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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. is there any hope ..My employer is saying wait till May End ?
    when check will be Enchashed is it once they start processing or immediately after lottery got picked ?

    Thanks …!!

    Reply
  2. RP/NAD/CAL is there any hope left? When did you received your receipt? Like anyone got today? Day passes and hope vanishes…

    Reply
  3. Our company applied thru the califronia center but about 20% of the people have heard out of which most are with receipt numbers. so, very little hope left because odds were 1:3 during the lottery..even after that..i am think nearly 50K people have already heard back and 180K people are yet to hear back..so we are looking at the odds of less than 20% now..

    Reply
    • I am still waiting. i do not see much people from CA telling that they have received the tracking number. So i think we still can hope. Unless we get our applications back

      Reply
  4. Let’s face the reality guys, we are still seeing few people get their receipt numbers and that’s giving us hope but just think about 10s and 100s of packages being returned back while only few acceptances. Those who get rejected will not post here, so we may only see either queries of those who didn’t receive or those who got the receipt numbers.

    Reply
  5. Hi PM sent email today. My case is waiting with uscis and need to wait till June end. Does this mean PM team just waiting to receive rejection mail from USCIS. Or is there any Chase?

    Reply
    • Hi,
      can you post the contents of the mail here??
      As per the info i got from various forums…there is no concept of waiting list, if you can clarify the same with your PM and post it here…we might get a ray of hope.

      Reply
      • Accenture guys who got awaiting status, it is just a formal communication that uscis has not sent any updates which means you are not picked as all receipts that are picked in the lottery have been sent by May 4th and have reached their destination by May 13th max. So if u have got awaiting status it means 99% rejection. There might be few cases where there has been some misdelivery, etc which has delayed your receipt from reaching the employer..so 1% hope still remains..

        Reply
          • i got mail as your case is still pending with the USCIS. Since the lottery status is announced only in batches, we may have to wait until end June 2015
            for an appropriate update from the USCIS.

          • I think Accenture sent notification to all, those who pick up and after that application approved, does any one just get receipt number without final approval ?

  6. I came to know frm my frnd in accenture tht d results r out …. When would capgemini financial services release d result?

    Reply
    • stop waiting.
      called git, they told that its over.Since they are busy handling the docs for selected guys, they will send a mail to the rejected guys when they get time.

      Reply
        • I don’t think that’s correct. They mailed out the receipt numbers starting May 4th and for the ones that were not selected in the lottery, the packages are being returned as well.

          Reply
  7. I received email from Accenture stating that they are still awaiting the lottery status of my H1B application from USCIS.
    Guys still are there any chance for me?

    Reply
    • Guys, If you have received communication stating that your status is ‘awaiting’ it means there are zero chances. That is what has been observed in 100% of cases over last years. If no communication is received then keep fingers crossed.

      Reply
  8. Hi, I am also waiting for my application to get picked in lottery. As per the conversation with my cousin last night (Who stays in U.S), I understood that the Premium Processing selection is complete by this May 15th or so(Still there is a possibility that the premium process applications which are not selected could get selected in Regular process) . However with respect to Regular process the process of lottery Pick up is as follows “It is not that all the 2 lakhs 33 thousand applications are put into lottery at once instead it is a batch wise lottery pick up i.e. Only some set of applications are put into lottery at once and then this process continues till September end as a Batches” so I think let us wait for at least till the end of June or July and conclude that our Application is not picked in lottery.

    Reply
    • None of this is actually true. If you applied under Premium, there is no chance that you got selected. If you applied under regular, you can still wait till end of May.

      Reply
    • Buddy, your are completely misguide. There is no point to have false hope until June/July of getting selected in lottery. It is conducted only once and for this year it was completed on 13th April. At most by end of another one week the USCIS will be done with issue receipt number. However, further process of approval petition and package return of unselected cases may get completed by mid July.

      Get it through of lottery selection is not in our hands so accept the fact never mind if its in your favor or not. The best will come to you.
      Good Luck!!!

      Reply
  9. My friends got a message today form the consultancy that her’s is picked today. So still some hopes left…so wait!!…Thought it would help somebody who didn’t receive any info yet. (Y)

    Reply
  10. Accenture update – My brother’s application was picked up in lottery, Got update from mobility now. I am waiting for my application status from WIPRO .. Finger crossed…

    Reply
  11. Guys anyone from Wipro getting lottery selected or rejected mails ?? GIMS has instructed to wait till June 1st week .

    Reply
    • Just now got the same mail stating wait till 1st week of June…Same mail is floating all day.No Idea what it means..may be this for rejected case… 🙁 🙁

      Reply
    • Hi All, I too feel Wipro will not hear more.
      We got all that we wanted it seems and from myproject 21 got out of 35 which seems to be a fair ration. I am scared too and I feel we wont get some where, lost hopes and time to update profile in naukri.come and mosterjobs.come. Wats ur thought on that people ?

      Reply
    • No more people will be selected here after…..GIMS is just going to send Rejections only….Guys don’t waste your time and better luck next time.

      Reply
  12. Hi CTS Folks,

    Has anyone’s petition being approved yet..for Non-AD/RP…..
    One of my friend’s petition got approved on 14th May under Non-AD/RP. He saw it in the USCIS site yesterday….I am also waiting for an update to my peption’s status….Any update would really helpful…

    Reply
  13. Hello Friends, Finally wait is over, Just now got email from People Mobility that my name is accepted in Lottery.

    Please be cool and believe in GOD……..

    Reply
      • Hi,

        I am not sure on this, but as far as I remember last year, there were few (only very few) who got confirmation later in June whose initial status in May was Waiting. Mine last year was waiting and then it didnt get picked up last year. Same was the case for many of my colleagues last year. This year I am not sure about it.

        However this year, I have got the lottery acceptance email sometime back. Will check with other project colleagues and get back to you.

        Reply
      • can you please tell…how did u come to know about this waiting status??
        Unless u have a reciept number, you have no way to check the status.
        could u please clarify.

        Reply
    • I just received a mail from the mobility team that although they receive some confirmations, mine is still awaited. There will not be any more correspondence from them until anything for me is received from USCIS.
      That means the chances are rarest now.

      Reply
  14. Guys,
    Somewhere I saw that…we can still hope if the petition is filed at Vermont center. I dont know which center my employer filed my petition. My consultancy is new jersey based, so it should be Vermont ..correct? please advise.

    Reply
    • Can you share which centre and the first five digits of your receipt Number ?
      It will help us in guessing that the receipt number’s of upto which dates have been processed?

      Reply
  15. Guys,i recievd reciept numbr and da status is like your case is recievd.
    May i know wat r next steps?any body cn explain pls

    Reply
    • I am still waiting for some information. Mine is also AD/RP. Applied at CA center. which center have you applied to?

      Reply
  16. Guys…………………Its Over for HCL now………………Who ever selected there receipt number is already updated in iAura …you can check status in iAura it will show that…………Otherwise you are not selected…………..HCL will send mail shortly for status………..Best of Luch for Next Time…………….Mine also not selected ……………But lots of Noida Guys receipt number already updated

    Reply
  17. Can any one suggest me for Regular processing/California center
    still we can expect to receive receipts or game over 🙁

    From last week Any one received Receipts from California ????

    Reply
  18. It’s absolutely devastating to have not received a receipt number, and therefore not been picked in the lottery, but yet seen comments from scamming Indians with multiple applications who can barely speak English celebrating their success. Screw the lot of you.

    Reply
    • If you can speak good English, join a call center instead. Do not defame the Indian community just because yours wasn’t picked up in lottery.
      Be mature enough to understand what is required for entry and job in US and not just parrot speaking English. They qualify the initial requirements and hence are eligible for a hand in lottery just like you or anyone else.

      Reply
      • Nope has a point. There are Indians who are scamming to get their employees a H1b so that they can get a work authorization in the US and the companies can start minting some money out of them. But, agree with True_Indian that English skills are secondary. There are brilliant people out there who are mediocre English speakers.

        Reply
  19. Did anyone from IBM get receipt in last week.. ?
    What does the immigration team have to say about receipt.. Is it still going to send any or the wait is over ?

    Reply
  20. Any expectation should we have from CTS for H1 B lottery selection hereafter?? .. Any updates/receipts from USCIS to CTS today???

    Reply
    • Why do you people send out unconfirmed information and spread rumors. I called up the team and they said we are sending out status as and when we receive.

      Reply
        • Hi Friends,

          I got email from People Mobility a while ago. My application got picked up in the lottery.

          Please note, this is not fake. Now I need to wait for another 2 or 3 months for final result from USCIS.

          Reply
    • what is the Regular Processing Receipt done? meaning they already completed in sending the rejection notification? Please advise.

      Reply
      • Thanks for your reply. Lets wait for two more weeks and lets be hopeful.
        Good things will definitely happen for good people.

        Reply
        • If your H1b file location is California, ur chances are almost(99%) Over. If it is Vermont, u have 30% chance to hear good news in next 10 days. GI team has an excel which there are using to update in AIMS. But the updating process is very slow(even I can say dead slow). You can call and confirm about your case, if ur name is not there in the list, all the best for other alternates.

          Reply
      • Yes, there are good chances until June 2nd week. So far very few people have got their status updated, assuming just 30-40% acceptance rate. Have Hope!

        Reply
  21. Selection rate is very bad in infy . Look for plan B. Don’t wait that they will update rejected in lottery soon. They will delay as much possible to check attrition.

    Reply
    • How can u say that selection rate is very low this yr? Last yr also people got updates till last week of may n infact few got in first week of june..
      I think v all shd wait for 2 weeks more…

      Reply
      • I agree with you my friend. Many people have got their results even in the first week of June. Thanks for writing something positive.
        Lets hope that ours dreams will come true. And lets have Faith.

        Reply
  22. I am in post completion OPT.
    I have applied in AD / RP.
    I did not get any receipt notice till now nor checks been cashed.
    Can you please reply what are my chances of getting H1B.
    Anybody facing the same, please reply.
    Thanks,

    Reply
  23. Hi everyone from Accenture, can you share what your status is. If selected or waiting for mail like my case?

    Reply
    • Accenture always sends email to all the employees who are waiting for their H1B status. Who got picked up in the lottery will get confined lottery acceptance email and those who are not picked up will get the email that case is still pending and waiting for confirmation BUT all will get some email in their inbox. So don’t worry they have not shared the status yes.

      Reply
  24. Hi guys, I know many from Accenture are waiting for any updates and some of you may have received updates already. Can you please share your status here so that everyone is on same page.

    Reply
  25. Anyone from capgemini financial services bu….any update on h1b news..i hav sent many mails to my recruiter, but no response

    Reply
  26. Any Update about Accenture. I seen people are posting they are getting email from PM team . Are they true?

    Reply
      • I know few people who have AD but haven’t heard anything yet. The only reasoning that’s keep my hopes alive is that..may be they send back packages or receipt notices by companies..and all PwC ones will come all at once. hopefully!

        Reply
        • I doubt that cause a few people I know heard already, but all of them have AD. Nobody among Non-AD heard nothing so far

          Reply
          • My plan B is good too. I am going to a Masters in Finance program at a good school with full funding. So, though I would wish the H1-B is accepted, plan B isn’t bad either. I will have a good break over the summer.

          • I actually heard that less than 10% of people who applied via the company heard back. this is very sad

          • That’s a sad number to look at. I am not sure if the school I will attend will give CPT from day 1. I will be attending Wash Univ in St Louis (Olin School of Bus). I think either option is fine..even with H1-b I may end up leaving at the end of august and just make some savings over the summer and start school late august.

    • I am still waiting for the receipt, too. I hope the immigration team is waiting to release received receipts to employees….. Has anyone contact the immigration team?

      Reply

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