Many of you who have applied for H1B Visa for fiscal year 2014 might be wondering regarding the H1B Visa processing times. Some common questions are like below:
- What is USCIS Regular Processing time for H1B Visa 2014 petitions ?
- Is there any SLA for USCIS to process the H1B Visa 2014 petitions ?
- What is the processing time for H1B petitions filed under Premium processing ?
- How has USCIS done historically with H1B Processing Times ?
- Where and How can I look at the average processing times for H1B petitions ?
Let me take some time to address some of the above most commonly asked questions around H1B Visa petitions processing times and how USCIS has done in the past. If you have already received a case number for your H1B petition, you can read this article: Understanding H1B Visa Case Number, Track Status
What is USCIS Processing time for H1B 2014 petitions filed under Regular Processing ?
Well, the typical adjudication (decision making) time for H1B visa petitions filed under regular processing by USCIS can range anywhere from 2 months to 6 months. There are cases where the decision was mailed by USCIS in less than 2 months and there are cases where USCIS took much longer than 6 months too. Every H1B case is different and the time taken depends on various facts and factors tied with a petition…
Is there any set SLA for USCIS to process petitions filed under H1B 2014 Regular processing ?
There is NO set SLA for USCIS that stipulates them to adjudicate a H1B petitions filed under regular processing within certain amount of time. So, you would just have to wait for USCIS, there is nothing you can do. Unlike, USCIS has SLA for premium processing H1B petitions, but it comes with a cost.
How long will USCIS take for H1B Visa 2014 Premium Processing petitions ?
USCIS has a standard 15 calendar days SLA for premium processing petitions. Typically, it starts from the day USCIS receives the petition and they issue a case number. But for FY 2014, due to expected high volumes they have pushed the premium processing clock for H1B petitions to start from April 15th. So, you can expect a response from USCIS on your case by April 30th. It can be a decision or an RFE, if something was missing. Read article: H1B Visa Statuses – Approval, RFE, Denial
How has USCIS done historically with H1B petitions processing times ?
Again, as mentioned above, it has varied from 2 to 6 months. The current national average for processing times that USCIS publishes on their website is about 2 months and it seems to be varying depending on how busy USCIS gets with processing at a particular time. You have to remember that the reason processing times can vary a lot is because USCIS constantly receives other H1B petitions that are not part of FY 2014 quota, which are extensions and change of employers, cap-exempt petitions, etc. that they would have to process as well. If some of these mentioned are filed under premium processing, the priority changes from USCIS perspective.
Where can I look at USCIS processing times for H1B petitions ?
USCIS publishes the processing times on their website. The only trick is that that, you have to watch for date that processing times correspond to…All you need to do is select the processing center and it will show the approximate processing times. You can check at here at USCIS website
You can check out some of the processing times at our H1B Visa Tracker. Don’t forget to add your case.
What has been your experience with USCIS processing times ? How long did it take ?
It appears that 85k receipts may be processed by the end of the day, so does that mean its over?
Just checked with my DSO and found out no changes in my SEVIS…(yet)…. 🙁
I agree its getting over very soon. Not sure if we will get it at least on last day or miss it altogether.
What are the plans?
No OPT, No H1. If you go back to India, i don’t think we can find a job.
Any thoughts bro? This lottery took everything.
How about STEM extension or going back to school? That’s what I have. Share if anyone have something better.
Thanks
PS: Im not from India, but I hear you bro. Already attended school here, we should have gotten some privilege in the lottery, at least a merit based ranking.
Hey Guys,
If I didn’t get anything until now I am most likely to receive a rejection notice no?
Thanks in advance for your response.
PG
Received a call from the lawyer…was excited to speak to him I said hello, a voice came hi i am from attorneys office, I said yes please tell me…n she Said we have not got only ur recipt else everyone’s has been reached….I was like o wooooooooowwwwwwwww….what good news u could have given me today…so guys I am backing out kinda with some very less hope ill still wait till the next week…n now starting looking onto some good b schools…please suggest some good schools in Illinois….also all the best guys hope we all make it still!!!!
hope and pray till its officialy over.
hey do not be disheartened lets hope till the next weekend..good luck
can u email me on balajidotvaishali gmaildotcom
this is ridiculous, it has been 2 weeks since i am checking emails and have not received a thing, I am just tired, stress out in top of that i have my family who depends on me getting this h1b. all hopes are gone i just need and answer! so i can plan ahead
its situation of thousands i guess including me which is killing me bit by bit. It must work out some how.
Don’t worry bro…..only H1 is not ur career ..there r so many ways…god will show u…jus believe in god..though ur family members depends on u but thy can understand ur problem
Yeah life lust go on. With or without H1
*must
That’s a hot Freudian slip you got there buddy 😉 !
;;;) oh yeah it was a crazy slip
I am guessing by the end of this month USCIS may be gets done with the process? Dunno their inner workings but I have a feeling. SO thats just technically 2 more working days.
I for one am gonna stop looking for it at 3:00pm EST. I will be here to support others in their hopes and congratulate them who have got it. I am not accepting defeat. I am just done waiting for it. If its meant to happen, it will. Else not. 🙂
Best of luck to all. T minus 100mins to go.
By numbers its getting over any time in couple of days. But mail process might take another week.
Hey I don’t know if this will help anyone, but one of my friends got his check encashed today.
So the process is still on..!!
thats good news.
Any one from bizlegal services got receipts ??
Look at this , Enjoy the Friday …
Employers have been receiving Receipt Notices for winners en masse either via email or regular mail depending on pp or non-pp cases. From the information which was released by a responsible official of the USCIS earlier that the receipt notices would be mailed to the winners by early May, one can speculate that the employers may have only about one week to learn whether their cases made it in the lottery. Sadly, the employers may start receiving rejected packages in the mail sometime next month. This H-1B cap season was indeed a very stressful year because for a last years, the employers did not have to deal with the H-1B cap crash in five days, not to mention commercial delivery services mishaps on first couple of days. Well, it is what life is about, ups and downs over the course and journey of life. Heck, this is a Friday. Please enjoy the Friday. We may be blessed with a “real” spring this weekend and all the way to the summer. What a short spring it will be!
Source : http://www.immigration-law.com/
Both myself and my husband applied for H1B on the same day by the same Employer. But myself got the receipt (i.e WAC13138****). But for him No Updates. Is there any possibility to get the receipt from USCIS ??
Hey Guys,
Great job, in raising hopes for lots like me, still waiting for any action. I am RQ/RP/CSC, waiting for any sort of news. However, I feel chances for those whose cheques are not cashed are getting slender. If on an average 2500 applications/day are processed at one center i.e 5k in a day in both CSC/VSC, 50k for sure are done. ( 2500 is way less than actual, I feel). Chances are getting slimmer day by day. I wish Good Luck to all of us waiting for news…though this is not a life changer, but certainly accelerates the success factor in general. I hope, this is the last week of this excruciating wait…Good Luck All
by the way, its day 16, not day 10,
@2500 a day, that puts the total number of receipt generated in the ball park of 80,000
nvm, today is 17
so 85000 k mark is today …..
This process will be dragged on for 2 more weeks based on the historic processing times by USCIS in 2008 lottery
Guys please share ur plan B
What plan
If not h1b then what….????
Not extension left with me. Gonna decide by Mid- May if I want to enroll in Masters course or go back to country and look for a job there that would want my US experience and later on perhaps retry. Too exhausted by all this running around, paper work, proving documents, etc. Just want to be done and focus on my own work now than be worried to be kicked out man!
RQ/RP/VSC.
papi papi papi choloo pinga mi pinga mi
O ye baby do do it do do it do do it baby
it is wise to leave this country without getting in any trouble or any financial obligation, time will change and u will be able to come back at some other time. Just be happy and do it fast. Whatever u think u gotta do just do it baby…..
and i will say again papi papi papi cholo pinga mi pinga mi
Finally got the receipt.. had got to know abt the receipt number last thursday from my DSO and today after many calls and mails, my employer sent a mail saying tht , yes we have received ur receipt and will forward to you soon.. was busy so cudnt respond..
Wish he cud understand what i was going thru..nways relieved now…
Congrats CR! At least now I am confident that I am thru since I got the number fromm DSO
Hey Guys,
Great job, in raising hopes for lots like me, still waiting for any action. I am RQ/RP/CSC, waiting for any sort of news. However, I feel its over. If on an average 2500 applications are processed at one center i.e 5k in a day, 50k for sure are done. ( 2500 is way less than actual, I feel). Chances are getting slimmer day be day. I wish Good Luck to all of us waiting for news…though this is not a life changer, but certainly accelerates the success factor in general. I hope, this is the last week of this excruciating wait…
Hi,
I am very pleased to say that i got selected in the lottery….i haven’t received official receipt,
my employer told they may receive another day or two.Well i am H4-H1 and my dob is 85.
Please do not lose your hope guys we will make it.
How did they come to know? Congrats!
Congrats Prash Great ya i am also 85….hoping n prayinggggggggggggggg
Is it RQ/PP???
Thank you all…
Well i do not know exactly how did they got to know…my employer told that attorney called and told i got selected(wanted to ask how they got to know but he was in a rush)i think check on my name might have been enchased.
I am RQ/RP,do not worrying just believe in god…i know what is the pain…we will all make it.
Congtrs.. My Dob 87
@Sainath
@XYZ
@IamonH4
@H1bLondon
Are we all in the same boat? RQ/RP/VSC. ?
RQ/RP/CSC
Ohk good man. Guess we gotta continue waiting.
RQ/RP/CSC
At this point, ill take any boat 😉
Haha true xyz. Same here. My employer said checkS earlier which is leading me to believe that my case MAY have been PP? But I am gonna go with RQ/RP. Hoping I hear soon.
They are still generating receipts as of today and they are still going out. DSO wont disclose either due to legal liability.
DSO thing is bullshit in my opinion. It is your record and if you can prove your identity to them then they have no right to withhold information. My university is doing the same thing and its pissing me off.
Let hope we get on this hypothetical H1b boat together 😀
Amen bro! I totally agree. In fact technically same should apply to the H1b status check. If we can sufficiently prove our identity with passport numbers and or SSN then whats the hold up! I am sure a 5 set question of personal data should provide enough.
Wish they did that then we would know and be done. I am hopeful when i hear others selection and at the same time I keep fearing if mine was the one that didn’t make thru. >.<
Add me
lol welcome aboard!
dont get your hopes up on this boat – its going to be another titanic !
I kinda agree. I have a feeling to keep my expectations low to avoid feeling let down. I am going to sit back in the rocking chair. Have a drink, listen to some soothing music and let the boat crash. 😀 Haha.
sounds like a good plan …..
yes still waiting …damn!!!life has become hell in april 2013
one more PP EAC1314652019
not sure if its new or renewal though, but dont see a lot of these in the last 3 days.
RQ/PP/VSC – dimag ka dahi hua pehli taarikh ko, au aaj bun gaya paneer
Media toh jal Gaya …pura kala Honda baki hai
Mera
LMAO ! time to make a new batch?
Any one hear about rejection or paper back from USCIS. Any idea when will USCIS send update whether you are selected in lottery or not?
You won’t get a definite answer about your question here because as far as I know, USCIS does not follow comments on this blog. Your best option is to call USCIS and ask them directly.
H4 don’t have ny info so they can’t directly call USCIS n ask this….n my employer has said a strict no to this…he said let the attorney handle it n I being mum said yes…as I am On h4
You don’t need any information. Just ask the person about timelines for when they will be sending back applications that were not selected. USCIS won’t release your specific case information to you unless your employer or attorney calls, but the question above can be answered if they know a specific date when applications that were not selected will be sent out.
in 2008, USCIS made an official announcement in mid June that they were returning the packets of those individuals who were not selected in the lottery. Hopefully they will do the same too this year.
Irrespective of AD, RQ, PP or non-PP, it is possible to receive a receipt till they make that official announcement. This year though, we might hear it sooner.
But I think attorney can take follow up with USCIS regarding receipt after 30 days.
Nyone here who applied from anira solutions
Any one from deebecon?
me too waiting for COS H4 to H1. very few results came out for H4 to H1 so far. Better be patient and enjoy your weekend we will get good news next week.
I am from Deebecon too. got selected in the lottery.
@XXX When did u get the receipt? U in RP/RQ? How did u came to know? Employer called you?
employer called me up and told that I was selected in the lottery. (Monday)
Regular Processing/ Non Premium
I dont know.. Expecting each moment that my phone will ring with that good news …
I couldn’t hear anything ;-(… Congrats to you…
They will call you as soon as they come to know when you check cashed.. Don’t worry, you will get it…..
Guys
Is USCIS sending receipts according to their Date of birth? People who got their receipts, please let us know your year of birth. Most my friends who are of my age didn’t get receipts yet.
my dob 11/16/1983…any info abt it
Sainath…did u get the recipt…
Hope today is the day for sainath…t..me n many here waiting anxiously
NOOOOOOOOOOOO…still no receipt @iamonh4..i pray that we get it today…honestly need it!!!
hi sainath..
is u r cheque got encashed?
no idea..i spoke wid mt attroney last week …its waz not cashed then…as of now i do not know
@Sainath..
ask you attorney /employer about it today. whether it is encashed or not
u can come to know about status
my employer will get to know abt it in monthly statements…n attorney is not saying anythg…its utter stressful sitauation of ma life
@Sainath…Very sad ya…employer cannot give that answer…they should track it…r u sure its a trustworthy employer
Called my lawyer n employer too…they just sayyyy waittttttttttttt…..I am yelling how long….
yes…they cant understand how pain it is to wait.. :((((
@Sainath..
oh..in general .. i can see few employers are checking daily whether cheques encashed or not ..and giving updates to candidates if its encashed…
dnt loose hope..you will get it soon.
@iamonh4 & h1blondon…
employer is trust worthy …he genuinely sponsered for me, but not ready to either call or get update from uscis
Its so stressful these days cannot concentrate on anythg…yesterday also i went to temple and prayed. God should be blessful on us yaar
🙂 dnt get panic.think of back up options or alternate plans ..that will give relief..
Nice theory. Here are two more data points. My friend and I got our receipts on April, 8th and approvals on April 16th. We both have offers from different companies, located in different states though both applied at WAC. Our ages 22 and 24.
I think this might be the criterion.. selected guys please share your DOB or age…
WAS it pp or regular?
PP. Our petitions were approved by April 16th!
latest EAC
EAC1314652010
Again today is last day of this week…………
Oh……..God please send me good news……
+1 Happy.
Since I read from last week, that RQ/RP have started receiving their receipts I was jubilant, anxious and expectant. But another end of the week and no word from my employer, attorney, dso, etc.
Hope we hear some thing good today. Best of luck to us all.
@PKaiser: Things looking bleak mate. Maybe today there is hope but with ever passing hour the probability of a successful outcome is going down fast.
When you think of it in terms numbers tells us that 40,000 unfortunate souls will miss out and that’s a sinking feeling.
On the brighter side there is a 75% probability of making it through and that’s the thought that’s keeping our hopes alive.
I Think Game is over.
we have not seen many comments
Thanks
NKumar
Not really I just think we are not seeing comments because people think the previous page is not working anymore. Receipts were generated yesterday as well. They should be going out to people.
please dont lose hope. I just got mine this morning. RQ/RP/VSC.
So please hold on and you all will surely hear something good soon. Have faith.
Ganpati Bappa Morya !!
I hope all our friends from the previous discussion page migrate to this one so we can keep the talks up.
I loved the hourly updates of receipts generated at the centers. The infrequent updates of users on their receipts receives and approvals. Kinda gave me hope and scare at the same time. 🙂
RQ/RP/VSC. No checks cashed yet. No SEVIS Update or rather DSO wont disclose.
RQ/RP/VSC
Check not cashed, No receipt.
The DSO told me a couple days back that my SEVIS record says “Application Pending”.
Thats all they can tell me
Anup
Buddy that may be a sign of hope! Keep it up.
My DSO wont even disclose that due to legal issues. They all wait to receive the actual physical receipt before disclosing.
Well keep us posted on any updates. Happy Waiting.
Sure. Will do
Anup
Dear Friends,
Not sure why my consultant is reluctant to give me the receipt number, he says the HR does not want to disclose the information. I am certain that I am in but not sure what else they are thinking. Do you think the consultant might have something in their mind or reason just trying to understand the reason for not giving the receipt number.
Is there anyone who applied in this category?
Seems like everyone has lost hope and working on other options.
Masters/PP/VSC?
I am still waiting though lost hope 🙁 . But I did apply for my STEM extension.
I am not expecting any miracle now…lost all the hopes.
Well same here but all I can say is some PP receipts are being generated e.g: EAC1314651700 so let’s not lose hope & keep faith in God.
this might be for the case who upgraded to premium.
And they might have sent the notices to them already.
I’m lost man.
For cases upgrading to Premium from regular, receipt number will remain same and this receipt number is generated today.
How do you know that it is generated today?
by *146*?
I don’t think 146 is today.
They might have generated it yesterday.
If it is generated it today, it will be something like this:
We send you a notice bla.. bla…
Rather it says, the clock started. that means they are processing it.
@T: no update on ur sevis?
I have a sevis update with a receipt number but no physical receipt received by attorney. I do not know what this means
@srb,
I also checked with my DSO today.
He said “no changes at all”
When did you see the updated in your SEVIS?
If you see pending application, then you are IN.
GOOD LUCK.
@T: thanks for replying. My DSO confirmed last thursday with the receipt number. I check its status online it said initial review. But attorney says he did not receive the receipt yet. Yday my employer called uscis to verify if the receipt was on my name, they said the correct name and they said that the receipt date was 8th april and notice date was 12th april. I dont know if thsi means i am in or if they waitlist some applications
Hey guys,
I’m RQ\RP\Undergrad and still waiting and hoping.
Does anybody know what could be the exact number of applications selected in the lottery this year ? I know for RQ, you have 65000 visas including those destined for Chile nationals (6800). I have heard about unused visas from last year, duplicates, initial rejections,..Does anybody have an unofficial but relatively approximate number of how many visas will be awarded this year ?
Any RQ/RP/VSC still waiting?
No SEVIS update and no checks cashed yet either.
Same here !
Same here… RQ/RP/VSC still waiting…
RQ/RP/VSC still waiting +1
H4 RQ RP still still waiting waiting
Has anybody applied through DS Soft Tech and received receipts.
M waiting, RQ/RP/CSC on H4
Bingo +1! So I guess we will be using this page now for our discussions 🙂 . Last evening when the other page was not updating, I pretty much gave up on checking this forum.
At this point I just dont even care now for the outcome really. I know receipts are still being mailed out. But somehow I was expecting mine to be here this week. Dunno how they are sending those out. Oh well.
Best of luck to all.
hi fellas, me too, m still waiting..think they just started working on RQ/RP so my hopes are still high… lets wait n see. RQ/RP/VSC
Hi ,
Did anyone got updates from sabinfo ..thanks
Dear Friends,
Is it possible that you get selected in the lottery and the SEVIS does not get updated? Usually how long do you think it takes for the SEVIS to get updated.
Thanks
Yes. Some people have reported to have recieved a receipt without their SEVIS having been updared and without their checks having been cashed yet.
Thank you so much for your reply!
Hi,
I received my H1b receipt number on april 11th and approval on april 16th. I just contacted my DSO this week and forwarded him approval email. He told he doesn’t see anything on my sevis and asked me to wait for 2-3 weeks to update
Thank you so much for the information and help! Not sure why my consultant is reluctant to give me the receipt number, he says the HR does not want to disclose the information. I am certain that I am in but not sure what else they are thinking. Do you think we can play some game just trying to understand the reason for not giving.
Exactly i have the same problem, I am not sure what the politics behind hiding the result? Any experts your thought?
I know it is too early to ask, but did any regular processing guy get approval for H1 this year? Or we can expect approvals for normal processing to start after Premium processing end, which would be close to end of April or starting of May. As far as I understand it is not mandatory that approval on petition necessarily take 2 months or more, it can (very less probability though) happen in less than 2 months too. Your thoughts?
Yes I agree with you ..
It might take 2 months …
Few of the guys got it from Vermont center, inculding me. But it can take anywhere from 2 to 6 months, nothing to be panic about. good luck
So you got your approval already from Vermont service center? My received date says – 8th April, and Notice date says 18th April. I read somewhere that they process it in the order they received the petitions. So in my case, they would 1st process all petitions from 8th till 18th April, then they would start regular processing. Anyway, on an average there would be almost wait of 2 months, so June is when we can start expecting. Do you agree?
Yes probably June or July and i guess they are just doin randomly.
Hi,
today I got mail from my hr asking abt digital photo of mine urgently.
I don’t understand what’s that…
Any Idea???
Yes. Have your photograph taken using a digital camera – passport size and send it to the HR electronically. May be they want to put your name and photo in your cubicle. Maybe they like to have it in a DB. Common man!
Both myself and my husband applied for H1B on the same day by the same Employer. But myself got the receipt (i.e WAC13138****). But for him No Updates. Is there any possibility to get the receipt from USCIS ???
you can only wait …however congrats for your one..
Hi
even my self and my husband we both applied on the same day.But my husband got receipt on tuesday and i got the receipt yesterday.
Sunny,
Can you please tell me if the USCIS received date is the same for you and your husband? I am assuming you guys filed through the same company.
Thanks for your reply. Please confirm both of you applied for the same employer, same attorney and same day. Because it is my constraint.. Reply me.
Hi guys, , I got approval on RP.
Why would i change my stetus to premium If I cant work until October 1st.?
I am not in the states. I would love to have my approval fast to organize my family ( i am outside US) but that is the only reason. Or I am missing some thing?
Thanks for your help
Not required to go with premium. If you just want to know the status quickly,go with PP.
Premium processing is required only to know the decision of petition adjudication in 15 days. Additional $1225 is what it would take. However it would not in anyway change the result of adjudication. So what might happen in regular processing in due course of time, in premium processing would happen in 15 days, that is it.
No need at all
On the same day my friends and myself send the petition from the same employer/lawyer. But one of us received the receipt ( RQ/RP/WAC , WAC13139*****) . For others did not receive any information. Any possibility to receive it later.
Yes..selection was random so another one might be on it’s way.. 🙂
Thank u.. Yours words given more hope… 😀
Does any body from TCS got updates?
After close to 12K and 59 pages of comments the other post is not letting post any more comments. Lets start spamming this one 🙂
BTW lats receipt generated by WAC today was WAC1314352806
So in call 2806 more receipts and those I checked were RP.
2806 more lucky ones. Good luck!
I guess most frm there are already moved to page – http://redbus2us.com/h1b-visa-2014-quota-cap-reached-uscis-official-news-update/#comment-93004.. so see u there..
SO these were generated yesterday and today? And they will be heading out RQ/RP people? Thanks!
I have applied H1b w/COS for my wife who is currently in H4 visa. Regular processing and she got selected in the lottery.
My I 94 and wife’s I 94 are getting expired in Aug 10. They gave I 94 only till Aug becoz my passport was getting expired. Now i have renewed my passport. I have valid visa till Oct 2013. Do i need to extend her I 94? Will it cause any issue in her H1b processing.
Will COS gets rejected if i get a new I 94?
Dear Friends,
My employer told that they had processes my Application in Premium and when i asked them today i got a reply to not lose hope and still they are confident getting in d lottery ,at this point i have a doubt in their claim saying it was premiumP..i have the folowing questions
1.Is lottery for premium P over?Is it suspicious when they say not to lose hope in premium still
2.Is there a way to know whther they had really gone for Premium P
Thanks
Hi, I am a PP,RC . I got selected in lottery and got a mail after a week stating my petition is in RFE. Yesteday I got another notification saying the “the 15-day Premium Processing clock stopped on your I129, PETITION FOR A NONIMMIGRANT WORKER. A notice was sent on this date explaining the specific reason for stopping the premium processing of your case. This notice will contain detailed information on further action required by you. Your premium processing receipt notice contains contact information for direct inquiries on your case.”
Is it the case for all PP RFEs? or is there something wrong?
Thanks
Jo
What does it mean if we get two separate notifications, two days apart, about an RFE request on our case? Does that mean that they found something additional that they want information about – literally a second topic that they are requesting evidence for? Or is that just a glitch/update of the system that generates a second message but we in fact only have one RFE?
Ultimately I want to know whether we should expect/wait for two letters and then respond with information that addresses both, or if we should respond with information when we get the first letter and not worry if we never get a second?
Hi,
I have applied H1b w/COS for my wife who is currently in H4 visa. Regular processing and she got selected in the lottery.
Now she is planning to travel to india and come back in Jul.
I think h1b may get approved without COS. After H1b approval can we apply for COS in PP?
How long does it take?
If she travels to India then her COS will not be in effect, means,
If her H1 gets approved while she is out of US then she has to get her H1 stamped to enter Us on H1.
If her H1 is approved after she is back from India, then that would be a Non-COS H1, means either she has to go out of US, get stamped & enter US to work on H1. Or she has to apply for amendment of status, I am not sure the cost for this please consult attorney.
In all her travel will not have a negative effect in H1 approval.
@H1 : pls do not give wrong advice.
@Senthil : If ur wife has applied for h4 to h1, the moment she steps out of this country, her h1b application will be rejected. so, pls don’t plan any trip outside US until all h1b formalities are completed and she starts earning here for atleast 3 months.
don’t believe my words, go and consult a good attorney.
Hi All,
My employer has applied for Regular quota /Premium processing. But till now I have not received any Receipt or petition number. Does it mean my petition is not selected in lottery?
Thanks in advance
Rags
at least wait for first week of May..
Hi Admin/Saurabh/Kumar,
My OPT is valid till Nov 2013 and F1 visa till July 2014.
My H1b is approved by employer A.
Can i transfer my H1b to Employer B? Please get back to me admin.
Thanks
No. your H1B is not active yet. You are currently on F1 status and will be on that status until Sept 30, 2013. Your status changes to H1B on Oct 1, 2013 and only after that day, you can transfer your H1B.
If you want to move to a new employer, you could work with him on OPT (if you can extend it to July 2014) and apply for a new H1B next year.
ppp can i apply for h1 transfer on octobr 2? thanks
@PPP : I don’t think you are right. Look for reply which I gave to Nick below.
Yes, you are right that he will not be counted towards a cap. However, as the H1B status is not active, it will still be considered a new application and not a transfer (at the end of the day it is the same result) The link below has a response from a lawyer to a similar question.
http://www.justanswer.com/immigration-law/6slci-h1b-visa-approved-will-start-october-1-2012.html
I would suggest you contact a lawyer and make sure everything is applied properly.
@PPP
Thanks Mate. I will get in touch with lawyer before proceeding with this.
I cant access the link you provided.
Also, if you will google “can i transfer H1b immediately after approval” you will get a better idea what H1b applicant was talking about and I believe he has correct information. Appreciate your input though 🙂
@PPP : As far as I know
New application which doesn’t come under cap == Transfer
Unless you have applied through cap-exempt employers.
I might be wrong, but as you said best thing is to contact good attorney.
PPP, you can transfer your H1 after first 3 pay cycles at the company you received H1 for. It will take 3 months if you get paid monthly or may be 3 weeks if you get paid weekly. You need to show 3 paystubs to process your transfer. I had offers from 2 different companies before applying for my current H1. The new company needed someone to start immediately. Their lawyers gave me this information.
@stupidity
Please don’t spread the wrong words :@ :@ The reason behind they need 3 pay stubs is to make sure you are maintaining legal status(in case of people who are already on h1b). and when you are already maintaining status with f1, like in my case, before start working for them i can switch.
PS you can go for the 2 companies who r offering you, as long as your’e h1b is approved.
@ Me
It is not good idea to change the Employer before octover 1st 2013. just wait till october 1st and than change the employer so u can be in H1 status…. since your H1 is approved already and if your company A does not withdraw your h1 you will be wasting 1 h1b this year(this is really important because so many people are waiting to select in Lottery) and after extending OPt and applying next year you will come again in lottery situation …. so good decision will be stay with current employer and change after october 1st….
@Nick. thanks for the advice. i will be with my employer till 1st oct 2013 atleast, because i m already on opt extension.
@Nick : I don’t think you are right. As far as I know you can very much transfer to another employer before Oct1. He is already counted on this year quota and he doesn’t need to apply for new H1-B again, instead he has to do H1B transfer.
Google for “”immihelp h1b transfer”” and open the first link, then look for faq link on that page.
@H1b Applicant, yes thats what I have heard too, once I get H1b approval I can apply for transfer ASAP.
Also, in my case I am on F1 OPT and working, so i can prove me legal status if they want.
H1b applicant, thanks for the response. One more thing, I am working with company A from last 1 year. and Company B did my H1B andI am going to transfer H1 to company C. Is that ok?
Please get back to me.
@Me : As far as I know it shouldn’t be any problem. Attorney of company C should have much better idea about this.
For some reason if you aren’t able to complete transfer, you can still work for company B. Company B will not have any idea about your transfer attempt.
But, I’m saying what I read in other forums. Better thing is to contact an immigration attorney.
@H1b applicant..yes I have the exact same information as you. and i believe + hope, that this is correct info. I will double check with attorney. Thanks all for your input.
I have an employer in atlanta who wants to hire me in a bank how should i go thru the steps i gettig the h1b premium cap exempt
Erin
Do you have already h1 approved?
if not than you can not be cap exempt unless you get job in some university or government organization…. next things this year quota is already filled so u need to wait till next year ….
Hi Friends,
Please clarify this question for me. What should be the minimum validation of the stamped OPT to enable friends applied for H1 premium this year and still work till Oct 1st 2013?
TinagD,
The h1 must have been filed before Your OPT expires… and Application must be accepted by USCIS and decision is pending than you automatically comes into CAP-GAP extension until you do not get decision…. and you can continue working even after your opt expires lets say your OPT expire in june you should have already been filed before its expires once USCIS acccepts the application and decision is pending than in that case even if OPT expires in june you can work till 30 september on f1 opt and can start h1 from 1st october if it gets approved…. in case for example h1 gets declined in lets say july before october 1st and your opt was already ended in June you should stop working on the day u receive decline notice… hope this answers your question…
One more things no one can apply this year anymore since quota already fulled in first 5 days and its lottery this year…. so u need to wait till next year…. April 1st…
Thank you so much. I got my H1 R# through random selection ( lottery ) this year. It was crazy. But i have friends who did not hear from their attorney and their hopes are fading now. But some of them have OPT till May 2013. So, I think they apply next year as you mentioned apply on April 1st. Probably they should go on premium processing next year to be on cap-gap. Once again thank you for clarifying my woes.
*May 2014
Paying for Premium Processing won’t make any difference, all it will do is alert you earlier if you’ve been selected or not.
But you are correct, if their OPT expires in May 2014, then they will file on April 1, 2014. They can keep working on OPT all the way until October 1, 2014…. .however, as stated above, if they are not selected or have their petition declined, then they will need to cease working on the expiration date.
Hi, my case status says the following-
On ___,2013, the 15-day Premium Processing clock stopped on your I129, PETITION FOR A NONIMMIGRANT WORKER. A notice was sent on this date explaining the specific reason for stopping the premium processing of your case. This notice will contain detailed information on further action required by you. Your premium processing receipt notice contains contact information for direct inquiries on your case.
What does this mean? Please guide. Thnx.
Just went through the same process. I received this message this morning when I woke up. And 2 hrs later, I received confirmation from my lawyer, telling me my petition has been approved.
Wait for a couple of hours, see what happened.
APPROVED!!! Thnx mate!!
Hello everyone,
My Receipt EAC13132XXXXX got approved yesterday with 3 years. Mine was Regular cap/Prem Proc/Vermont center. Till yesterday noon 1PM, the USCIS website was showing ACCEPTANCE status, but in next few minutes I got the approval email from attorney and when I checked the site it said DECISION APPROVED. So, those who are keep on checking the USCIS site, leave it instead wait for the email from your attorney/employer. They are the ones who get upto date info.
I wish all the best for those who are waiting!
I got my H1 and my wife’s H4 filed through a consultant in Reg Quota / Reg processing. After a nervous 2 week wait, we got the receipt number for my wife’s H4. But there is still no news on my H1. What does that mean? Does it atleast indicate that we are selected in the lottery?
Yes, I think yours is approved. The same thing happened with me once when I have applied L2 extension. My L2 was approved first and my husband’s L1 after 1 month.
Thank you Soumlata ! Finally I got the news that our petition is selected in the lottery. Now looking forward for Approval. Hang tight guys… receipts are still coming in.
Congrats.
We are still waiting. No idea if there is any last date for ending this process. I mean wondering if any sending receipts will continue next week also or the quota is completed
I’m a little worried because the company sponsoring me has sent 3 H-1B petitions (all of them premium processing) and only one of them has been answered with an RFE (on april 15th), mine hasn’t even passed the acceptance time because I have been told that the checks have not been cashed yet so we don’t even have a receipt number.
What makes me worry the most is that I know that mine were on vermont service center on april 2nd and the one that was answered was sent on april 4th. No premium processing times have been used.
You had one employer send 3 petitions? I think the USCIS says that duplicate petitions are not allowed.
As “LOL @ xxx” mentioned, generally, this date would be 21 Sept.
Regarding processing times. We all know uscis would start processing petitions in the order they have been received- in the case of lottery year it would be in the order of receipt numbers. Please correct me if wrong.
What would be the order wac 13 129******* first? Is 129 the first receipt date?
Please throw some light.
Thanks!
can anyone summarize what happens after the h1b is APPROVED by uscis…
preferably with possible timeframes…
1.how long will it take fr uscis to send the docs to the attorney..
2.attorney sending the docs to employer/employee..
3.earliest time one can start approaching the us embassy for visa..
4.and finally time taken by the embassy to stamp..
5.and the earliest day whicch a fresh h1b can enter US…
thnks to the experts who can answer ..
I only know one thing,
if your visa is approved the earliest you can start working is 1st Oct 2013. So i guess you should be able to enter US say about a week before that.
you can enter 10 days before your first working day on H1b visa..
Once 7979 is approved, then you will go for Visa stamp e.g. in July(which is before Oct 2013). On your visa stamp, it will clearly mentioned starting from which date, you visa is valid for travel. After that date, you can travel anytime.
Will write up an article on this to help others as well. In the mean time, I have written something similar before. Check H1B Approved – What Next ?
thanks @kumar
will look forward to the article.
Excellent. We’ve had questions whether or not you need to go to your home consulate or not to receive a visa. For instance, if the H1B beneficiary is already in the US (on F1 OPT) I was told that if they never leave the US while on H1B that they don’t have to go get the VISA, and the updated I-20 will be enough. However, once they leave the US, it’s required. Definitely looking forward to the next “What’s Next” article.