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
AD/PP, Still waiting :((
Please post here, if you have any update?
Did any one got receipt for Non AD/RP?
Any from NON-AD/RP got the receipt number.Please update.
Thanks,
Uthra
Any from NON-AD/RP got the receipt number.Please update.
I have been waiting for mine and didn’t hear any thing from my attorney
thanks
KK
Hi,
I got my receipt number 4 days before. But its still not showing up in the status check. Mine is PP/non-AD. My employer had fwd me the email which they received from uscis. My recipt number is in the below range. EAC141365XXXX. please let me know if the system is not updated yet for this range.
NON AD and Regular processing started getting recipets number ????
some one please confirm the same 🙁
Did anyone from Non-AD / Regular processing/Vermont received receipt numbers ?
Did anyone get receipt numbers for Non-Advanced/PP/California? I haven’t got yet and things are not looking good as everyone says 🙁
Anybody who applied through BALGLOBAL, got the receipt?
Same.. Waiting… Who’s your poc at BAL?
My H-1B petition was selected for processing. I got the confirmation. I belongs to non-premium/regular.
so u are non ad non premium ???? is it
Could you please confirm if it’s non-AD and Regular processing?
Hey, Please mention clearly, do you belong Non-AD/Regular and received receipt?
Any updates on Non AD/RP/VT.
Hey Abc and other folks under Non AD / RP,
Have any of us started getting receipts or hearing from the attorneys on the status of the application ? Keep us posted.
Thanks
Hurray got my receipt today noon (AD/rp/California). All the best all of u..!!!
Seems RP has started…All the best guys..wish me luck 🙂
Good luck
I have been watching my employees applications since 4/10. It seems that they stopped sending AD/PP/VT on 4/15. We had a large group of AD/RG/VT processing done on 4/18. Highest application number we had was 5330 on 4/18 business day.
If they are averaging between 4,000 and 7,000 applications each day, there is mostly likely hope that their is around 40,000+ applications still to be processed.
So far we have a majority of our applications picked and awaiting only a couple more to receive.
Stay strong my friends.
They are averaging about 4K per centre. You can figure out this number from their website with some effort. As there is a clear pattern of the way they generate the receipts number.
Probably will help with your calculations
Hi,
Any body from Non AD /RP/ CA received lottery result? I have been waiting for mine terribly!
Finally !!! Received mail from my employer saying that my petition got selected in lottery. NON-AD/PP/CA.
Best of luck to the ones who are waiting.
PP guys – please keep full hope until apr 28.
congrats! you brought us hope!
hi NS,
In my employer database the status is changed today as Petition Filed and for few others cap reached. What does Petition filed means. Does that mean the file is picked in random lottery selection? Please suggest.
Regards
AVJ
How did you check that?
AD/RP/VSC – My employeer got an receipt today via surface mail.
Received Date: April 10, 2014
Notice Date: April 16, 2014
EAC-14-136-53XXX
Advanced degree, regular processing. Got receipt number from Vermont today.
Any receipts for AD/PP/Vermont today?
The fact that non-PP folks have started hearing already, and I’m seeing no AD/PP in the last couple of days is disheartening… 🙁
Few AD/PP and Non-Ad/PP reported success today. Check the comments.
AD/PP/Vermont..got receipt today
Congrats!!
@VK: thank you 🙂
Did you get an email notification
yeah i got email from my attorney
Sorry, I just wanna know if you got email notification today or you got email notification days ago and you got your receipt today on mail
Hi Guys
Received my receipt from California Service Center. AD/Regular Processing.
WAC14136*****
Don’t loose hope!
cheers
Congrats !
I’ve been a silent reader but now I’m contributing my share:
I received my reciept this morning from my employer through my lawyer. It was the Vermont center filed under AD and Regular Processing. It says the date received was April 10th and date notified April 17th.
Good luck to all who are still waiting!
Congrats ! Still waiting under AD/PP/VT.
@usgrad: y dont u check with ur DSO about your SEVIS update
My DSO is not helpful.
Got the email today from my attorney that my application got picked in lottery . Mine was Non AD/PP/CSC . Guys don’t loose hope wait for few more days.
I got notified today that I was selected in the lottery. I am ad/rp/vt. I am so relieved now. Good luck to those who are still waiting for their notifications!!!
AD/Regular processing/CSC
I havent received my receipt yet. I have been so stressed like all of you. Today I decided to contact my DSO if they see any change in my SEVIS. I thought my SEVIS will not be updated even if I get selected as my OPT expires in October. But I was told that my SEVIS shows pending and also provided me receipt number. My lawyer is in washington DC and hasnt received any receipt yet.
Good luck to all of you.
I know tomorrow is my day…Non-AD / PP / VT!! So hyped! lets goo..believe guys no one is out until you get your rejection letter…then you still can find a legal way to stay working in the US if the company is willing to help you..
yes! Sebastian!
tomorrow is going to be great!
I seriously crashed today when my lawyer told me non-ad/PP/VT has little hope…panicked for the whole day!
But yes! we need to be positive and keep the hopes up!
Hi Guys,
I just received my receipt,AD/PP/VSC. Initially i enquired with my University and they told me my SEVIS got updated,and today an hour back i got my receipt
Dont lose hope guys !! They are still sending receipts..Good Luck !!
@Priya & Sama,
Good that you guys could find it out from your school. My school said they are too busy with current students’ matters and no time to check on this. See how helpful they are!
Dont worry Optimist. You will get it soon.
Dont lose hope.
Did you get an email of notification before?
I got an email from my attorney today with my receipt number
Guys,
Does anyone have any idea as to when can we be able to track vermont receipt numbers??
non-AD/PP
It seems the game is over for me. Haven’t heard any news from attorney 🙁
Never loose hope you’ll get it good luck!!
Thanks, good luck to u too
Do you mean you already received a notice but the payment didn’ t cash yet? I thought they would cash the check first before sending notice of receipt.
I am PP/AD/CA
Is there anyone else who got the update from DSO last week but no news from USCIS – no email
My university see the change on April 15. But even after a week I havent heward from USCIS. Could this be a glitch in SEVIS?
Anyone else in same situatuion?
(DSO also gave me the receipt number. WAC141335XXXX)
Hi Gameoflucks…. Enjoy and be cool….. U got through lottery ….. U will get receipt don’t worry….still PP/AD getting there receipts …. Relax and pray for others…… There will be no GLITCH in semis DB
@Pradeep
Thanks Pradeep!
I have my hopes high. It is just that the attorney says it is not official till I get the receipt and there could be a glitch! SEVIS is notorious with glitches! And it has been so many days since they updated my SEVIS
Also yes if the theory of SEVIS status check is correct it means all PP applicants should not lose hope. There could be more like me whose emails are delayed!
:/ at the delay or glitch!
But thanks for raising my hopes!
I am praying for everyone!
@Gameoflucks : Dont worry many are receiving receipts today,including me(i got it today).You will get it for sure
@Sama
Thanks ! 🙂
Can you tell me hat date is your receipt number from?
I am worried as my receipt number is
WAC14133XXXXX (as per DSO)
With 133 my date would be April 15.
I am worried as it would not have taken them 7 days to send receipt in email
are ad/pp guys still in the loop? in other words, do add/pp people still have a chance as of today?
Be hopeful till 28th April
Yes two of my friends got there receipts today for AD/PP
Hi all, I wanted to share a good news that I notified today that my H1 lottery got picked. Here are some basic answers:
Notify date: APR 17,
APP type: AD/RG/California,
Lottery # : in WAC…50’thousands.
Check : No cash deducted yet
Sevis: No information known still yet
Been received a hard copy from USCIS. I wish you all a good luck, don’t loose hope stay hard and you’ll win it. I know its pain need to wait but never loose hope.
Hi All.
My employer gave me the receipt number last week. I see that its is accepted in the USCIS website but when I called my DSO to confirm, they said there is no update on my SEVIS. Is it just me or anubody else facing this issue….?
send your receipt to your DSO and she will do data fix for you
Why you want an update on sevis… Be happy that u made through lottery …. Once your file gets approved and if u recieve your I-797 then check with DSO… If it is still not updated…. Then ask for data fix….
Are u belong to cap-gap category?
Till we get file back from USCIS we are in the game….Hope for the best
That is definitely a positive outlook towards this ……hope i can keep myself sane and positive as well 🙂
Last year BAL was handling my application, and I wasn’t selected in lottery, but I never got the application back, even after a year. They haven’t even notified me back that money for my application was returned to my company (which would obviously be a sign that I wasn’t selected).
I accidentally entered a wrong receipt number only 1 number changed from mine and it shows to be already in stage “Decision” but the decision was on the 14th of April. That’s only 2 business days after the lottery. Wow they are working faster than I thought.
What was the received date?
I called my DSO an hour back and they told me that there was change of status and they gave me the receipt number…mine is AD/REG/CSC..and this is my last chance….thank god…i was dying from last two weeks…
Congrats MV..
Just heard the good news from employer that got receipt.
Please be patient and All the best!
HI i have applied non-AD/pp/Vermont.I heard that almost everyone who has been selected have been notified under PP .is this true?
Do you guys think that it is the end for regular processing?
why do you think so? this is just the beginning for Regular processing. Keep Waiting for couple of more weeks.
No, they’ve just started sending receipt numbers for regular processing. But premium processing seems to be over.
WTF…. why this page is always erasing my comments
Anyways… AD/RP/VSC got picked up in lottery. Received date Apr 10. Notice date Apr 16.
I’m AD/PP/vermont I got informed I’m in the Wait list. When can I expect a final response from these wait list?
Regards,
Hi, how did you come to know this?
I think I don’t stand a chance anymore. :((
From my school DSO.
Best of luck !!
Alright, That is at-least better than not hearing anything.
Good luck to you too.
Can I know, How you are informed that you are in wait List?
I guess that’s the list of people that will get selected as some of petitions get refused. You should probably get H1b in that case, as last year refusal rate was pretty high (especially for consultancies).
Good luck!
have not heard anything …………..but totally forgot about the wait list …so i would wanna know too …what are ones chances if he is on the wait list?
Thanks god . My attorney just sent me an mail that my application got picked in lottery . Mine was Non AD/PP , Vermont . Guys don’t loose hope wait for few more days.
an email or mail???
Congrats!
How did you come to know that you are in wait list ??
How did you come to know that you are in wait list..
OS , is there really something like wait list. I have never heard of it. Please provide more details if possible
I have heard of wait list before…its people they keep on standby …so when a h1 application gets rejected they will pick one up from the wait list
Can I know, How you are informed that you are in wait List?
dude read his comment…he clearly states his DSO told him …he is in the wait list
OS,
Can you let me know what information did your DSO looked in SEVIS to deduce that you are in the wait list. I will also be very interested in knowing what kind of letter your attorney receives from USCIS.
I just spoke with my attorney’s clerk. He said that he did about 40 cases (PP: 8 and Reg: 32). I forgot to ask him about the number of AD and Non-AD cases. The firm is pretty big and I assuming that they would have done at least 200 cases or more.
NOTE: The sample size is small, since we are considering only about 40 cases.
He said that he received 7 receipts out of the 8 PP cases that he did. I am the only one PP applicant (AD category) waiting for an answer. He said that he even received 4 postal mail receipts for those 7 lucky PP guys/gals. He said that he hasn’t received any non-PP receipts yet.
Even though, things look bad for us (PP applicants). We can retain hope until Apr 28, since some of the PP applicants are still getting receipts.
Hope you get that.Last year i dint get picked had to do 2nd masters .This time just got to know i got picked.
Best of Luck to all AD guys!!!
Seems like some folks on Non-AD/PP were still receiving their receipt #’s today. Unfortunately I haven’t heard from my lawyer yet, so hopefully tomorrow will be a better day!
i’m still waiting too! already had breakdown today when i heard my lawyer saying i don’t have much hope…but still going to wait for this week!
since there are some people received by mail (PP applicants)…maybe we will too!!!
Hi,
Did anybody falling into the category AD/PP/CA (Fragomen) get their receipts today?
Please reply if yes.. I am unable to get in touch with them to find out if they were still receiving any AD/PP receipts.
thanks!
I am losing hope…god not this again please… 🙁
have you been through this before as well?
Yes mine didn’t get picked last yr
that is seriously nerve wracking ….i might just have a breakdown lol ..if this keeps carrying on
Any PP guys got receipts today?Please post it if you have got
My friend got it today..half hour back…im still waiting..a little hopeful now..:)
Do you know which center he applied?
HI Everyone.
I have been following this blog from last week. I thought of informing you guys that I just got a email from my lawyer that he got my receipt.
I was in AD/Regular processing/ CSC.
my receipt number for info is WAC1413851***
My lawyer has notified me that my receipt came in the mail today, even though i selected PP. Their explanation was that sometimes USCIS might not send out some email receipts for whatever reasons. Anyways, im Non-AD/PP/Vermont.
Good luck yall.
Hi Guys,
AD/RP/CA – just got my receipt number. Now I can concentrate on work. All the best to you all. We cannot help but be tensed until we hear something so hang in there and I wont say be patient as that will be hypocricy. 🙂 Take care.
RQ/PP VSC (BAL lawyers) here still waiting and very little hope now 🙁
Same here. Non-AD/PP/ BAL Lawyers.. no response. cant they contact the USCIS?
Same here, no news from BAL> NON-AD/PP/VSC, I spoke with them on Friday and they were receiving receipts. There is no good in contacting the USCIS if you don’t have a receipt number. One this BAL can do is tell you wether the USCIS have cashed the check if they have then you got selected. I asked this and they wouldn’t answer so seems lilke we’ll have to wait…
same here, looks like most of the AD/PP got receipts from Vermont and very few from California. There should be same way they should notify lawyers about lottery results.