba bro
Not sure. Somenone started and it is the high time to believe in all superstition s
Normal baba will surely bring luck.. I heard worked for some people already
anyone from IGate(Capgemini) got receipt no?
Not yet from Capgemini…….
GOD BLESS YOU ALL
its pray not prey 🙂 otherwise you’ll be prey of USCIS
Hoping for the good news..
Waiting …. RP/Non AD/VT
Hi , Anyone got update from IBM this week ?
Few received confirmation last Thursday
Yes one person whom I know got the receipt yesterday night itself.
did anyone received receipt in fragomen connect portal for genpact/headstrong NON-AD/RP ?
Same here, no update from Fragomen yet. Non-AD/RP.
Has anyone else from Non-AD/RP category heard from Fragomen?
Same here, not yet. Has anyone else got from Non-AD/RP, Fragomen?
Got the receipt from – EAC
1st Attempt – 1 Petition – Regular
Cheers to all who got and good luck to the rest!!!
Any Update from Igate/Capgemini ?
Mobility will be sending out updates starting from Tomorrow 🙂
Where did you get this info from ?
everything over.. not picked this time also – second time 🙁
Bye guys
Still waiting for good news. I will wait for up to coming friday….
same here bro 😐
how do you know everything is over from CTS?? any source???
No its not over yet, only USCIS announced they completed Data Entry. Who gave you the information everything is over. Keep your hopes alive till your case is getting closed. Anything can happen in between.
Finally I got golden email yesterday….Thank you all
This portal helped me lot..
You all will be receive mails..
Pray god..Don’t lose hope.
Congrats SK
Congratulations… Share more details
Any one got update from Kellton…NonAd/RP
Did any one received email with receipt today?
Not Yet.. I think game is over… 🙁 will move on from this
Is it really over in CTS , still there is no chance of getting receipts ha????
Seems Game Over!
With every single second … game is getting over n over n over.
Better luck next time!
One question. My consultant says he applied from attorney and there is no guarantee that really filed. No proofs. Trusted him. Any other way to find that he really filed my petition to uscis.
Did you pay for your h1?
Looks like he is corrupt…. Meet him face to face and get this sorted.
Hi Saurabh,
What does the notification from USCIS indiacates ??
Is game over for all regular processing ??
Did v still should keep hope
Read Data Entry Complete News Alert What to expect
Hi everyone,
I got the Info that my check has been drawn ….. Means My application has been selected in lottery? Any one know about that? If so when I can receive the receipt number? please help me If anyone knows ….I am sooo eagerly waiting…
All The Best for who are waiting…..
Yes you are selected… Congrats.. Just wait for the receipt… Till then party…
Any updated from Deloitte INDIA HR? I have been checking fragomen portal and there seems to be no updates.
DId any one receive the receipt recently? If yes, could you please tell did you check that in fragomen or did you get email?
some people got update in fragomen portal in Deloitte USI
Anyone in Wipro got receipt?
As per GIMS mail yesterday, they have started sending mail and they will send the notification as and when they get any information from USCIS.
But did not hear from anyone regarding the receipt notification.
Any idea Wipro guys whether they have really started sending receipt?
uscis.gov/news/alerts/uscis-completes-data-entry-fiscal-year-2017-h-1b-cap-subject-petitions
This mean the lottery process is over and is time for us to look forward for better luck next time 🙁
Did not see any one picked from wipro. i did not heard from my friend circle also.
All are waiting……….