Below article has all details, FAQs, latest news updates related to H1B Visa Fiscal Year(FY) 2021 season that started in March 2020 with New H1B Registration Process. This article is continuously updated as news emerge.
If you are planning to apply for H1B Visa in March 2021 for Fiscal Year (FY) 2022 Season, check out article : H1B Visa 2022 Season News, Lottery, Updates
If this is your first time filing H1B petition, read H1B Visa Basics – FAQs like Requirements, Quota, LCA, etc.
USCIS News : H1B FY 2021 Cap Reached, No More wait list
February 16th, 2021 : Finally USCIS issued a press release today stating that they have reached H1B cap for FY 2021 Season and lottery final decisions are updated in registration system. Below is the summary of update.
- USCIS held H1B registrations filed in March 2020 in wait list and did not given final “Not Selected” decision until Feb 15th, 2021. They gave final decision on Feb 16th, 2021 indicating that the cap is reached. There is no more wait listed registrations.
- Back in August 2020, they had second round of H1B lottery done in the wait listed petitions. Since August 2020, there were no additional rounds of lottery done to select H1B registrations to mee the FY 2021 cap.
- If you are still waiting for final decision, check with your employer, they would see “Not Selected” Status.
- USCIS also updated that continue to accept petitions for cap exempt petitions like H1B Extensions, Transfers, Amendments, concurrent filings.
- Below is the screenshot of the news and Official News Release link
- If you are planning for upcoming H1B season, read H1B Visa FY 2022 FAQs
H1B Second Round Lottery for FY 2021 ?
Update ( Confirmed ) – August 14th, 2020 : Today firstly, attorney Greg update on Twitter that there was second round lottery done by USCIS and additional applicants were picked. Many attorneys confirmed the same. Also, AILA has given official update indicating the process to check the H1B Second Round lottery details. Below is the update and AILA news screenshot only given to their members.
- The Second Round registration notices that were selected would say “August 2020 Selection of Reserve Registration”
- They will have filing period listed as “8/17/2020 – 11/16/2020”.
- User who are selected in second round can file H1B petitions starting from August 17th until November 16th, 2020.
- You need to include your second lottery selection notice and send it to the same location that is listed on the Selection notice. The start date of the petition has to be October 1st, 2020 as this is still for FY 2021 season.
- Many of our users also confirmed that they have got selected. So, this news is real and confirmed. If you are still waiting, you should check with your employer and ask them to verify.
- As of now, there is NO official announcement from USCIS on the second round lottery and how many were selected.
- Also, this second round H1B lottery is only for someone who already submitted their registration in March. It is not for anyone new. They should already be in queue.
- The Second round lottery selection includes both US Masters quota and regular quota.
H1b got selected in 2nd lottery,stay positive guys🤞🏻
— Haneeef ‘s (@pmhaneeef) August 14, 2020
Thanks @gsiskind
Update (Unofficial) – Aug 11, 2020: There was an update on Twitter by attorney Greg Siskind saying USCIS may run second round of lottery for existing H1B registrations that were filed in April. This update by him is probably based on some insider information through his contacts or through AILA.
But, as of today, there is NO official update either on USCIS website in their news alerts or any official communication sent by them to the stakeholders. Below is the tweet for your review. In the past, as per some other attorneys inputs, there are no decline in filings, but again, every law firm seem to have different volumes….So, do not get too excited by this news, take it with pinch of salt.
USCIS may reopen the H-1B lottery as early as this week thanks to an unexpected decline in filings.
— (((Greg Siskind))) (@gsiskind) August 11, 2020
Many are speculating or asking, if there would be any second round lottery. The reason is, if many applicants did not file in FY 2021 season due to the COVID-19 situation. In reality, some of the applicants lost their jobs and some were not able to file, but for the most part based on information from many attorney, most of the H1B applicants selected in initial registration lottery were able to file the H1B petition.
The reason is, the job losses due to COVID-19 are very less in the Computer Science sector, where most of the H1Bs are filed. Also, usually USCIS would usually select about 12% to 15% more applications in lottery to factor in these kind of non-filings & denials. So, the chances of second lottery are low and as of July 20th, 2020, we do not have any official update from USCIS on the second round lottery.
If there will be a second round lottery, it will be very likely published on USCIS website or at least your employer would be notified electronically. So, always check with your employer. Do NOT go by any rumours. We will update the article as we hear any update.
Trump US Entry Ban Applies to H1B Visa 2021 Holders, Exceptions
President Trump signed an Executive Order on June 22, 2020 that bans entry of H1B Visa holders to US until December 31, 2021. If you are a new H1B Holder planning to enter US from your home country with stamping, it impacts you and you cannot enter US as per the Executive order, unless you qualify for National Interest Exceptions.
On August 12th, 2020, US State Department gave additional guidance indicating the National Interest Exceptions for the H1B holders. You need meet at least two of the five criteria they have listed for Critical Sectors and doing Critical work for them same sectors. You can check all details on the same at H1B Entry Ban Exceptions – Aug 2020
Also, this entry ban does not apply to any other visa holder who file H1B 2021 application as Change of Status (COS) with USCIS. Check complete details at original executive order at : Trump H1B Travel Ban Executive Order until Dec 31, 2020
New H1B Registration System
USCIS launched New H1B Registration System for FY 2021 Season. Below were the dates for the FY 2021 new registration system that was held in March 2020.
- H1B Employer Account Registration : From Feb 24th, 2020.
- H1B Registration Period : March 1st, 2020 through March 20th, 2020.
- H1B Registration Selection Results : Latest by March 31st, 2020.
You can check the complete details at : USCIS Update on H1B Registration Process for FY 2021. The details shared are inline with most of the details shared in December 2019, you can read the previous update at H1B Registration Dates Confirmed by USCIS
H1B Registration System, Lottery Order
USCIS, with the new H1B registration system has introduced two fundamental changes: one is related to the H1B petition filing process and second is to the order of H1B Lottery in the process.
- H1B Filing Process with Registrations : As per the new filing process, first USCIS would have a H1B registration period for employers to submit registrations using an online system with very minimum information related to their H1B application related to a candidate and their company. There is a $10 fee per H1B registration submitted by the employer.
- H1B Registrations Lottery Order : After the registrations are closed, USCIS will run lottery on these registrations in a new order, different from previous years’ H1B lottery. They will first select applicants to fill the regular quota cap and then the unselected master’s petitions are selected again to fill the master’s quota cap. The change is intended to help the Masters quota petitions have higher chances. After the lottery is done, employers with selected applicants in lottery should submit the full H1B petition with USCIS.
New H1B Process Flow from FY 20201 : Below is the high-level process with H1B registration System.
For complete details like what details to submit for lottery, how they will select, etc. read H1B Registration Process, Lottery, Info
H1B Registration System Online Tool
USCIS released the final version of the H1B registration online system with final flow of screens and what all information is required for applicants on Feb 6th, 2020. It is pretty much same as the preliminary version that was released in late 2019 for user testing. For details on the tool, complete flow, screenshots read H1B Registration Online Tool – Flow, Screens .
Now that we know the registration system, let’s look at the dates.
H1B 2021 Season Start, End Dates
The dates for FY 2021 season were slightly different from previous years as we had new H1B Registration system for FY 2021 season. We had two dates : One for the registration period and second for the actual filing of the complete H1B package. Let’s look at those dates.
H1B Registration Period Dates
USCIS had H1B registration Period open from March 1st through March 20th, 2020. It was technically open for 3 weeks and was closed on March 20th. USCIS announced that they have closed the initial registration period on March 20th in their press release
H1B Registration Results, Sample Notice
USCIS announced initial set of H1B Registration results on March 28th and they indicated that initial set of results would be notified to all employers by March 31st. Employers or attorneys would need to login to the H1B registration Online system to view the results. If the applicant is picked in lottery or initial registration selection process, their status would be changed to “Selected”. They will be able to download a selection notice and that has to be used to submit the actual H1B petition. Check out Sample H1B Registration Selection Notice.
H1B Petition Filing Dates fir FY 2021 Season
All the applicants selected in the H1B Registration Lottery Process in March, were given an option to file for FY 2021 season starting from April 1st until June 30th. All the applicants got exactly 90 days. The filing option for FY 2021 season is over. Technically, if you have missed to file during the time specified in the H1B Registration Selection Notice, then you cannot file the petition anymore.
In short, H1B visa FY 2021 petition filing dates are from April 1st, 2020 to June 30, 2020.
No H1B filing Deadlines changed with COVID-19
There were no changes to the filing deadlines for H1B petitions with COVID-19. June 30th, 2020 was the last date to file. If you have missed the deadline, you cannot file H1B Petition. You lost your chance for FY 2021 and need to apply for FY 2022 Season that starts next year.
H1B 2021 Quota Cap – Regular vs Masters
If you are new and hear the word H1B cap, don’t be confused. It is just the maximum number of available H1B slots for a category. There are two categories Regular and Masters. You can read more at What is H1B Cap ? Regular vs Masters quota ? There were no changes for H1B regular or masters cap for FY 2021 and they stayed the same like previous years. Below are the quota numbers :
- H1B Regular Quota : 65,000 visas
- H1B Master’s Quota : 20,000 visas. ( only US Masters eligible)
One small caveat, of the overall 85,000 visa cap, every year 6,800 visas are set aside for the citizens of Singapore and Chile as part of the Free Trade Agreement with them. There were few bills part of Comprehensive Immigration Reform that are not active in Senate that were proposed from Obama administration days to change the cap count to 110,000 and Masters to 25,000, including potential to make H1B cap extend up to 180,000. But nothing has moved and all are dormant. Nothing new has was proposed by the new Trump Administration regarding changing cap count. To get a glimpse of historical cap count changes, you may check H1B visa cap count history from 1990 to 2017
H1B Visa 2021 Lottery Predictions
Update : As predicted below, there was H1B Lottery for FY 2021 season and about 275,000 H1B Registrations were filed.
Looking at the extreme demand in the last few years, we can very likely assume that there will be H1B lottery. If you are new to this process, read What is H1B Lottery ? Process ? We had lottery for the past 7 consecutive years. Check History of H1B Visa Cap Reach Dates, Lottery. Now, the question is how many petitions will be filed. Last year, with so much of upfront investment from employers, there were about 200K petitions filed. Now, with the low bar of just $10 per registration, there is not much burden for employers. They may be willing to file more registrations. It could be USCIS trap as well to weed out the duplicate petitions….We have written a detail article on the same, read H1B Visa 2021 Lottery Predictions to get idea on the predictions and numbers.
H1B Visa 2021 Lottery Results Dates
In previous years, USCIS would take a very long time to return the H1B packages that were not selected in H1B Lottery. For FY 2020, it was August 29, 2019, when they were returned. So, some were waiting from April 1st through August 29th, 2019 for about 150 days to know their final lottery results with hope.
- Initial H1B Lottery Results : This year for FY 2021 season, with H1B registration system, the whole process was electronic and they announced results much earlier. USCIS announced H1B Registration Lottery Results for FY 2021 on March 28th and they informed that the results for the initial round of registration selections will be informed no later than March 31st. The remaining registrations that were not picked in first run of lottery will be in waitlist or pool for future lottery, if needed.
- Waitlisted H1B Registrations : USCIS said that they will waitlist the applications that were not selected in first round as “Submitted” until the end of fiscal year. They said that they will make the H1B registrations results for everyone, who were not selected in registrations lottery as ‘Not Selected’, only at the end of the fiscal year. Now, the end of fiscal year is usually September 30th for USCIS, but it is not clear, in what context USCIS is referring to for end of fiscal year…if they mean, end of H1B fiscal year 2021 quota or end of USCIS fiscal year. Worst case, you may need to wait until September 30th to be very sure that you were not selected in H1B registration lottery.
What is H1B Visa 2021 Filing Fee ?
H1B visa petition filing involves two things, one is the fee your employer pays to USCIS, second is the fee that they may need to pay an Immigration attorney, if they do not have in-house immigration team. The overall fee can vary anywhere from $1,720 USD to $7,910 USD + the Immigration Attorney Fee.
Below is a table of the summary of the H1B visa fee. For complete details on H1B fees, Read Summary of H1B Filing Fee – Who pays for What ?
H1B Fee – Paid Towards | Amount in USD |
H1B Registration Fee | $10 |
Base filing fee | $460 |
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) | $1,440 ( from Dec 2, 2019) |
Immigration Attorney Fee | Varies from $500 to $3000 |
Though USCIS has published Fee Increase Rule in Federal Register, it was not implemented for FY 2021. Also, it is not effective yet and still in rule making stages.
How to find H1B visa 2021 Sponsors?
If the current company that you work at does not sponsor H1B, it can be difficult to find a good sponsor. Due to the cost involved and process overhead, many small companies stay away from filing H1B petitions. With unknown factors like H1B Visa lottery, it gets even more challenging to convince an employer. In any case, depending on your situation, you would be in one of the three scenarios to find a sponsor.
- F1 Student in US, OPT holders: The best option for F1 students in school is to find an internship or co-op at an employer who can sponsor H1B visa and ask them to sponsor your H1B. You can continue to work on OPT once you graduate as well. If you are on OPT, make sure you work at an employer, who can sponsor H1B. If not, switch your employer to a H1B sponsor. Find the list of H1B Sponsoring companies using the tool or H1B Grader – Sponsors Database
- International Professionals : If you are outside of US, your best bet is to find an multi-national company ( MNC) and work through them to sponsor H1B visa. Many try the IT body shop route, but it is subject to lot of fraud and you need to be careful. Many rules related to H1B are enforced more with Trump Administration now and you need to be careful. Read comments on this H1B Companies Reviews article to get an idea and beware of such consulting companies to avoid fraud.
- Important Note : We, as RedBu2US, DO NOT Provide any H1B sponsorship or guide anyone using professional services or fee. If anyone approaches you by saying our name, it is pure FRAUD…beware !
Read step by step guide for finding sponsors : Guide on How to Find H1B Visa Sponsors 2021
H1B 2021 Registration, Case Tracker
Did you submit or plan to submit H1B Registration for FY 2021 ? In general, the registration process is new and also during H1B application processing, the wait can be long and frustrating to see your status not move….You would be curious to know others status…so, to have a general view on the statuses movement for entire community, 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 ! Add your case on H1B 2021 Tracker
Processing Times – Regular vs Premium
In general, you can file your H1B petition in regular or premium processing. If filed in premium, you will get your decision in 15 days and it costs you additional $1440 USD. To understand differences, read H1B Regular vs Premium Processing Timelines.
In short, if you file in Regular processing, there is no estimated SLA set for it. It can take anywhere from few weeks to few months. But, if you file in Premium processing, you get the result in 15 days.
As in previous years, for FY 2021 USCIS has suspended premium processing from April 1st for all petitions until early June. But, with the COVID-19 situation, USCIS cancelled premium processing indefinitely. Finally, they opened up premium processing starting from June 22nd, 2020. Now, premium processing is available for H1B 2021 season applications. Check more at : USCIS Premium Processing Opens in June 2020
Latest News Updates for FY 2021 Season
Below is the list of latest news by date related to FY 2021 season. We will update here as we have new updates.
- Feb 16th 2021 ( Official ) : USCIS updated that they have reached the cap for FY 2021 season and no more wait list or lottery would be done. Read USCIS news
- August 14th, 2020 ( Confirmed) : Today, USCIS ran second round lottery for H1B visa 2021 season. It was run on the existing H1B registrations that were filed for FY 2021 back in March. Many attorneys confirmed the news and also AILA issued practice alert. Many of our users confirmed too. Check above section on H1B second lottery for more info and alert details.
- August 11, 2020 ( Unofficial) : There was a tweet by Attorney Greg Siskind saying that there will be second round of lottery. As of now, there is NO Official news by USCIS or any communication to stake holders. We need to wait and see.
- August 9, 2020 ( Unofficial ) : There are delays in getting H1B receipt notices. Some are taking over 30 days to get receipt notice. So nothing to panic, if you have not received the H1B receipt notice.
- June 22nd, 2020 : Trump signed an Executive Order that bans entry of H1B holders into US. If you are someone planning to get US visa and enter US, you cannot enter. Check more at Trump H1B US Entry Ban Details
- April 13th, 2020 : USCIS issued alert for stakeholders regarding delays with processing of data entry, receipt notices today. Check H1B 2021 Delays with Receipt Generation, Data Entry – May 1st
- March 28th, 2020 : USCIS updated that the H1B Lottery for Registrations is completed and employers would see results in the online portal by March 31st, 2020. Read full details at H1B Registration Lottery Completed
- March 16th, 2020 : USCIS confirmed that premium processing is not available from April 1st for FY 2021. For full details read H1B Premium Processing FY 2021 Updates
- Feb 21st, 2020 : USCIS again confirmed the filing dates for registration and the submission dates for registration in a press release. It is same as before and nothing has changed. The above article covers the same dates and info. You can read USCIS press release
- Feb 7th, 2020 : USCIS Stakeholder call with updates on upcoming Registration process. Read Latest Update on H1B Registration Process, Info
- Jan 10th, 2020 : USCIS publishes federal register notice confirming the registration process for FY 2021 H1B season. Read H1B Registration 2021 – USCIS Notice, Period, Fee
- Dec 6th, 2019 : USCIS Confirms the launch of H1B Registration System for FY 2021 Season. Check H1B Registration System Dates, Info
- Nov 7th, 2019: USCIS finalizes to charge $10 Fee for H1B Registrations. Anticipated to be effective for FY 2021 season. Check USCIS press release
Common FAQs
No, if you were selected in H1B Lottery in March 2020, your deadline was June 30th, 2021. You cannot file past that date.
No, you cannot transfer the registration. To be counted towards cap, you should have filed H1B petition by June 30th, 2020. If you missed to file, you need to go through lottery again next year.
No official update, if there would be second round lottery from USICS as of July 20th, 2020. We do not even know, if there will be second round as USICS always selects 12 to 15% more entries during lottery to factor in non-filings, denials.
No, you cannot. Your next option is to apply for H1B FY 2022 season that starts in March 2021.
We will continue to update this article as we have more updates. You can bookmark this page.
Got picked up. This was my last attempt. Submitted under masters and regular both.
Hi Anonymous Did you get the selected result today?
Yes. I got it today at 12.20 pm from my lawyer.
Thanks for the reply, One last doubt is did he check the results today which were already released on sat or else did the submitted status change to selected today itself?
how can you submit it under both Master’s and regular?
Hi Kumar,
The current status of my registration is “Submitted”. Still can i hope the status can change to “Selected” if picked up in lottery by March 31st or the process is completed?
Sai,
yes, still there is some hope until March 31st. Wait.
Any updates from cognizant global mobility? Anyone from cognizant got any notification? This is my 4th time, have been unlucky on all 3 previous occasions l
Few of my colleagues in Cognizant received an email from GM saying they are selected
I got mail from cognizant GM team saying that I am selected :).
Hi Any one from accenture got update from people mobility?
Any news from CSC/DXC?
Any JPMC employee applied for H1b heard from immigration team that application is selected. Please let me know
Any IBMer got update from immigrationTeam?
Yes , I got the update from my manager that I have been selected.
I havent heard from immigration team of IBM….any one in the same boat?
Well I do not think immigration team would inform since I did not get any response from them until now and was notified by the project manager. Please reach out to your PeM or the project manager of the project that you were being nominated for. Hope this helps!
H1b lottery selection process is for MS students right now first set of selection ? Or for all other people who intiated from India?? Really got confused with the procedure . Can some one please help to explain .my employer/ Lawyer didn’t told us anything till now ..
Hi Sai,
The lottery is done for all, I heard from some of my friends who got selected in Regular quota .
Sai,
They have not shared such details in the alert. They said it will be all communicated by March 31st.
Hi All,
I have one doubt about the recent H1B 2021 lottery results, I see that people getting their lottery results from yesterday.
Can currently submitted status. Could still change to selective by March 31? Mine is still showing as submitted as of this morning, and there are lots of people on Facebook that keep getting regular notices from their employer and their statuses get updated from submitted to selected, throughout the day today. What would be your thoughts on this?
Most of the people already got confirmations. Maybe a very few might update in coming 2 days. Be hopeful. I am Also waiting on my submission.
Thanks Chandu..
Chandu,
Yes, it can change until March 31st.
Any updates from Infosys? Anyone or anyone’s team member received notification from GLOMO.
Not yet. No change in status.
No updates yet.. how about you guys?
No, not yet
I think the glomo team is working from home. It might take some time to compile the list and start updating the glomo.
will glomo team inform us even if we r not selected also?
No. Still shows result pending.
Guys Any idea how long infy will take to inform us the H1B results? Or is it been already done and i am one of those unlucky one who didn’t get selected?
I think they have not yet started to update the status. I did not hear from anyone who got the email. Let’s wait till April 13. April 13 was the date given in the comments in glomo.
Not started I guess. I asked to my friends who r in another account, no update yet.
Let’s wait….
Hi,
I received mail from GLOMO saying result is awaiting…
I guess I am not selected as results are announced on 31st only..
Anyone selected or received same mail.
Thanks
We r on the same bus. Didn’t get selected.. got the same update from GI te
Results have started coming. Mine is selected. Give one week time. 12 years after my first h1b application. 6th time lucky
Infy has started to disclose the lottery updates. Received an updated today that I have been selected. Better luck. This is my 7th attempt.
Are the lottery results run or we can still wait till 31st March? Mine still shows ‘submitted’ as told by the lawyer?
ACD,
You need to wait until March 31st.
With covid-19 crippling the job market and triggering mass layoffs, will USCIS give “Rejected” applicants second chance? does anyone know how USCIS will handle following scenarios:
1. Employee wins the lottery but laid off because of covid-19
2. Employee wins the lottery but will be laid off before the stamping process begins
Anonymous,
So far no guidance. It is very unlikely…There are lot more people waiting for lottery, so they may run second round of lottery to offset the non-filings.
Finally received good news from employer this morning, H1b picked in lottery after 3 years
Finally received good news from rom Potter this morning, H1b picked India lottery after 3 years
Kumar,
Due corona virus US expect recession. Do you think this will impact on H1B FY 21..? It may not impact company like Google, Amazon, Microsoft. But possible for other companies..
KC
L1A-H1B,
Yes, it will impact for sure. Some companies may not honor and apply for H1B, some may take back offers before October 1st. It is hard to predict how much loss, but there will be impact.
Got selected in lottery after 3 years 🙂
Is your case status in uscis show selected? Is this how you know that you are selected?
Received I797C from employer. Notice type – “Registration Selected”
Did your employer receive I797c by email? Or hard copy?
Rama Rao,
It is printed online. Check Sample H1B Registration Selection Notice
Congrats Rahul! Hoping for similar good news for myself and the others 🙂
Keshore,
The employer has to tell.
Did your sevp dates change?
Ss,
It will not change, it will only change after the H1B petition is filed.
Just received notice that the person we are sponsoring was selected in the lottery – what is the likely timing for getting the process completed so he can enter the US and start working?
Jon,
he can start working from Oct 1st.
Congrats!
Received an email this morning “I’m happy to report that your registration was selected by USCIS and [company name] will be permitted to file a full cap-subject H-1B petition on your behalf”.
Rahul,
Finally I guess 🙂 Good luck for the next steps.
USCIS announced today that they completed lottery for FY21.
Visit USCIS website for detailed info!!!
Yup, this time no info about how many registrations are made. Good luck to everyone!
Did anyone receive a message from USCIS stating their office closure until April 7, 2020?
It is closed for public only. USCIS will be working
Nivu,
Yes, that is true and they may extend as well. Check USCIS COVID-19 updates
Anyone one got registration results?
Not yet still waiting. Probably gonna hear from them on March 31st.
Immigration girl announced lottery is done and Few application Started showing as selected at 1.45pm central time
Can you share more details if available? Still cannot find any news or announcements that USCIS completed the lottery and started releasing the results.
USCIS finished the lottery process
https://www.uscis.gov/news/alerts/h-1b-initial-electronic-registration-selection-process-completed
LIC,
Yes, results are out. Check latest news section in article above.
is there a general lost of those selected?
Hi ,
My h1 expiry date is April and not yet stamped .. How long I am eligible for cap exempt with any other or same company . I am hearing there is 6 years limit some saying no time limit can anyone explain the real fact ?
H1Transfer,
After the expiry, the employer has to apply for extension, then you can go for stamping using the new petition. The limit of 6 years was a rule from past. Read H1B Recapture Rule 6 Years
Did anyone get selected ? Infy guys anyone’s status changed to doc review ?
Bro, Lottery Results are out ? Is it? Status is getting changed to document review?
I guess there are only 3 statuses as of now: submitted, selected and denied (duplicate)
Can a husband file for his wife’s H1B. Scenario: Wife is currently on H4 visa and is working as a direct employee in a finance firm. Husband is a doctor on H1B works in health sector. Thanks
Nivruti,
No, you need the company to file for H1B. The finance firm that she works at can sponsor H1B…FYI, the quota is closed for this year…Next chance is March 2021.
Anyone get the results for the lottery, yet?
Hi Kumar, if unluckily I have not been selected in lottery h1b, is there any chance for me to make an appeal? And what is process?
Vicky,
No, there is no way to make appeal. It is lottery, nothing you can do…
Hi ,
Anyone recieved the H1B 2021 registrations result.
Sundar,
So far no users update. It can take few days…
Notification for new posts
Hello Kumar,
Small question , As per your old ping you said March 31st will be the first set of results. What does it mean ??All lottery results will not come at same time ??
What do you mean first set and second set
Any Qualcomm folks here that received any notification that H1-B registration details have been submitted? I haven’t heard anything till now and this is my last attempt.
Can someone helped me with that or give me an idea. I applied for I130 for husband in Haiti he was approved. In November 2019 he went for the interview at his interview the consular ask for a dual interview. The dual interview was schedule forJanuary this year botn of us went for the interview everything went well for all the questions they asked. But at the end of the interview the consular returned his passport and said good luck. When I checked on case status after the interview they always said the case is in administrative processes. So on March 5t I checked they said the case is refused.
Any idea on how many registrations so far for this FY? It has been almost a week since the registration window opened and everyone has been tight lipped about the number of registrations. Last year, the cap was filled within 5 days I guess.
This year situation are lil different I guess. My attorney asked me few simple questions they did not have..and told me we will not apply your H1B since if you select and you will not submit at the time of petition it will be penalised to employer…after I confirm they will at least apply..So, I think employer be very causes in this year for H1B. What is thought Kumar?
Murali,
No updates yet. It will only come when USCIS announces the results…they said, it will be by March 31st.
Hi kumar,
So it is legal to file h1b online through different employer and different client, if that is the case how many applications a person can file tis time. Do USCIS filter it by passport number.
Preethi,
It is technically legal, but there is so much fraud with IT body shop companies and stay away, if it is not from real offers from companies like Google or Microsoft.
Hello,
Is it possible to change job after H1B registration?
If it is picked in lottery, can a different employer file the petition?
Chandar,
No, it cannot be done. Only the employer who registers should file the H1B. Read the H1B Registration FAQs
Kumar,
Quick question. I am on L1A valid till Agu,2021 and also I140 approved in EB2. This is my 6 th yr going on. My employer told me to go outside US for 2 month in between now and June end. So, if my H1B will select they will file for extenstion..
Do you know if there any other option? I know if my H1B will not pick this year I am not eligible for H1B for 7th year.
Regards,
KC
KC,
I cannot think of anything as well…
If your I140 is approved and your H1B petition is selected in lottery this year, you will get approval for 3 years. It doesn’t matter whether you have already completed 6 years in USA. 6 years cap comes into picture only if you don’t have an approved I140.
I was also in the same boat as you but on L1B. When my H1B got approved, I got approval for 3 years, even though I had already completed 4 years on L1B.
Hope this helps
So now the registration fee is only $10, do we expect more people would register for H1B lottery this year?
Sandy,
Very likely. We wrote H1B lottery predictions, you can check it out, the link is in above article.
Hello Kumar,
One of the employer accepted to initiate H1b for me this year . They said they will send mail for the details they would require for the registration .
What would be the last date for H1b registration this year and when can I lose hope confirming that they wont do for me this year ..
Your response is more valuable to me ..
Sita,
It is March 20th…first set of results come by march 31st…But, last date is unknown as USCIS has not given the final date for all decisions yet.
Hi Kumar,
My I-94 is expired in Sep 1st week and my extension is in pending no RFE as of now. But my project is completed by March 15. I just wanted to know what are my options now.
Some employer saying they can find client and then thy do H1 transfer in premium processing.
Is it advisable to go for H1 transfer now or better leave the country ?
Could some one please provide your suggestions.
I have only 50 days to complete 240 days after I-94 expire.
Naga,
You can transfer, but the trick is you are not in status now and period of authorized stay…so your previous petition will be like Bridge…The safe thing to do is, apply for Transfer as consular processing, leave the country, get new stamping and re-enter. This is to avoid any issues with status as your I-94 has expired.
Thanks Kumar
Hi Kumar,
Thanks for your response , I have the following question could please share your inputs.
As I already spend 6 months after my I-94 expiration and my extension still pending , we find a client can my employer file amendment now ? in that case I stay beyond 240 days as my new amendment is pending for approval ?
Thanks.
Naga,
You may stay, but you cannot work…Discuss with employer attorney and then make a decision to stay or leave..
Thanks Kumar
How to fill up the application form ? I did not get it properly.
Bipin,
Your employer fills out the registration, not you..dont worry about it.
Any idea of how many registrations have come in so far? Last year the cap got filled within first 5 days
murali,
No, they do not release numbers yet. The cap is open for 20 days this year.
Hi Everyone,I would like to explain about my H1B Approval!
My employer sponsored for my H1B on april 2019 under advance degree cap
Later it got picked in lottery and received RFE about Employer Employee relationship and In-house employment.
My employer answered the RFE and provided all the required evidence and updated it to PP.
After that I have received Denial saying that I am not a Full time employee and I am working in 3rd party location which is not true.
Later I discuss with my employer and attorney about it and decided to file an Appeal with more proofs and pictures of each and every document.
After 7 months I received an update from my attorney that My Appeal was approved (Sustained).
After 10 days that is today I got one more update Saying that “we approved your Form I-129”
Guys don’t loose hope if your case strong,Try to discuss with your attorney and employer and fight till the end.
Good luck all!
SK,
Thanks for sharing your situation, it gives positive hope for many !
Hi Kumar,
Are there any chances of rejection later after selection in lottery of registered applicants?
Question arises because lottery is happening just on basis of minimal details of employee, all important documents processing comes in later stage after lottery selection.
PH,
Absolutely, there will about 10% to 15% that get rejected or revoked. This is based on past data, USCIS usually selects more to account for the same…Just getting in lottery is not everything, there is still a long way to go after that…
Hi, Im on L1B and my wife worked in US on L2 EAD. Now im planning to file her H1B FY2021 and I need to submit her i-94. So if she gets picked in lottery, will her status changes automatically?
Mah,
Only if she files it as COS. You can file as Consular processing to avoid automatic change of status. Read COS vs Consular processing for H1B
Can you file for your wife’s H1B?
Hi Kumar,
My wife is in India but, she has H4 visa stamped ( she has not entered USA till date). Now, i am filing H1B for her 2021.
My question is : In lottery, if her case got picked up and after that she come to USA then can i file for COS for her?
Thanks in advance
Gowtham,
Yes, you can, provided she is in US, when you file the actual full H1B application…She needs to give her I-94 details to apply for COS.
Can you file for your wife’s H1B?
how to apply for the application i don’t get it
Sujan,
You dont apply for it. Your employer will apply for it.
Hi
This is my first time applying in H1b, currently, I am under OPT.
I am just wondering is it okay to pay registration fee $10 by myself or the company has to pay it.
On the USCIS site, it said: “Registrants and representatives are required to pay the $10 non-refundable H-1B registration fee for each beneficiary before being eligible to submit a registration for that beneficiary for the FY 2021 H-1B cap.”.
Emma,
Seriously, your employer cannot pay $10 ?
In any case, I don’t think, you should pay it, even $10 or for the entire petition…all are employer’s expenses and you should NOT pay for anything…
I pray everyone who exploits the system by filing 2 and 3 visas get busted this time. USCIS does conduct checks and shows at workplaces. Hope all the attempts get cancelled based on Passport numbers.
What is the expected number of H1B registrations this 2021 year?
Eager,
Stay tuned, will write an article on this soon.
Hi K,
I don’t get my bachelor’s degree until March 31. Can I still apply for the lottery? Please let me know!
Bob,
As long as you have the degree, when you apply the actual petition, you should be fine. This is what they told for the Masters Quota petitions as well telling they dont need Masters degree in hand during registration.
Kumar,
What is your prediction for this year for pre registration ?
KC
KC,
Stay tuned, will write up something on this soon 🙂
Good that process got automated for FY2021. My employer had taken my details for filing H1, can we know in anyway did he actually filed H1? With passport number or some other means can we track the status? What is the confirmation that employer will receive once after filing H1 by paying $10?
Manikanta,
No, you cannot know. They will be electronically notified online when they login…
Hi,
I work as a full time employee at the direct client. It’s a big financial company. Suppose if I was selected in the lottery, what are my chances of getting approval as there are no vendors or any third party companies and it is not a contract job ?
Same for me..But I think for approval, you have to very clearly define your job description, education, salary, etc..
Aditya,
If it is full time, then really good chances as long as your role and your profile fits. Usually more issues are when you are in contracting and with vendors, etc.
Thanks Kumar, yes I am fed with contract jobs and luckily now I am a full time employee with direct client with good pay and benefits and my company supports me in all kind of documentation and I am with them since 9 months now.
I have done Master’s in US and I hope my registration picks this year.
Good Luck Aditya !
Three different employers want to file my H1b this year. Will this result in eliminating all my H1b petitions? Please let me know.
TJ,
Anything that is not bonafide and related IT Body shop kind of offers will be caught and you may regret it later…Be careful ! This is a trap by USCIS.
There is no way this is legit, People like you exploit the system, good luck with the new system.
Hi,
Could you please clarify if the same engineer can have multiple registration from multiple employers.
I am being considered for registration from two employers (of same industry) from the Michigan ? Is this acceptable ? Please clarify ?
Kind Regards,
Vinay
This is a same case for me. Two different sponsors are ready to file my H1B.
Is this safe ?
VK,
Only if they are really not related by any means like Google and Microsoft and full time offers…
Can you please clarify this a bit further? What criteria could an automated/randomized system utilize to potentially adjudge how “related” two employers are?
Diba,
USCIS has not given any guidance on this. They will not share too, they will have enough data about you and your petitions once you submit petition to figure out, if they are related or not…It is trap by USCIS to get people to do mistake and then weed out them later…
My employer has only taken basic information from me like, Name, Gender, Passport details, DoB, Country of Birth and Citizenship.
Are these details enough to register in March 2020?
I am confused as usually they take all details like education, family, certificates, employment details right? Are these not required from this year?
Revathi,
Yes, for registration that is good enough.
They need that for actual filing of petition, that comes after you get selected in H1B Registration Process.
Hi,
I will be applying this for the first time.
Do I get any confirmation from USCIS after our sponsor/employer Register my details as H1B applicant?
How do I know/check if my sponsor/employer has registered my details without asking them?
Is there a way for the Employee/Applicant to check the USCIS website to check the H1B Registrations Status?
Thanks
John,
Yes, you need selected status from USCIS to file H1B petition after registration.
Well, you cannot, you need to ask your employer for that info.
No way to check…Only employer or their attorney can check.