If you were one of the unlucky ones not picked in whopping 233,000 H1B 2016 Lottery Applications , you might be already wondering when is the next H1B season going to start. Also, some of you may be studying in US and some working abroad and planning to work in US next year. This page will be constantly updated with the latest details and commonly asked questions around the next upcoming H1B Visa fiscal year of 2017 season news and updates.
[alert type=”warning” close=”false” heading=”H1B Visa Cap reached for FY 2017, Lottery Done “] On April 7th, H1B Cap for FY 2017 was reached. Lottery was done on April 9th. Read News Summary – Over 236,000 Petitions for FY2017 [/alert]
- H1B 2017 season start date ?
- H1B Cap for FY 2017- Regular ? Masters ?
- H1B 2017 Predictions? Lottery?
- H1B Lottery Myths ?
- How to plan for H1B FY 2017 ?
- How to find H1B Sponsors for FY 2017 ?
- What is H1B Fee ? Details
- Any impact of Comprehensive Immigration Reform(CIR) on H1B
- What is H1B LCA
- H1B 2017 Premium Processing
- H1B 2017 Case Tracker
- Latest News Update of H1B 2017
- When is the next H1B Season ?
- Sample H1B Reject Notices for FY 2017
When will the H1B visa 2017 season start ? Date ?
Short answer April 1st 2016. Typically, USCIS will start to accept petitions for the next fiscal year starting from April 1st of the previous fiscal year. USCIS fiscal year is from October 1st to September 30th. So, for H1B quota of fiscal year 2017, which starts from October 1st, 2017, USCIS would typically accept applications from April 1st, 2016. The H1B Visa 2016 season started on April 1st of 2015. Also, in the H1B Rejected Notices of 2016, USCIS mentioned that, the non-selected candidates can file H1B petitions for FY 2017 on or after April 1st, 2016.
USCIS announced on March 16th, 2016 that they will accept FY 2017 petitions from April 1st, 2016. Read Summary of USCIS press release FY 2017 .
Also, we have written an article summarizing on What to expect in H1B FY 2017 Season
What is H1B 2017 Cap ? What are the H1B 2017 Quota numbers ? Regular vs Masters ?
If you new to H1B, I suggest you read All about H1B Visa Cap- Regular vs Masters. In simple terms H1B cap is a congressional mandated maximum number of petitions that USCIS can accept in a year. As of now, below are the H1B cap number for fiscal year 2017. The below numbers are confirmed in press release by USCIS on Mar 16, 2016.
- Regular H1B Quota : 65,000
- H1B Master’s Degree Quota ( only US Master Degrees) : 20,000
- Out of the above, a total of 6,800 is usually set aside for Singapore and Chile citizens as part of the free trade agreement between them.
There have been many discussions around change in H1B cap numbers by Obama administration since 2013. The planned proposal was to increase the regular quota cap to 110,000 and Masters quota to 25,000. No changes for FY 2017, the above numbers of 65,000 and 20,000 are officially confirmed by USCIS in their press release.
What is H1B Visa 2017 Prediction? Will there be Lottery again for FY 2017
Update : USCIS Updated on April 12th, 2016 that they have received over 236,000 petitions for FY 2017 quota and the lottery was completed on April 9th.
Looking at the past trend of H1B season in the past three years, we could very likely have lottery for FY 2017. Last year for FY 2016 quota, there were 233,000 applications. We have done a detail analysis with the H4 Visa EAD rule in place considering the economy, students graduating, OPT news, etc. You should read article H1B Visa 2017 Lottery Prediction News, results, Date .
If H1B lottery, will there be any preference in lottery for Large companies ? Premium Processing
Well, no preference for anyone, all are treated equally, including premium processing. There are many such misconceptions about lottery process, we have compiled a list of such myths and criteria, you should read Myths of H1B Lottery, Criteria
When to plan for H1B visa 2017 Application ? How soon ? What should be the strategy ?
It is never too late to start planning for your H1B 2017 season. If you plan to work in US on H1B visa in the next coming fiscal year, below are some suggestions based on your situation.
- F1 Student in USA : If you are studying on F1 visa and about to graduate in next one year, you should seriously look at finding an internship or co-op at companies that can sponsor your H1B visa. You can search for H1B Sponsors in a particular area using our H1B Sponsors Search Tool and try to get an internship to work there on CPT or OPT after you graduate. This is a strategic move and will require sometime, so plan well.
- Professional from outside USA : If you are a working professional outside US, planning to work in US on H1B, your best bet is to find Multinational companies that have major US presence and secure a job there, so that you can position internally for applying to H1B visa, when the season starts. This is a very strategic decision, you need to carefully assess your options, speak to the company if such options exist and then only choose it.
- Other H4, L1 Visas : If you are on these visas, your best bet is to find companies just like I mentioned for F1 students that sponsor H1B visas and start interviewing and keeping the conversation going so that you can ask them to file H1B when the season starts.
We have put together a Step by Step Plan on How to apply for H1B 2017 Quota
How do I find a H1B Visa Sponsor – The most asked million dollar question ?
If you are student in the US, it is very straight forward, you find the list of H1B Sponsoring companies using the tool in an area as I mentioned above and get an internship in one of them so that they can sponsor your H1B visa. Unlike, if you are coming from outside US, it can be tricky. If you work for an Multinational company ( MNC), then they will have some internal process to pick the candidates and then process H1B visa for them…The other option that has been used and abused is the consulting companies route…Many a times, the H1B aspirants approach a body shop IT consulting company to file H1B for them and they apply for the same. It gets nasty with the body shop consulting companies. The comments on this H1B Companies Reviews article are quite eye opening. I advise, you beware of the consulting companies and avoid fraud. Also, WE as RedBus2US do NOT provide any guidance or assistance or sponsor anything. If someone claims that, it is pure fraud and they are trying to trick you, we are not responsible for that. Please be careful. Anyways, for various other options , You may read article How to find H1B 2017 Sponsors
What is the H1B visa 2017 filing fee ? Is it same or any changes ?
It changed slightly this year with the Omnibus Bill passed in December 2015, that will increase the H1B filing fee by $4000 for FY 2017, until 2025 for certain companies that have over 50 employees and have more than 50% of their employees as H1B or L1 visa holders in USA. Check USCIS Guidelines on H1B Fee increase. Depending on the size of the company, the H1B filing fee can vary anywhere from $1,600 USD to $7,400 USD + Attorney Fee. There are various fees components that make up this number range, for more details Read Summary of H1B Filing Fee 2017 – Who pays for What ? . Below is a high level summary. Also, one key change is that, there was $2000 USD additional filing fee as per Public Law 111-230, this law expired on Sep 30, 2015 and that is not included anymore.
| H1B Fee Component | Fee in USD |
| Base filing fee | $325 |
| AICWA Fee | $750 or $1,500 |
| Fraud prevent & detection fee | $500 |
| Fee based on Public Law 114-113 ( if applicable) | $4000 |
| Premium processing fee (Optional) | $1,225 |
| Immigration Attorney Fee | Varies from $500 to $3000 |
What about Comprehensive Immigration Reform(CIR) and Obama Executive Actions for H1B 2017 Quota Increase ?
There has been many articles and discussions since 2013 around immigration reform by President Obama and changes around and some like below have been discussed in the last couple of years, nothing moved significantly.
- H1B Cap to be increased from 65,000 to 110,000 per year. Also have provisions to have it up to 180,000 in case of extreme demand.
- Advanced degree from US cap quota to increase from 20,000 to 25,000
- The Filing fee for H1B could go up to 10,000 USD ( Part of this came up as the fee increase in Omnibus Bill )
- Additional H1B rules to avoid H1B Visa fraud by employers
- Mandatory LCA posting for 30 days before it is certified.
The current status on all of the above are basically “No updates”, there are no set deadlines for any of them and none of these are happening for FY 2017. You may read Summary of CIR Changes to H1B . Officially as per press release on March 16, 2016, the H1B cap is confirmed to be 65,000 for regular and 20,000 for masters…hence, no changes.
What is LCA for H1B Visa ? Processing times ?
LCA is a form that has to be filed with US Dept of Labor and get it certified before filing H1B petition with USCIS. It has to be sent along with H1B Package to USCIS. It has all the relevant information about the job position like wage, location, title, etc. It takes about 7 working days for processing of the LCA by US Dept of Labor (DOL). You can read complete details at Why is LCA Needed for H1B – Processing Time, Salary
USCIS Updated in their original press release on March 16, 2016 that the premium processing will begin no later than May 16, 2016. But, on April 22nd, they updated that the premium processing for FY 2017 will begin on May 12th, 2016. What it means is that the official 15 calendar day SLA for premium processing petitions will be starting from 12th. USCIS may process the petitions early as well, but officially their clock starts on that day.
H1B 2017 Case Tracker :
Did you apply for FY 2017 ? We have put together a tracker along with good graphs for analysis. It is completely anonymous as we do not capture your case number or any personal information. It is community contributed data, the more you add, the better for everyone, including You !
[prompt type=”left” title=”Track your H1B Case” message=” Anonymously Track your H1B Case – Share and Get updated from Community.” button_text=”H1B 2017 Case Tracker” href=”https://redbus2us.com/trackers/h1b-visa-tracker/”]
Most Recent News of FY 2017 H1B
Below is the most recent news regarding H1B 2017 season. You can check the updates page as indicated below for the full history and details.
- July 8th, 2016 ( Official ) : USCIS released a press note today indicating that they have completed returning all the petitions that were not selected in the H1B lottery for FY 2017. Read More details here
- May 2nd, 2016 ( Official Update ) : USCIS updated that data entry is complete for selected petitions in lottery. if you were selected, you should receive receipt notices in 2 to three weeks. If not, the chances are very slim to get selected. You should look at your plan B. Read H1B Data Entry Complete Article for full details
- April 22nd, 2016 : (Official Update) USCIS Updated that they will start premium processing from May 12th, instead of May 16th.
- April 12th, 2016 – 6:30 PM EST : Official Update : USCIS released a press note that H1B lottery was completed on April 9th and they received over 236,000 petitions for FY 2017 quota. Read Press Release Summary
- April 12th, 2016 – 11:50 AM CST ( Unofficial Update ) : It is reported on blog by attorney ( immigrationgirl ) that they have received about 40 email receipts of Premium Processing. What it means is that USCIS has already conducted lottery. We will keep you posted with updates. If I am not wrong, they are just drafting the press release now.
[prompt type=”left” title=”H1B 2017 – Latest News Updates” message=” Most recent and complete history of all latest breaking news updates from Official sources like USCIS and Unofficial sources for FY 2017 Season.” button_text=”Latest H1B 2017 News” href=”https://redbus2us.com/h1b-visa-2017-cap-count-updates-tracker-news/”]
When is the next H1B Season ?
The next H1B season starts on April 1st, 2017. Wondering about your next chance for H1B and various details about the next H1B season, check out H1B Visa 2018 FAQs
Sample H1B Reject Notices for FY 2017 ?
USCIS has started to mail out the reject notices for FY 2017 petitions that were not picked in lottery. It says that the start date for next year H1B season is April 1, 2017. You can check out the Sample Reject Notice for FY 2017, Details
We have many more FAQs around H1B Visa 2017. We will continue to keep updating the page with latest news and updates regarding FY 2017. Bookmark this page and keep checking for updates.
Hi Guys, Congratulation to folks who clicked the lottery !! Any one from HCL who got any news on results ???
Any Infosys guys here? Any updates?
No. Hopefully waiting !!! All the best
Check Page 52..ppl have started receiving their receipts…
Yes, it seems few people received the selection status yesterday. Still so many people yet to receive the status
If Infy started to share, then AHD response wont be stating that you will be getting from May 15 th..
AHD response should say like no updates for you, so far.
So lets wait till May end…
Will wait. So far got only LCA. Infy releases result comparatively slower.
Trying my luck for 2nd time.. Any chances for Non-Ad/RP/VT?? Nirmal Baba.. pls do shower the luck!!
I am also Trying my luck for 2nd time.. Any chances for Non-Ad/RP? Nirmal Baba.. pls do shower the luck!!
include name of baba in your name and see magic
always keep positive message and thought..good news will be yours
Anyone got the receipt number in Infy
No, still waiting. Dont know anyone who got it from infosys till now.
Please let me know till what time I should wait? NON-AD/RP/CA
Received the golden email today for regular processing.
Got selected in lottery in my second attempt.
Any news from HCL?
not yet!!
When results in wipro be announced?
Has anyone applied or got approval from renowned corp?
Hi,
Happy, Got the confirmation that my name got selected in lottery.
Best of luck to all …
May i know your company?
Is there any chance of checks en-cashing after the data entry is done ??
if nirmal baba wishes..then it will happen!
Yes, there is.
My Case is filed at California service center.This is my first time. non adv RP.Is there still hope.
I heard because of workload some of the cases are shifted from Vermont to California.
Could some please reply.
Any one from kellton tech inc has Hyderabad got receipt RP.
No boss
When we contact suman he says he is on leave
Kiran says 14 picked up till now
I heard they applied for 250…..
When will a law be passed by the Congress in US to ban people from AP and TG who abuse H1B system. Do you guys have a client/project lined up at all? H1B Dowry US is the dream for many except for a less % of truly talented people. Ruining chances of deserving candidates from other states and Masters students. Get some life guys!
Broken-heart | RP
I need this very badly but no luck. Seems missed the bus. Employer not even replying on emails.
I also need the H1b this time very badly brother. Lets wait till May20
There are indications that California results are coming slow and VT is much faster. This is so evident from the Immigration girl’s report too (immigrationgirl.com/updated-h-1b-lottery-receipt-results-as-of-may-3rd-for-fy-2017/). I hear some of my friends whose petition was filled in VT has got receipts but no news from CA so far (only from my friends !). Do you guys see same pattern ?
Seems only few people have got receipts from 1c yesterday, not as much of what they have sent on Monday. Expecting that most of the selected associates will receive mail within this week.
@CTS CHN,
Whats ur name ?
Consultancy confirmed check encashed..waiting for receipt number
can not believe my luck
long live nirmal baba aka visa baba
When was your cheque encashed, can you please provide the exact date.
Got the confirmation few mins back
After 4 years..tears in my eyes
Thanks to Nirmal Baba
Bedt of luck to other believers of baba..good news is on the way
Congrats
Guys, any hope ???
IBM guys any update for Non AD/RP/CA?
I did not heard anything, except one guy who got his receipt on May 2nd. Anyone has any news? Please share
Finally i’ve got the receipt number…Updated in VRF today morning
God’s grace…:)
Good one 🙂
@igate_capgemini: which BU?
I am from FS-SBU.
he is also from GE and the receipt number starts with EAC :))
Hey Congrats!! 🙂
Can you tell what status it is showing in VRF ?
Am also waiting for the result….
anyone from Igate(Capgemini) FS-BU stateFarm project got receipt number?
VRF Status changed to “Receipt Notice obtained”….
From Manufacturing BU…
🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂
my status in VRF is still shows “Pending with Immigration”; anyone have the same status.
What was ur status before? Did it only say documents obtained for validation? or case filed?
Hi all CGers, what i have got to know is, people from IGATE are receiving updates as per their process but no one from Capgemini has received yet and with past trends it will got around mid of may
Are you getting mailers from the immigration team or are they just updating your VRFs?? @IGATE/CapG
Any from Collabera Inc ? Waiting for receipts ? Any Updates ?
No i am also waiting for it , hey any one from collabera got the receipt ??
Hi guys, I am also waiting for lottery results from collabera
wat will be the last date to get all lottery cleared results
guess 11th of the may should be the date after which we should stop thinking about it as mentioned on uscis website
Hi,
waiting for lottery updates. how about you? They are not telling cheque encashed or not?
there shoud not be any problem sharing this information dunno wats going on, i really hate this
guys lets join whats app group and can share updates there for the people who are waiting to hear from collabera?
sure, that would be great, not sure if sharing the details in public forum you canprobably create a fb closed group
I got my receipt number updated in my VRF by 10.30 a.m. I’m from chennai location
receipt no : EAC16142*****
BS
Could you state you BU please?
belongs to GE
Any one else from Igate chennai who got receipt numbers ?
No didnt hear from anyone.
Hello Bro,
What was VRF status before getting receipt details. Was that
Processing Status: Case Filed with Immigration
Pending With: Immigration
??
Anyone in Wipro got receipt?
no not received
Any one from IBM? Anyone got the receipt for Non-AD/RP/VT?
I am from CSC Chennai.
Any one got updated from BAL?
Non-AD/RP
Hello,
I have got the update from Bal global on last Friday that my petition got picked in lottery.
Guys for all who has recieved receipts, can you please let know if your name starts with V….hanging on till the end….help is highly appreciated. ?.thanks
does the name really matter, couple of my friends with name starting from p got receipt on 3rd
Anybody from Acceligent inc received updates?
My name is not in lottery winner list from Acceligent, but still hopping for miracle.
No. I’m waiting too. I see the list that they send eagerly but nothing yet.
No update from Mobility or Immegration team in Capgemini
I got receipt today.. its not fake..am from chennai location..They are directly updating you VRF request without any notice.
Hope for the best!!!
Congrats Igate Chennai… 🙂
Am from Pune location.. Waiting for the results…
Can you tell me now what status is showing in VRF ?
Mine is show Pending with Immigration. Documents obtained for validation.
I am from CG , Bangalore location . Checked the VRF status and it says ” Case Filed with Immigration” . does any one has any updates from HR ?
For Capgemini whose visa has been filed the Status should say “Filed with Immigration” if it says “Pending with Immigration” then your Visa has NOT being filed with USCIS
It is just my obesrvation or, people from IGATE has started receiving but no one from Capgemini has told about this.
IgateGotReceipt:
two of my friend got receipt no today afternoon.
receipt notice obtained should be pending now
Hey Congrats Igate/Chennai,….you are from CG or IGATE
Lot of people have started receiving receipt notice. I think, mobility team is updating it batch wise. Most of the results should be announced in coming week or so. For those who are having status as “Documents obtained for validation”, it’s game over. Your application didn’t make through USCIS. Those who are having status as “Case filled with Immigration” need to wait for an update from mobility team. Mobility team is not sending any email notifications, they are directly updating VRFs with receipt details.
Lot of people have started receiving receipt notice. I think, mobility team is updating it batch wise. Most of the results should be announced in coming week or so. For those who are having status as “Documents obtained for validation”, it’s game over. It mean that, mobility team haven’t filled your application with USCIS. They will not update status deliberately. I had similar kind of personal experience last year. Those who are having status as “Case filled with Immigration” need to wait for an update from mobility team. Mobility team is not sending any email notifications, they are directly updating VRFs with receipt details.
Hi,
My wife received her H4 receipt on mailbox yesterday. But till now I haven’t heard anything from my employer or attorney. Is my application selected? Do I need to worry about anything?
Please advice.
Non-AD/CA/RP,
Yes, you made through the lottery as they issue H-4 receipt only if you have been selected. Your employer/attorney should receive it soon. If not, they can follow-up w/ USCIS.
Hi,
I saw the same case last year and admin replied that his H1B got picked in lottery.
Saurabh,
This is another issue. I could see your above reply only after I submitted my response even after refreshing multiple times.
Thanks guys!!
It is getting refreshed without page number link properly but not with the page number as below.
with page number
http://redbus2us.com/h1b-visa-2017/comment-page-54/#comment-977211
without page number
http://redbus2us.com/h1b-visa-2017/
Called HR. She told that she will give all updates on 15th may only.
i pray to nirmal baba those who’ve been selected in the lottery get a reject in the interview..jai nirmal baba!!
Get lost….try to share some valuable info if not Jus get the hell outa here
Anyone received receipts for RP after data entry completed?
yes i received information from employer today though dont know when they received it
Any updates from CTS Chennai today ?? My gut feel is they are updating in alphabetical order first name ascending…..last heard from a guy whose name starts with J…Thoughts ????
you didn’t get selected buddy..period!
Period ????
@CTSinWait,
I guess thats our only hope
Guys from CTS, kindly update ur 1st letter of both first and last name when u r posting that u got it
#H1Bslaughteragain or
#NIRMAL BABA or
#Hanuman or
Whatever the **** is
Most awaited movement come to me.i got information from my employer that my cheque was en cashed today.First Attempt NON AD-RP/VT
Can you please let us know exact date of encash done whether it is after data entry or before data entry of USCIS announcement?
It is after USCIS annoncement.cheque en cashed on 3rd may
Any Updates from Infy Bangalore DC
No updates still waiting
Hi Team:
“Case Was Received and A Receipt Notice Was Emailed” What does this mean
Thanks,
this means you have got selected, and your petition is PP.
Jai Sriram
Wipro folks any updates? seems no wipro and tcs updates in this forum!!
No updates for Wipro apart from the mail which GIMS sent on Friday..
Not heard about any receipt notification so far.
Any one from igate cap Gemini got update about h1b..
nothing yet..am from chennai location.
just received my receipt by 10.30 am. from chennai location.100% true 🙂
Are you getting mailers from the immigration team or are they just updating your VRFs?? @IGATE/CapG
Hello Bro,
What was VRF status before getting receipt details. Was that
Processing Status: Case Filed with Immigration
Pending With: Immigration
??
Can we still keep hopes ??
Hi All,
I dont know whether I got picked up or not .. Is there any hope left ?
Anybody from Jsmn Inc got their receipts? Non-Ad/RP …
Kindly let me know please..i am having Still hope ..
who the hell is nirmal baba??
Seriously Ch***yon Ki kami nahi hai yanha…
Yeh hai baba baba karane wale Engg. India main…
Ghaatna karega baba…
Hi sourabh ,
I have Received the Receipt Number and Document from USCIS as well from my employer. But when I check my Receipt number against the USCIS Web site under the check status, Unfortunately my Receipt number is not showing please suggest….
Hi,
I am also facing the same. I have read in forums and they said some technical issue and no need to panic.
Filed with carpusIt rt?
No
Pavan,
Most likely technical issue. Try after few days. If it persists, ask employer to follow-up w/ USCIS.
Anybody from Epic Systems got their receipts?
Kindly let me know if you were PP or RP?
Could someone say as how many of ur friends hav had confirmation yesterday in CTS. Wanted to know whether the game is still on.
any idea how many ppl got mail in BFS??
Quite a few got their receipts yesterday as well. I think we can keep our hopes high for next couple of days. Later next week chances are very slim. I’m losing hope every passing day..
From CHN/Healthcare
Any Receipts received from California Center from CTS?
Got confirmation from employer about H1B Reciept Notice.. Feeling Good. 1st time NON AD/RP/CA
Anyone from Accenture received any updates from mobility team??
Not yet. Not even single email.
Did they even provide the LCA number on RMSC?
Hi Saurabh,
I am selected in the lottery and received the receipt number from employer. When i checked the i797C , the date of receipt is mentioned as April 11, 2015 and Date of notice as April 20, 2016. There seems error on part of USCIS on Date of receipt which should be 2016 and not 2015. Can you please advise what should be done next?
My employer is checking with the Lawyer on same.
Thanks in Advance
H1B 2017,
Although it is an error, but I don’t think it will impact your processing.
Thanks Sourabh.
This is my fourth attempt and finally got it Non-AD/RP/VT. Thanks redbus2us you have been so helpful all the four years.
Best of luck to all who are still waiting.
I truly appreciate your patience, this is the 3rd year and I’m really frustrated already. Hoping theres some light at the end of the tunnel atleast this year.