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H1B Lottery 2016 Completed 233000 Petitions Filed

Official News : USCIS H1B 2016: 233,000 Petitions received, Lottery Completed

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As many of you know that H1B Visa 2016 cap was reached on April 7th, 2015 and we all have been waiting for the H1B Lottery information and how many petitions were received. USCIS released a press note earlier today indicating the details of lottery and total number of petitions received.

Summary of the Official Press Release on H1B 2016 Cap and Lottery Completion:

  • USCIS received a whopping 233,000 petitions for H1B Visa FY 2016 quota during the filing period, which is from April 1st to April 7th, 2015. Based on our previous research data from USCIS, this is the highest number of petitions ever filed at USCIS for H1B quota. The previous highest was filed in 2001, when the H1B quota was 195,000 and the overall H1-B petitions filed were about 201,543. Check out History of H1B’s filed with USCIS by Year from 2000. Also, read H1B max quota caps by year since 1990
  • USCIS received more than 20,000 H1B petitions for US Masters’ degree quota. They did not indicate on the breakdown of petitions received for Masters and Regular quota, they just indicated that overall petitions received for the fiscal year 2016 were about 233,000.
  • H1B 2016 Lottery Process, Info :
    • On April 13th, 2015 USCIS conducted Computer Generated Random Selection process aka H1B Lottery to select the required number of H1B petitions for FY 2016 quota of 65,000 for general quota and 20,000 for US Advanced degree quota.
    • First, a lottery was conducted for the US Master’s degree quota applications to select 20,000 petitions and then the petitions that were not selected in this this first round were added to general quota pool and lottery was conducted on this pool to select the overall 65,000 petitions for general quota. This is pretty standard over the years. Read H1B Lottery Selection Process, How does it work.
    • USCIS mentioned that they will reject and return all the petitions that were not selected in the lottery, along with the filing fee, unless the petition filed was duplicate. USCIS mentioned guidance on duplicate petitions that a same employer cannot file multiple or duplicate petitions for the same candidate for the same role or related roles to increase their lottery chances.
  • H1B 2016 Premium Processing Info :
    • As mentioned earlier, the premium processing for H1B 2016 petitions will start no later than May 11th, 2015. It means that the 15 days clock of premium processing starts from May 11th, 2015. You may start to receive receipt numbers for your case earlier than May 11th, but USCIS is setting the date as May 11th for official SLA purposes.
    • Last year this date for premium processing was no later than April 28th, but this year it is moved to May 11th, to cater to the large number of petitions.
  • H1B Cap exempt petitions to be accepted all year long.
    • Only FY 2016 quota is complete. As always, all the H1B cap exempt petitions will be accepted all year long, which falls under the below category
      • Previously H1B cap counted Applications
      • H1B extensions
      • Changes in H1B employment contracts
      • H1B Transfers
      • Concurrent working second H1B petitions

H1B Lottery Selection Results – Our Predictions

As per our H1B 2016 Predictions and Analysis, we expected a lottery and about 170k to 200k petitions…Due to the high demand and upswing in the US economy and technical workers demand in market, there were much more petitions received than anticipated by us.  We deviated about 15% from our actual predictions…

It is going to be a very long wait for many of the H1B applicants waiting for their case info… I know, with my previous years’ experience that it will be very long and painful…just stay calm and discuss sensibly in the blog comments, do NOT get into anything that hurts others or hate speech against race, country, religion, etc. Let’s keep the forum friendly for everyone and help each other in tough waiting period.   I suggest you add your H1B case to our H1B Case Tracker and keep it up to date, so that everyone get some high level info and take necessary action as needed.

What are your thoughts on this FY 2016 quota ?

Official USCIS Tweet on this with press release

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Satheesh Kumar Ilu, commonly known as Kumar, is the founder of RedBus2US.com. He is an Immigration and Study Abroad expert. He holds an MS from the University of Houston–Clear Lake and an MBA from the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee. He studied, lived, and worked in the U.S. and Singapore for nearly two decades, and has traveled to over 25 countries.

   

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730 Comments

  1. Can anyone define the RP and PP process. Because i dont know about it certainly and still i dint got any receipt in that case mine is not selected. please do provide some clear cut view on it

    Reply

    • RP is regular processing where as PP is premium processing
      Premium Processing

      USCIS originally mentioned that the premium processing for FY 2016 applications will start no later than May 11th, later they issued a news alert that the H1B 2016 premium processing will start from April 27th. Some of our readers are receiving the case receipts for the premium processing applications. You can check the status of selected petitions in our H1B Visa Case Tracker ….But, if you have not received your case receipt yet, you do NOT need to be in panic…You still have a week or so to get the premium processing receipts.

      Usually for premium processing, the employer/ immigration attorney will get an email from USCIS informing about your H1B case with the receipt number. You can use that receipt number to track the status at USCIS site . Ideally, all the receipts of selected H1B petitions should flow in on or before April 27th, or at least by 30th of April. Having said that, sometimes they may keep coming in the first few days of May too. What USCIS has promised is that the 15 calendar day premium processing SLA or Clock starts from April 27th. What it means is that the premium processing petitions have to be adjudicated by May 11th ( 15 calendar days from April 27th ). Also, one catch is that, if say your petition ends up in an RFE ( Request for evidence) while the adjudication of the petition, this will halt the premium processing clock for your petition and will restart after the RFE response is submitted by employer.

      Regular Processing

      Typically, H1B petitions filed under regular processing do not have any mandatory SLA from USCIS, unlike in premium processing. They can take their own time based on their work load. This is one of the most frustrating things many regular processing folks experience as they have to wait a lot of time… Anyways, if your regular processing petition was selected in lottery, your employer/ attorney would get the H1B case receipt notice in traditional postal mail from the USCIS. There will NOT be any email receipt notice. You as an employee needs to be in close touch with your employer/ attorney to know the status of your case. If you were selected and your employer received the H1B receipt notice, the receipt notice will have the case number, which can be used on the USCIS website to check the status of your case.

      As there is NO fixed SLA for the processing of the regular processing petitions, the receipts keep coming in sporadically from USCIS. Typically they would start to arrive from about 2 weeks from lottery date all the way till end of May or maybe even in early June for some cases. Again, this can be very frustrating to keep waiting on this receipts, but there is no choice.

      Reply

  3. Quick question.

    I got picked up in the lottery by 2 employer.
    When should i tell the 2nd employer that am not coming with you.

    Do i need to inform about my first petition. And any good ways to tell them that am not coming without any issues

    Reply

    • Haha.. You lucky one !!! I believe you need to wait for approval notice i-797. There is possibility one may get rejected or get rfe. So wait till you get at least 1 and then let employer know and they can withdraw theirs.

      Reply

    • Also, legally you are not bound to inform about another petition. Just let them know you do not wish to join them. They might charge you for petition fees if you had promised that earlier or as per their policy.

      Reply

  6. Has anyone received update from Cognizant for Regular processing. kindly update here.. I am eagerly looking for the results. did they start sending receipts.

    Reply

      • How do you know that we will start getting receipts in May 1st week? I believe even if they start sending receipts by May 1st week we should be lucky enough.. Any idea on how long we can wait for receipts?

        Reply

        • Well – Atleast hope it will start coming from 1st week of May. Patience is a Virtue. Ideally, You can wait till end of Sept, but logically by end of May.

          Reply

          • I like to know as my employer has been filed an H1B rather waiting for the process at the same time could i apply for higher studies in any country. If i get offer from any university or college can i apply for student visa … or else not… please do suggest me clear on it my frnds, brothers, & sisters.

          • Well as per my knowledge, Yes you can apply for Higher Studies. I don’t think there is any issue in it. But in case you decide to leave the employer then your H1b will not be valid anymore. (I am not the attorney.. This is my understanding)

          • “employer has been filed an H1B rather than waiting for the process”? I would recommend you to take a course in English before even thinking about H1B or any PG course in the US.

          • Guyss.. Please don’t crib if some english is not as fluent as yours. Its pitty that we judge people based on Language rather than knowledge.

  8. I like to know as my employer has been filed an H1B rather waiting for the process at the same time could i apply for higher studies in any country. If i get offer from any university or college can i apply for student visa … or else not… please do suggest me clear on it my frnds, brothers, & sisters.

    Reply

    • My understanding is if you get selected for h1 and you change to F1 before Oct 1st your h1B will be withdrawn. Take advice from lawyer will you be able to apply again under cap exempt.

      Reply

    • “employer has been filed an H1B rather than waiting for the process”? I would recommend you to take a course in English before even thinking about H1B or any PG course in the US.

      Reply

  14. Hello,

    My company has filed H1 under premium processing, but if I move to new company now there is a possibility that they might revoke/withdraw my H1 application. So I would like to when is the right time to move from my company, so

    1. Before my H1 is picked, if yes will you be able to transfer the application?

    2. After my H1 is picked or

    3. After my H1 is picked and processed, wherein I will receive my receipt number with which my new company should be able to transfer.

    4. Last date of notice by uscis about h1b status(if picked or not)?

    Reply

    • Am not an attorney. But based on my knowledge, since you are not in H1B already, the second employer must have already applied on Apr 1st for the H1B and each application would have been considered separately. You cannot transfer the receipt from one employer to another. You would have to wait till your H1B application gets processed, approved and then transfer your H1B to the new employer.

      Reply

  15. my wife’s COS to H4 payment cashed by VSC, does that mean picked in lottery? Any answers helpful. Thanks

    Reply

  16. Did anyone try with Credence Support LLC ? I have done it for the 4th time ( yes , 4th time ) and desperate for this one ( regular processing, non AD ) this time !! When will I have an update ??

    Congrats for those who have got it this time !!

    Reply

  18. Wt happens if you applied in AD-PP, n not selected in AD lottery BUT then selected in GQ, when to expect receipt # from USCIS?

    Reply

  19. Hi if the company has applied for the H1B petition, do we still receive status info or the compnay only. Is there any possibility of we checking the filing status by our name ??

    Reply

    • There is no way to search even by company name. You can check status only when receipt is received. For regular PP it will be in regular mail so expect 10 days from receipt generated by USCIS.

      Reply

    • Only the selected folks will get a receipt No.
      After the selected people are intimated, then the non selected are informed about there non-selection on low priority.

      Reply

      • Thanks Chandu .. I too have the same query.
        Until yest. I was under impression for those who were not selected, their application will soon be sent back to the attorney. But it appears that it will be last item on priorty list

        Reply

  22. I am in the advanced degree cap and did PP. Received an email this morning from Vermont SC with a receipt number… Does this mean that my case has made the lottery? I am new to this process. Next Step in this process?

    Reply

    • I heard few receipts people posted. But they are not yet started like premium ones. So looks like we need to wait till 27-Apr

      Reply

  26. When I read this page, the author wrote – reply sensibly and I wondered why. LOL! People, please stop judging others. None of your “peer reviews” are going to be considered by USCIS 😉

    Reply

  28. Hi friends
    By God Grace, I got my email from my attorney today

    Mine was AD/PP/Texas/First ever application.
    I am non-IT and mine was a premium processing.
    Mine must have gone to Vermont.

    I have not paid any fees till today and I am very happy.
    I must say, the stress i got in last few days was worst ever and I never want to see that again.
    Same time, I want to wish all the friends a very good luck.
    I am at a friends house and can provide more information if needed.
    However, I am just happy now and just had 3 beers.
    Enjoy guys and keep the faith.

    Rgds
    AC
    My application number is
    EAC-15-134-51***
    I dont know why I am hiding my application number but I am at friends house so cant think much, will reply tomorrow if needed.
    Bye all

    Reply

  30. Did anyone who applied through Fragomen heard back about their application status (Picked in lottery etc..)? If Yes, Can you please educate me how they would inform the Employee?

    Reply

    • Got to call to find out. They would tell company which filed if you get through but can talk to the rep @ fragomen and ask about the updates

      Reply

    • You have to find who the assistant paralegal is for your company. If you contact that person he/she will be the first one to know about your application.

      Reply

  31. So is the receipt number same as Petition number???
    So far I have only seen receipt numbers starting from 151 where as petition number starts from 150..
    Sorry.. still confused
    AD/PP/2nd attempt

    Reply

  33. Good morning Europe
    I hope to hear some good news today
    Jai H1B Bhagwan….get me some good news on friday ….

    Reply

  34. Hi

    Can anyone pls confirm whether they have received the receipt nos for H1B regular processing through any of the IT companies

    Reply

  35. Hey Everyone,
    I am commenting to wish you all good fortune with your picks. There is no one who can be undeserving of H1. I hope everyone of you act mature and be supportive to one another instead of bantering each other for petty causes. Maintain calm and stick together.

    Reply

  37. hurrey guys,

    my petition is got selected thruf rangday consultancy. got receipt nomber. anybody coming here from same consultancy .what will be next processing. m regular processing and in regular quota.

    Reply

  39. Who came up with enlightened idea of lottery for selecting professional work visa?
    H1 is meant of highly paid professionals not cheap salaried employees. Instead of lottery USCIS should select top paid 85000 professionals. This is a logical approach rather doing a lotto

    Reply

      • “hgf” (don’t know what that even means).
        Whatever it be, not interested.
        Well the point is we have someone who can’t think of a meaningful name for himself is actually trying to suggest USICS criteria of selection for H1b. Nice :-).

        “Bob” if you think you are a already a highly paid professional why do you really need to go u.s.
        Let less fortune ones like us try our luck.

        Think before you speak.

        Reply

        • Those are my initials. Hope you’re not offended by them.

          Sometimes companies have a need to bring in genuinely talented people at their labs or offices for a short duration of a few years. Not everyone works in cheap offshoring firms.

          Reply

    • Lottery favors Infosys TCS etc and the rest of the outsourcing lobby. They don’t care if A gets through out B. Big $$$ at play here.

      Reply

    • Top paid 85000 professionals, that wont be a good idea. How do you pick top professionals based on their pay? That’s not fare. When you receive 233K applications, its a pain for uscis to go through all applications and review them. Instead of that, they need to eliminate fake H1B’s, like paying some money to some consultancy with out any job and get the H1B and sits in India for whole H1b duration.

      Reply

    • Bob, I hope that you aren’t setting off a controversy here. Assuming your innocence, I might want to answer you why your approach doesn’t work out. When you sort top 85k well paid applicants, you are essentially eliminating a lot of underpaid sectors of industry (education, psychology, etc.) and by no means people with low wages are considered to be undeserving of H1.

      Reply

      • This is a very good rationale against the salary sort system. But at least the top 50% of h1bs should go to firms who are willing to pay top dollar for senior or critical employees. E.g. it makes no sense for a senior executive making 500k+ to be put in a lottery pool with someone providing IT support @50k. Or the rest a per industry sorting… By salary, education, etc. could be done. That would be more equitable and aligned to the needs of companies as well as in the spirit of the ‘high skill visa’ than a random lottery.

        Reply

        • Hgf, I understand your stance on qualifying a senior executive person for H1. Normally, companies who want a senior executive or a director to work from USA apply an L1 A visa along with GC EB1. It makes little sense for such masses to apply His visa.

          Reply

          • Not always. A lot of the senior chaps prefer H1B if they get it and often companies have to listen to them.

            Also many get hired from a different firm in, say London, and need to join new firm in NY. H1B again.

            Not all want a green card (EB out of question) since it will make them US citizens eventually and they don’t want lifelong global taxation.

  40. Hi, I have applied for H1B & did not get any receipt number so far so can some one advise if all the applicants which are picked in lottery have received receipts or it happens in waves.

    Reply

    • Hi Eshan,

      It will take time to receive the receipt numbers, I knew ppl who received receipt numbers in end of May last year. So hang on.

      Reply

  41. Hey..i hav applied through heightsit consulrancy ..they sent me tge fedex number and its applied in vermont .is that make somethin?

    Reply

    • I shudder to see this batch of geniuses headed to the US. USCIS should consider an English language test with a very high cutoff

      Reply

    • OMG. USCIS should make sure that this kind of person should not be imported to spoil the society with their neuro-defective brain.

      Reply

      • This isn’t just a disgusting practice its also a criminal activity. I hope USCIS follows up and serves a notice on this site to retrieve the true email IDs of these posters!

        Reply

          • Most such consultants are paid for by applicants or given a cut later in exchange for filing their H-1Bs, such as luckbychance and others of his ilk. That is illegal.

          • Heights IT certainly deals in such dubious practices and an investigation would not only get them barred from using H1B but also ensure that all those people filed through them get deported with a record against their passports.

        • Seems like you don’t have any work rather than finding mistakes.

          I’m not bothered about your comments coz I know what iam .

          May be you are good at English
          But that’s not enough to lead your life.

          One should have a sense to point out others

          Soon you will learn by h1b results

          Reply

          • Either way this is highly illegal. Hope you are as lucky with the feds as you would perhaps be in the lottery

          • What logic is that? Do you need to be involved in theft to know it’s a crime?! Seriously? Please check the USCIS regulations and rules online. You are not supposed to pay the employer for processing your H1B. That’s not my opinion or ‘judging’. It’s the law.

          • Dude, take it easy. No offense, but your English is not correct. I’d like to believe that it is only because English is not your native language. hgf’s comments make sense, give him the credit he deserves.

        • @AK

          I’m sure, he is not going to get H1b this time.

          If he is in USA/going to be in usa who will educate India on english

          India deserves him so no h1b for him

          Reply

  42. I applied with my wife’s H4 through the company that I’m working. Company paid my fee and I paid my wife’s H4 fee.
    Yesterday, the check I paid for my wife was cashed.
    Does this mean that I picked by the lottery?

    Reply

          • LOL ! Pick three random people from India who are currently in the US on H1B and one of them will speak/write in terrible English. That doesn’t mean they are not good at what they do and are not worth going to the US. H1B has now become a bad joke ! Lottery for professional work? Seriously?

        • Sorry to break this to you. H4 has nothing to do with H1B (unfortunately). Same goes for L1 and L2. Your wife may get approval for H4 but unless your H1 is approved and stamped, she won’t be able to get her visa stamped.

          Reply

  43. Hi Probability

    That was not a query of simple math.It meant that what are the chances of getting through second time.Interpret the question corretly before answering for it

    Reply

    • This again tells you do not deserve a H1. Your previous H1 application absolutely does nothing to improve your probability. And if you don’t know that basic thing, you really have serious problems – and I am feeling pity for the poor client that might get you into their team going by the high level of skillset quoted in your long and fake resume.

      It matters, if un-selected applications from the previous lottery are put into this year’s lottery. But you should know that is not how it works, so it does not increase your probability in any way.

      Reply

      • Prob

        I can judge your understanding and analytical capability after reading this.Feeling very very sorry for the client who is going to give u the opportunity.A person who cannot understand a question properly,he is absolutely not a deserving candidate to be in IT field.Just try to look at yourself before commenting.

        Reply

  44. Hi Guys,
    I have even heard that many H1B s’ are getting rejected during stamping interview since last couple of years, just because in scarce of Client-Letter ?

    This is the first time I have applied for H1B Visa and I don’t want to take any risK to get rejected. Please suggest if this rumor is true ??

    rgd,
    Kus

    Reply

    • If you are sponsored by a consulting company esp one which takes money to file for a visa you are very likely to be rejected and recorded in their system for visa fraud

      Reply

    • Why not do everything in legal limits? If you have done everything legally you need not worry. Also, if you have genuine qualities then you will flourish anywhere 🙂

      Reply

  45. Will all the receipts sent out today for those accepted in the lottery? I havent received any mail yet..does that mean i am not selected or some emails are still to be sent out?

    Reply

    • No thats not true. If you ate premium processing u can get recipts as late as 27th april and if regular as late as june.

      So Hold on your recipt is in there . Just wait to get it.

      Reply

  47. I applied for h1 in regular h1 cap (even though I am master student , I didnt get my degree yet, so applied in Regular H1Cap).

    If my petition is not picked in lottery held on 13th Apr 2015 , Can i travel outside states in next month(May 2015)?

    Thanks

    Reply

    • Yes, you can travel as long as you have your EAD card (and assuming you have an existing job offer as you have applied for H-1B)

      Reply

  48. Hi
    My H1B is nominated for the second time this year.
    Last year also i was nominated but no luck…Can someone let me know what is probability of getting this time?

    Reply

    • If you are not capable of doing a simple math with all the numbers out there (number of applications received and the cap limit) to calculate the probability, you don’t deserve a H1B. For that matter, you don’t deserve to be in the IT field itself.

      But I am pretty sure, you have loads of experience in a niche technology on resume – which will definitely fool some client if you are lucky to get your H1 this time! I wish you all bad luck!

      Reply

    • Hi,

      I know many ppl here try to do timepass instead of providing proper information.

      If you are not Adv. degree candidate (ppl who did their masters in USA), then your probability will be 1 : 3.7
      Total 85000 – 20000 (adv degree) = 65000 – ~6800 (for Singapore and chile free trade agreements) = 58200
      So it will be 58200 for 213000 people.

      Reply

  49. I am currently working in Korea, and I offered so great opportunities from the company where I really wanted to work for. To process Visa, I had to lots of efforts since I was not in the U.S. I never expected such as high number of applicants. Anyway, not I am standing in front of two different way to my life. Pray to God.

    Reply

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