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USCIS News : H1B Petitions Selected in Lottery Data Entry Completed, Next Steps

I know many of you have been waiting for the update on the H1B Visa 2016 petitions awaiting receipt numbers and the lottery results. It has been painful wait as always for many of you waiting… Earlier today USCIS released a news alert indicating that the Data Entry is completed for all the H1B petitions selected in lottery for the fiscal year 2016. Below is the quick summary and analysis.

Summary :  H1B Petitions Data Entry Complete

  • USCIS announced that they completed data entry for all the H1B petitions that were selected in the lottery.
  • USCIS will start to return all the petitions that were not selected in lottery and mail out all the rejection notices.
  • USCIS does NOT promise any time frame for  returning the packages not selected in  lottery due to the high volume and they ask employers/ petitioners not to inquire USCIS regarding their petition until they receive a receipt or return package.

What can we take away from this news alert from USCIS ?

In the past USCIS did not release any news alert like today regarding the data entry of applications. Many websites have been speculating that data entry is complete and spreading some rumors…I believe, USCIS has released this alert just to confirm everyone that the data entry is complete from their end and have all the stake holders on the same page…

It seems like the DHS Note to All SEVIS users released last week, has been generating quite a bit of  inquiries regarding the filed H1B petitions to USCIS…this alert is to clarify to everyone that they should not reach out to USCIS regarding their petition until they get some information from USCIS.

What is missing from this news alert for all the petitioners is that they have not given a time frame on when the employers/ petitioners can expect to receive the rejected petitions that were not selected in the H1B 2016 Lottery .  This could be very frustrating for everyone waiting for their petitions.

When to expect H1B case Receipts ?  Rejection Notices or Return Packages ?

If your petition was premium and selected in lottery this year, you should have already got something in email as the 15 days SLA for those petitions’ is May 11th, either for a decision or any action like RFE, etc.. If your petition was filed under regular processing, what I guess is that, if your petition was selected in lottery and receipted, if you have not received anything yet, you should expect your H1B case receipt notice in mail in the next couple of weeks….If you do not hear anything in the next 15 days or so, you probably need to think about your other options…

Having said that, you cannot be really sure if your petition was not selected until you get a rejection notice or return of your original package.  Last year, USCIS mailed out rejection notices for petitions not selected in lottery until late June.   What USCIS mentioned today is that they will release an alert indicating if they have mailed out all the rejection notices.  Well, lets hope they mail out those notices soon so that it cuts down the wait for many waiting anxiously…We wrote an article last year around your options, you can read the Options, if NOT selected in H1B Lottery so that you can be prepared…  Also, I request you to update your petition’s details in our H1B Case Tracker, so that others can get some high level info. The information is fully anonymous as it does not show any personal details.

As I always say, if you are lucky, you would probably get H1B receipt number, if NOT…don’t worry, it has nothing to do with your talent or education…it is an external factor and you should not lose your confidence on yourself…it is not the only destiny and end of your life’s dream…Just take your setback as an opportunity to explore options to work in other parts of the world…We will try to write articles on other parts of the world.

What are your thoughts ? Did any of you get return packages already ?

Reference :

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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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2,206 Comments

  1. ___________________________________________________________________________
    Completed Updated By: People Mobility 07/03/2015

    Greetings from PMSD India!!

    Please be informed that there is a delay from Fragomen (Immigration Attorneys) with regards to the H1B results. However, please note that mostly there might be rejection of H1B application but we will not be able to confirm you until we have an update from Fragomen. Hence we request you to wait until we have an update from Fragomen with regards to the H1B results.

    Should you need any further details or clarifications please feel free to get back to us.

    Reply
  2. I got RFE. RP/RQ

    Request for Additional Evidence: Notice Was Mailed:

    On July 2, 2015, we suspended processing of your Form I-129, Petition for a Nonimmigrant Worker, Receipt Number EAC1514452XXX, because we need more information from you. Your notice explains what we need from you to resume working on your case. We will not take action on your case until we receive the evidence or the deadline to submit it expires. Please follow the instructions in the notice.

    Reply
  3. Just recived this shit….it means u r not selected, but still wait for 07/24 for confirmation.
    Dear frustuCapgemini, (KIN# 00420)

    In the last few weeks, USCIS has been flooding our office with hundreds of returned/rejected H1B CAP 2015 petitions. You may or may not have emailed the Immigration Team requesting updates regarding your petition. It is a reasonable request and we totally understand your concern and curiosity for your case. I would appreciate if you can hold on to your query till 07/24/15. We will update you as soon as we update our record after 07/22/15.

    Thank You

    Margaret Stolzle

    Reply
  4. My husbands employer is not sharing any information regarding H1 petition number etc and they just said that you are not picked up in lottery. Is there any site which says its legal and allowed to ask the employer to share petition number or anything which can prove that they have applied for the H1? Yes, we don’t trust his employer we have seen them making false promises in past as well so they have lost our trust.

    Reply
    • Ask your hubby to leave that company first… When there were some prior instances, why u r testing that org with h1b filing.. This h1b filing itself a worst way in terms of status tracking, info sharing etc. The worst part is, candidate doesn’t have right to know his own details.. This is employer centric.. Individuals can’t do much than relying the employers..

      Reply
    • ___________________________________________________________________________
      Hi,

      Greetings from PMSD!!!

      Thank you for contacting us. We shall update you with the status shortly. Kindly wait until then.

      Should you need any further details or clarifications please feel free to get back to us

      Reply
  5. Hi,
    I got a confirmation from my employer that my I got picked in the lottery as the money has been detected from my account around 1st of May.But my employer has not received any receipt till now.they are saying we have to still wait for a RFE or approval as we don’t have a receipt no to track.
    Can someone comment on this case.

    Reply
      • Most probably he is lying. If you have given cheque on the name of USCIS for premium processing and it got cleared then ur employer is true.
        You have 2 options now
        – He lied and u can do nothing about it
        -Really ur applic got picked and the mail missed to reach your address, 1 way is to find your receipt no by checking the backside of cheque which uscis encashed. 2nd way is, your employer call uscis and tell them the situation so that they can help.

        Reply
        • @ Kumar , @ sai ..
          Same is the case with me , cheque encashed on may 1st , and no update after that .
          A couple of others did say the same that are still awaiting for the receipt no. in same forum another thread .
          Is there any change in process by USCIS this year ?

          Reply
        • Hi,
          I applied in non adv degree n regular processing.
          Will there be a chance that it got misplaced during the postal transit.?
          If so what could be the next steps to follow to dig in the case?

          Reply
        • @kumar:
          Hi,
          I applied in non adv degree n regular processing.
          Will there be a chance that it got misplaced during the postal transit.?
          If so what could be the next steps to follow to dig in the case?
          My employer is saying we should wait for a RFE or approval notice to reach dem.

          Reply
  6. Based on Mansi ACC’s comment, out of 100 people waiting for H1B update in her project, 50 people got rejected mail last week…so is Accenture lying about 300 people getting success mails after May 18th?

    Reply
    • @ACC – PMSD guys told me post 18th May they got approx 4K+ Rejection and only 300 selection and selected ppl were informed on the day they received the information it was like 10-20 ppl per day. Approx 4.5K ppl status is still awaiting results from Fragomen.

      You can give a call to PMSD team b/w 12PM – 6 PM IST and see what story is told to you.

      Reply
  7. I heard that only 30 % got selected in lottery and also 30 % result came out already.
    Hard to believe none of them got rejected letter so far?
    Y they want to delay the rejection status?

    Reply
    • Yes, all other company sharing rejection status, only TCS is not updating. I heard they will not tell until Oct. By the time they will let u know, the next year H1B process will start.

      Reply
    • Updates from PMSD today ….a Modified version of 18th May Mailer removing the June end part 🙂
      _____________________________________________________
      Completed Updated By: PMSD 07/01/2015
      Hi,

      Greetings from PMSD!!

      This is to inform you that we are still awaiting the lottery status of your H1B application from United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). Though we started receiving the acknowledgement receipts for few applications (lottery acceptance confirmation), your case is still pending with the USCIS. Since the lottery status is announced only in batches, we may have to wait for few more weeks for an appropriate update from the USCIS. People Mobility Service Delivery (PMSD) is closely monitoring the update from USCIS and will keep you posted on the status of the lottery as soon as we have an update from the USCIS. Please note that there will be no further status updates from PMSD unless we have an update from the USCIS.

      Thanks and Regards,
      People Mobility Service Delivery – India
      Accenture Services Pvt Ltd

      Reply
      • I too got the same reply today :

        ———————————————–

        Greetings from PMSD !

        This is to inform you that we are still awaiting the lottery status of your H1B application from United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). Though we started receiving the acknowledgement receipts for few applications (lottery acceptance confirmation), your case is still pending with the USCIS. Since the lottery status is announced only in batches, we may have to wait for few more weeks for an appropriate update from the USCIS. People Mobility Service Delivery (PMSD) is closely monitoring the update from USCIS and will keep you posted on the status of the lottery as soon as we have an update from the USCIS. Please note that there will be no further status updates from PMSD unless we have an update from the USCIS.

        Should you need any further clarifications please feel free to revert to us.

        Reply
  8. to:RajWA
    I am also in same situation when I received my EAC NO: It taken a month to show it in usic site.dont worry they will resolve that issue

    Reply
    • @Kumar, I have received scanned copy of EAC# from my employer. However its not reflecting inUSCIS website. My employer said they have raised the service request to USCIS to resolve the issue. Its almost 3 weeks since then no reflection of EAC# in website. Any idea how long it will take to reflect my EAC# in website.

      Reply
    • @Naveen, I have received scanned copy of EAC# from my employer. However its not reflecting inUSCIS website. My employer said they have raised the service request to USCIS to resolve the issue. Its almost 3 weeks since then no reflection of EAC# in website. Any idea how long it will take to reflect my EAC# in website.

      Reply
      • Shaan, Sometimes, it can take time, dont worry as you have the physical copy. You may call USCIS customer service center as well and ask them to validate the same.

        Reply
        • @Kumar & @Naveen

          Finally I am able to see my case receipt number in USCIS website. It state as below

          “My Name Was Updated

          On July 16, 2015, we updated your name for your Form I-129, Petition for a Nonimmigrant Worker, Receipt Number EAC**********. If you move, go towww.uscis.gov/addresschangeto give us your new mailing address.”

          What does it mean?. When I checked with my employer they said , need to wait till the approval process compelete.

          Any advice will be help full.

          Reply
  9. Hello Guys,
    I received RFE yesterday in mail, but the out of 3 pages, 2nd page is blank. It looks like it wasn’t printed properly and since it is 2nd page, which is back of the 1st page, looks like USCIS officers didn’t bother to check back of the paper after printing the RFE documents.

    Anyone is gone through similar situation? Please advise what should I do?

    Thank you.

    Reply
  10. Hi ,
    any one from EAC# got updated note on USCIS portal?.

    i still see error message on USCIS Portal when i search with my EAC#

    Reply
  11. Anyone from HCL got the update from last 2 weeks after “pending” status mails? I checked with SPOC, he said ISG is still waiting for update and there is no timeline as of now….

    Reply
    • if you have receipt no,
      you can directly check your H1B status on uscis site,
      i have receipt no and my status showing received from beginning.

      Reply
      • @HCL Noida,
        We have not received the selection/rejection mails from ISG yet. Two weeks back they send mails stating that our case is pending with USCIS for the status and asked us to wait till end of June.
        BTW – What is the selection % in your project?

        Reply
    • some of the guys also got rejection mail on friday . I belive they are sending the result in chunks not sure . But yeah finger crossed .

      Reply
  12. Wipro-GIMS shows as rejected for me today, seems should have serious plan- b for H1B aspirants. good luck guys , thanks for this forum admin also for giving these updates.

    Reply
  13. Accenture guys any news when will PMSD team announce the results for the awaiting status.

    Thanks
    Mahesh Kumar Marda

    Reply
    • @Mahesh – PMSD have not committed any final date for communication of H1-B cap, they are informing the results as they are getting from Fragomen, I think we might need to wait a little longer.

      Reply
    • @Accenture ppl – Had a call with PMSD, Still waiting for update from Fragomen and nearly 4500 status are pending and may take a week or two to get all the results.

      Reply
  14. As of 29th Jun : reg non adv : status is still case is received. Got my receipt on May 1st … Anyone got approval in such scenarios during this week? Mine is eac1546 series Vermont center

    Reply
  15. 29th June 2015

    Accenture guys did everyone received the update from PMSD or you guys are also awaiting for update from PMSD team like me ?

    Thanks
    Mahesh Kumar Marda

    Reply
  16. Hi,
    I filed my H1B from one small consultancy. MY current status of H1B was case approved.(On May, 2015, we approved your Form I-129, Petition for a Nonimmigrant Worker) . I am currently working from a MNC in bangalore, My current company processed my B1 this month and I got my B1. Will there be any issue if I travel on B1 for 10 days to USA while my H1B Petition was approved. Please help asap. Thank you.

    Reply
  17. Any one from accenture got selected in lottery post 18th may and now they started to send emails for rejections????

    Reply
    • Not seen any selection / Rejection post 18th May.

      Well its June End now.. PMSD team will update all of us soon..!!

      Thanks
      Mahesh Kumar Marda

      Reply
        • This is to inform you that your application has not been picked in the lottery held by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) as a part for H-1B drive 2015.

          Following are the options for your reference.

          1. If you hold an H-1B in the last six years, either from Accenture or from any other employer, you may be eligible to apply for an H1B under the Cap exempted category (outside of the H-1B quota).

          2. Employees who have spent two years in Accenture and have an overall relevant work experience of over 5 years can probably qualify for a L1 visa. However the L-1 request will be subjected to internal verifications and mock interviews before the consular interview.

          3. Apply for an H-1B in the next year. IDC will send out communication to the project DU leads on H-1B nominations, may be during end of this year. Post that, new initiations have to be created in the RMS Connect. Existing initiations will not be considered.

          If you have an onshore assignment and would want to check on options 1 & 2, please raise a request of My Requests (rmsc.accenture.com) indicating the same for further assistance.

          Regards,

          People Mobility Service Delivery (PMSD) – India

          Reply
  18. Guys,
    Any news on rejection or selection in Infy blr.??
    Can we still hope for the selection or its rejection only now

    Reply
  19. Accenture India People Mobility have started sending the H1b rejection mailers now (June 26). Mail subject line is ‘H-1B Application returned by USCIS due to cap numerical limitation’. They have also provided 3 backup plans. I am now waiting for H-1B drive 2016.

    Reply
    • ya for mine too in RFE state and not sure of rejection rate and hoping all will go smooth. Dont think of any negatives.

      Reply
    • The Department of State’s Bureau of Consular Affairs is currently experiencing technical problems with visa systems.  This issue is not specific to any particular country or visa category.  

      Am talking about that.

      Reply
    • Lee, the visa system technical problems are primarily related to issuing posts like consulates, it may not have direct impact on the approval process… The visa system issues are close to getting fixed, should be fine.

      Reply
  20. Help
    When I check my status on USCIS site it states that I need some additional documents. What is the rate or chance of my petition to be approve after submitting the needed documents? How long will it take?

    Reply
  21. Hi Accenture Guys,

    Any update on the H1-B Cap results to be declared by Accenture.

    Did anyone receive update about selection / rejection post 18th may ?

    Thanks
    Mahesh Kumar Marda

    Reply
    • Completed Updated By: PeopleMobility 06/25/2015
      Hi Mahesh,

      Greetings from PMSD!!!

      Please note, we are still awaiting for the status update from USCIS. Concern POC from PMSD team will keep you posted once they have an update at their end. Hence request you to kindly wait until then.

      Thank you for writing to us. Should you need any further details or clarifications please feel free to get back to us.

      Regards,
      ********
      Accenture Services Private Limited
      People Mobility Service Delivery India

      Reply
  22. Hi Guys,
    Today checked my petition number on USCIS website and it shows as below
    My Case Was Approved
    On June 22, 2015, we approved your Form I-129, Petition for a Nonimmigrant Worker, Receipt Number EAC15147xxxx. We will mail your approval notice. Please follow the instructions in the notice. If you move, go to uscis.gov/addresschange to give us your new mailing address.

    I have received my petition number on May 22nd and got it approved on June 22nd.Last year my petition got rejected in lottery selection.I should thank my parents,god and well wishers.

    Hopefully will get through H1B interview as well.

    Good luck to all waiting for status update.

    Thanks,
    Infy_Veteran.

    Reply
  23. I am from L&T Infotech and have not received any update till now. Let me know if anyone from L&T has received an update on their H1B application status – whether lottery selected or rejected.

    Reply
  24. Accenture Update
    _______________________________________________________________
    Completed Updated By: People Mobility 06/23/2015
    Hi *****,

    Greetings from PMSD India!!

    Please be informed that we are yet to receive an update from USCIS and we are expecting the results by this week end. PMSD will keep you posted as soon as we have an update.

    Should you need any further details or clarifications please feel free to get back to us.

    Thanks & Regards,
    *****
    Accenture Services Private Limited
    People Mobility Service Delivery
    India

    Reply
  25. I received the rejection letter thru my employer, it was dated as 18Jun. Finally the torture/suspense is ended. All the best for others.

    Reply
    • I am AD / RP.
      Applicants are kept under dark through out the process.
      Entire show is run Attorney, Employer, Contractor, USCIS.
      These are my documents, I have the right to know the status directly and not through the Employer or Attorney.
      Looks like there is lot of golmal behind the scene.

      Reply
      • Think Logical… Your employee filing on behalf and paying the fee.. If it is golmal, why you let your employee to file for you??

        Reply
      • No golmal .. if your application got picked in the lottery you might not have these many questions ..its just the process ..we have to follow the same till the demand to travel to US reduces.

        Yes, if you have applied directly to USCIS then you will come to know the status directly otherwise through your employer only..

        Reply
  26. I am AD / RP.
    Please send the REJECTION LETTER soon, so that we can look for other options. Lot of people are waiting for the results.

    Reply
  27. Sorry for all of them who didn’t get picked in the lottery. Better luck next time. Folks who were applied in Premium Processing aren’t heard anything so far means, the game is over :-(. Folks who are under Regular Processing, If you didn’t get a receipt yet, meaning to say 99.99% the game is over. only can have 0.01% hope until Return Packet received. For the ppl who got approved, can you please post the series WAC15148XXXXX which is in approved status? This way ppl who got picked will have idea on timelines …!!!

    Reply
  28. Finally The wait has ended today Immigration team confirmed all the applications who doesnt recieved any status can considered as rejected .. Bad Luck for Me… All the best U guys who are all selected…

    Reply
    • Nopes nothing yet ! Guess by now its better to take it as Rejected… but at least by now we should be informed about it… Why the hell aren’t we getting this information… !!!!

      Reply
    • As per PMSD team they have not shared result with anyone one else post 18th may, RMS Team says chances are very low as 1 in 100.

      but any how PMSD team have to keep us guys updates so they will update us by June end i.e next week.

      What I am guessing is PMSD Team will update the result on 29th or 30th or 1st and will share the Approved / Rejected status whatever is received from USCIS, and awaited status for whom nothing is received from USCIS.

      Reply

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