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What’s After H1B 2015 Lottery ? FAQs – Receipt Numbers, Processing Times?

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Updated : April 21, 2015- Modified content on additional petitions than 85,000 quota – wait-listing for denials 

As you know, USCIS conducted a lottery on the 172,500 H1B Visa petitions filed for FY 2015 quota and did a press release indicating that the 85,000 petitions selected will be notified with receipt numbers and those not selected will be rejected and returned. I have seen many of our readers asking questions on variety of topics like below.

  • What are the Next Steps after H1B Lottery by USCIS ?
  • Who will get the case number ?  Do I get an email ? Will I get a hard copy ?
  • Who will get the rejected application ? Employer or Employee ?
  • Did anyone receive H1B receipt Numbers for Premium processing ?
  • When will I receive the H1B Case number?
  • How many Master’s degree petitions were received  ? What were my odds in lottery ?
  • Does USCIS select more petitions than 85,000 as backup for denials ?
  • How do I know, if my employer really filed my case ?
  • Can I know the details of my case from USCIS ? What are my choices ?
  • Can I upgrade my case to Premium processing without receipt number ?
  • I have not slept in couple of days, when will I receive my receipt number?

This article addresses all of these FAQs.

What are the Next Steps after H1B Lottery by USCIS ?  

  • USCIS notifies selected Premium Processing  applicants about their receipt numbers
  • USCIS then notifies all selected non-premium/regular  processing  candidates about their receipt numbers through postal mail
  • USCIS completes all premium processing applications adjudication by May 12 (15 calendar days from Apr 28)
  • USCIS continues to process non-premium processing cases once their premium processing applications load is down
  • USCIS starts sending out rejection letters to non-selected candidates

Some of these steps may happen in parallel, while some may happen sequential. Also, the timelines are based upon historical data and it is not possible to predict actual dates for this year.  For general info, you may also read  USCIS Processing time for Regular vs Premium

Who will get the case number ? Employee or Employer ?   Do I get an email ? Will I get a hard copy ?

Usually  the employer/ immigration attorney, who filed the H1B petition would receive the receipt number.  The employee will NOT get any email or hard copy of the receipt number from USCIS.  For selected premium processing petitions, an email with receipt number will be sent to the attorney and then followed by a hard copy in mail. For selected regular processing petitions, a hard copy of the receipt notice with receipt number is sent via standard mail.  Either case, nothing will be sent to the employee, it will always be sent to the employer/ immigration attorney.  Read about What USCIS H1B Case number means

Who will get the rejected application, not selected in lottery ? Employer or Employee ?

The employer/immigration attorney will get the rejected application that was not picked in the random computer generation process/lottery.  It should include the fee you sent as well, unless it was a duplicate filing by the employer for the same employee.

Did anyone receive H1B receipt Numbers for Premium processing ?

Yes, some of our readers have indicated that they received Premium processing case receipt numbers on Friday, April 11th, 2014.  Check the sample USCIS H1B 2015 email receipt.  There is no guarantee that everyone, who filed under premium processing, should receive the case numbers right away this week or in the next week. They may start to receive the case numbers anytime from now, nothing to panic that someone got it and you did not.

USCIS said April 28th  is when they will start the premium processing, How come some are receiving the case numbers and emails  ?

Here is the exact USCIS statement  “While the Form I-797 receipt notice indicates the date USCIS received the premium processing fee, the 15-day processing period set by 8 CFR 103.7(e)(2) will begin no  later than April 28, 2014. “.  If you read carefully, it says ‘NO LATER THAN April 28th “, which means that they will start the 15 day clock for premium processing by April 28th, does not mean they will start on April 28th.  So, technically USCIS can start the processing and send out receipt numbers for Premium processing any time before that as well. In fact, they have already since Friday April 11th.

When will I receive the H1B visa 2015 Case number, if I am selected ?  Regular vs Premium ?  

The premium processing cases selected, ideally should get receipt numbers by April 28th and a decision (approval or RFE) by May 12th ( April 28th + 15 calendar days)  as they are bound by 15 calendar day time limit.  For regular processing, ideally, you would receive the receipt numbers a little later. Last year, we have seen receipt numbers sent until late June. This year, we can expect it to be around the same or maybe a little late like early July, as the USCIS load has increased slightly ( Denying and returning more petitions )

How many Master’s degree petitions were received  ? What were my odds in lottery ?

Unfortunately, USCIS has not officially released any petition numbers received for the master’s degree quota. They have not release it last year too. If someone says a number, it is pure speculation. To calculate your odds in lottery, just use the 172,500. It may not be accurate, but gives you some baseline to know your worst case probability.

Does USCIS select more petitions than 85,000 as backup for denials ?

[Updated on April 21st, 2014 ]  USCIS did not release any official information for FY 2015 saying that they selected or wait-listed more petitions than 85,000 as backup to account for denials. Previously, in 2008 USCIS mentioned in their press release that they have  “wait-listed” some petitions to replace the denials, withdrawal petitions, etc.  But, for this FY 2015 quota, we don’t know.  If USCIS were to follow the same process like in 2008, they would have some “wait-listed petitions” put aside in FY 2015 as well. We just have to wait and see or hear from our users. No official information from USCIS on this.  

How do I know, if my employer really filed my case ?

Well, you have to trust your employer and get the information from him that your petition is filed. Usually, employers are upfront and keep you posted about this and send you the emails/hard copy scans from USCIS. You need to find this from your employer.

Can I know the details of my case from USCIS ? What are my choices ?

Well, this is a roundabout way. USCIS has Freedom of Information act , which can be used to get information regarding you file/case. This could take few months( 6 months ) as there are many requests.  But, there is no guarantee here as it is at the discretion of USCIS. Technically, the H1B petition filed is the employer property and you may not have full rights until you start to work for them legally on H1B. We have heard that some cases information was not disclosed. Again, it depends. Talk to an attorney for more clarification.

Can I upgrade my case to Premium processing without receipt number?

You need the USCIS H1B receipt number to upgrade your case to premium processing. Unfortunately, there is nothing you can do, you need to wait for the case number.

I have not slept properly in couple of days, when will I receive my receipt number?

We understand that it can be very stressful period waiting for the petition receipt number and then for processing of the application.  Many of us have been in similar shoes and can empathize your pain. Unfortunately, there is nothing we all can do as it is not in our hands.  Please try to stay calm, focus your personal time on something that you enjoy or with your spouse/kids/friends. Do share your information with our readers on the blog, so all of our readers help each other. We plan to re-build our H1B Tracker with analytics, please post your case once you get the receipt number.

What are your thoughts ?  Did I miss anything  ?   Stay tune for more articles on H1B Visa 2015

 

Photo of author
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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5,206 Comments

  2. is RG getting results now??

    I am AD/RG. don’t know which service center is. there’s a law firm assigned to handle all our cases.

    Reply

  3. So I found out from the university that my SEVIS shows a change of status pending. Is that always a sign that the petition got accepted through the lottery? The university also said that “The Cap-Gap extension of your OPT and F-1 status has already been applied.” Any help would be much appreciated, thanks!

    Reply

  5. Me in queue just other folks out here non-AD/PP….any idea how many receipt notice released by uscis yesterday?

    Reply

  6. Hi all,

    I know that its too soon to talk about the non-premium application but my OPT is expiring in the beginning of June. DSO at my school said that they would not extend it without the H1B receipt. I’m so panic since I’m not sure if I could get the result by May 31 or not. Some people said that USCIS will send the notice for non-pp after 2 weeks but others said it must be about 2-3 months. Anyone have any idea? please help.

    Thanks

    Reply

    • Don’t worry, you will get the receipt before June, I think the people who said 2-3 months meant that the result will come in 2 -3 months, because that’s how long it takes to results for non pp, but once you get the receipt you cant change your case to pp.

      Reply

    • AD/non-PP/VCS,
      Last year, people continued to receive receipts for non-PP cases through June. That’s what the 2-3 month timeline is based upon. It may start going out in next 1-2 weeks and will continue to go out through May and June (again based on historical data).

      Although it cannot be changed now, but you should have applied with PP if your OPT was expiring just 2 months after H-1 lottery.

      Reply

  8. Hi All,

    I was in the same situation couple of years where my H1 was rejected though we don’t have lottery at that time. There are various reasons for it, but as i was working in a hospital IT department i applied for full time there. They accepted my application and started my H1 processing who do not come under H1 cap anytime (they can apply all round the year). So, don’t get anxious, try applying for any positions that you can find in Hospitals, Schools or any non profit organizations. Keep trying you don’t know where treasure is.

    Bless you all

    Reply

  10. “We the People” starts a petition to ask for more H1B cap. If the signatures reach to 100,000 before May 14, 2014, the president might consider to give more opportunities to H1B applicants. Thanks! The website is https://petitions.whitehouse.gov/petition/allow-h1b-applicants-who-were-not-selected-fy2015-lottery-temporary-work-authorization/2VyMkNyr?from=timeline&isappinstalled=0

    Reply

  12. Why don’t they release the h1b lottery results all together like board exam results?? 🙁 🙁 cant hold my breath anymore to know my result. Applied in PP but still no response yet from my attorney. Do you guys think i still have time??

    Reply

    • Nadi,
      My attorney received communication from USCIS on 11th. They were sitting with the receipt # until I asked them today. So if you have not already, please email your attorney.

      Reply

      • Thanks for ur reply NY. I asked my attorney today and he said like i can hear anytime till apr 28. But when day passes i am loosing all my hopes 🙁

        Reply

          • Yaa shah, Cant hold this suspense anymore 🙁 whatever may be the result either positive or negative, but i just want to know it thats it 🙁 fingers crossed 🙁 all the best for all of u..

  14. Still waiting to hear from my attorney.Just out of curiosity I called my university and they said that my ” SEVIS record has been updated to indicate a change of status pending!”

    What does this suppose to mean?

    Reply

  16. Well this feeling is so similar to the feeling I used to have during the wait for my board exam results back in my country.. This is just killing me.. 🙁 :'(

    Reply

  18. When does the SEVIS get updated for AD/Regular processing petitions? When I contacted the school they said they haven’t seen any changes being made?

    Reply

  20. I wish some of the bigger law firms would confirm what receipts they’ve gotten so far. My law firm in Boston filed over 1,500 petitions, so they’ve got to have some good data on how Vermont is doing.

    Non-AD, PP, VT, still waiting.

    Reply

    • Not yet. Checked with my HR today. Attorney did not receive any communication from USCIS so far. May take another 2-3 days. Feeling tensed

      Mine is non AD/ PP/ VSC

      Reply

    • The post is fake. The same person reported about rejection letter, and then claimed receiving receipt number for both PP and non-PP case.

      Please refrain from posting fake news.

      Reply

  28. I challenged myself to not look at this or similar sites for a full 24 hours! And now I am out of touch!

    I’m AD/Vermont/PP, and haven’t yet received an email. Does this mean I’m out of the running?

    Is Vermont still sending out AD/PP emails, or have they moved on?

    Reply

    • I am in the same boat as you mate. We can wait till the 28th as uscis has promised to start processing pp no later than 28th. Game is not over till the whistle is blown!

      Reply

      • AD/PP/VSC. I am so effin mad I feel like puking my guts out. You work extremely hard and build a life here for yourself and all of sudden you are on the verge of losing it all.

        Reply

      • Sorry to ask you this. SO we can’t stay here after the OPT extension of 17 months and we dont get selected in the lottery right? And we only have 2 chances to apply for H1B?

        Reply

        • Rac,
          You have 60 day grace period after completing the 17th month extension if you don’t get your H-1. After that, you can still apply for H-1 from outside US. You will still be part of the Masters cap based on your degree.

          Reply

    • AD means Advanced Degree
      PP means Premium Processing (need to pay another 1225$)
      VCS means vermont service center.

      USCIS will first give lottery results through E-mail to attorneys for guys applied under premium processing.

      Another options is:
      NON-AD means graduates
      RG-Regular processing (no extra amount)
      WAC – california service center
      and LIN- Nebraskaservice center
      SRC -Texas Service Centre.

      All regular processing guys will get lottery results after premium processing done through snail mail to attorneys.

      Hope this helps you Chris!!!

      Reply

  32. when will the non selected applications in random process will reach corresponding companies? Through that we can come to know if not selected?

    Reply

      • My attorney sent me an email yesterday saying it can take upto two months for regular processing candidates so I should sit tight n wait till end of may 🙁

        Reply

        • Thats not correct. Max time limit is 2 months. But, USCIS will start sending mails for Non AD & Regular Candidates from coming monday. So, we may receive any time after 24th Apr(including 3days postal delay).

          Reply

  35. My wife and I were applied in Regular Cap, Premium Processing.
    I’ve got a message from my lawyer that my wife was selected!!!
    I’m still waiting…

    Reply

      • The ideal case when family members work both and it does make sense to try.
        Especially when company is waiting for you and relying on you.
        I wish everybody to be selected!!!

        Reply

        • But this might be hitting chances of an youngster having family of more than 5 members.

          You know how poor are we Asians.

          Reply

      • What a ridiculous idea. Who is anyone to suggest that someone else not work just because it might be unfair to somebody else? Would you give up your job just so an unemployed can have it in your place? By your logic, some people would think that there shouldn’t be H1B either. Let all the unemployed americans work in your place instead, after all they need to live too!

        Reply

  36. AD/PP/Vermont no reply. employer said his checks haven’t yet cashed, and no receipt notice or email from USCIS yet. I think I am about to faint. Any words of advice? When can I know,,,,,

    Reply

    • Praying doesnt work nor any thing works.. All it works is luck which is inversely proportional to your fate.

      Now which one do you want.

      If you have made enough dollars …. save them … come back join 120 Crs

      Reply

  37. Does any one get a receipt number for Regular quota/ non premium process from california center?? Good luck guys….congrats guys who have received receipt…

    Reply

  40. My application got selected and my Lawyer received email on Monday. 🙂 California service center , General (Non AD) category , Premium Processing…

    All the Best for who are yet to receive..

    Reply

  42. Hey guys,

    When do you think USCIS will start making a decision on the applications selected in lottery once they send the receipt nos.
    Will it be after 28 April or 15 day clock from the date received as mentioned in the mail?

    Reply

  46. Your petition was picked in lottery and here is the Receipt number for your reference WAC141355XXXX.

    Just now got from my Attorney mine is AD/PP/VCS

    People have patience dont be tense

    Reply

  47. Any AD/PP/VSC petitions selected today? haven’t seen anything today..

    AD/PP/VSC still waiting…not selected last year. Testing my luck again !!

    Reply

  48. Just got my receipt:
    Fragomen, Regular quota, premium processing, California.
    The attorney sent an email to me.

    Good luck to everyone.
    Daniele

    Reply

  49. Updates:
    Apr 11, 2014 9:05 AM- CSC PP Receipt – US Masters – Case 1
    Fri, Apr 11, 2014 at 4:45 PM- CSC PP Receipt – US Masters – Case 2
    Mon, Apr 14, 2014 at 4:58 PM – CSC PP Receipt – Non US Masters – Case 3
    Tuesday, April 15, 2014 12:44 PM- VSC PP Receipt Non US Masters – Case 4

    Reply

  50. AD/PP/Vermont Service center. ——I got a mail from my Lawyer with a receipt number and saying mine got picked up in the lottery. But case Status from the USCIS status check showing case not found? Anyone is in the same boat

    Reply

    • Receipt Number: EAC1413350XXX
      Date Received: 04/10/2014

      USCIS status check showing case not found? Anyone in same situation?

      Reply

      • What are the last 4 digits i got receipt with the same sequence and it says “On April 11, 2014, we received this I129 PETITION FOR A NONIMMIGRANT WORKER and we e-mailed you a notice describing how we will process your case”

        My Receipt Number :WAC1413350***

        AD/PP/VCS

        Reply

        • WAC is a California Service Center receipt number not the Vermont one.
          CSC receipt number showing the status in the USCIS website, but Vermont receipt numbers not showing any status, couple of my friends also in the same situation. Anybody from Vermont service center showing their status except case not found? Please respond.
          Receipt Number: EAC1413350XXX
          Date Received: 04/10/2014

          Reply

    • I am in the same boat. I am being told that it may take up to a week for the case status to show up. This is specially the case with verimont cases.

      Reply

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