H1B Visa 2015 Receipt Numbers and Processing Updates : May 7, 2014

There’s still hope to get receipt numbers from H1B Visa 2015 lottery.

I will be publishing H1B Visa 2015 Receipt Numbers and Updates, News  in this page day by day (sometimes multiple times per day).

Tracking H1B Visa 2015 Receipt Numbers and Updates

May 7, 2014

When you guys were giving up hope, on H1B Visa 2015 receipt numbers, here’s come a refreshing update straight from USCIS

USCIS said they may be issuing Premium Processing H-1 receipts till 21 May and non PP till 30 May or so. via Twitter @immigrationcom

May 2, 2014

20140502-161130.jpg

Official news :USCIS announced today that data entry of all FY15 H-1B cap petitions has been completed. USCIS will now begin returning all H-1B cap petitions that were not selected in the lottery. U.S. businesses use the H-1B program to employ foreign workers in occupations that require highly specialized knowledge in fields such as science, engineering, and computer programming.

April 28, 2014

USCIS Started approving H1b applications. First comment was in approval came today.

April 23, 2014

Update from Attorney : AD/Regular processing snail mail receipt was post marked April 10, 2014. Receipt was received last week. This changes the who processing math we had so far.

April 22, 2014

  • Premium Processing – Advanced Degree – Notification complete or almost complete (email notification)
  • Premium Processing – General Cap – Notification complete or almost complete (email notification)
  • Regular Processing – Advanced Degree – Receipt coming via snail mail
  • Regular Processing – General Cap – No Updates

Above is my observation based on receipt notices updates posted by readers.

April 21, 2014

  • People reporting receipt numbers for Advanced degree – Regular processing via snail mail ( no email ).
  • No updates Non Advanced Degree – regular processing.

April 17,2014

  • USCIS alert that on 4/28/14 it will begin premium processing for H-1B petitions subject to the FY2015 cap, including H-1B petitions seeking an exemption from the fiscal year cap for individuals who have earned a U.S. master’s degree or higher.

April 16, 2014

  • USCIS is notifying Premium Processing Petitions selected in lottery
  • Both Advanced Degree and Regular Cap Applications have received updates.
  • I haven’t seen non premium processing notifications yet.

April 11, 2014

April 10, 2014

April 7, 2014:

April 5, 2014 : 

  • I searched around for latest updates and none found.
  • Bye Bye Vancouver. We are driving to Seattle in next 30 minutes.
  • Went to university of British Columbia yesterday. Campus was Beautiful.

April 4, 2014 :

  • No updates from USCIS on H1B Cap Count Numbers.
  • Second petition can be filed if affected by delivery, but it should reach USCIS by Monday. (AILA).
  • Updated from Vancouver, Canada

April 3, 2014 :

Following updates is from AILA.

USIS informed AILA that due to the reported courier delivery problems with FY2015 H-1B petitions, USCIS will accept a second H-1B petition in certain limited circumstances. Specifically, for cap-subject petitions that were timely filed, if, upon inquiry, the carrier indicates that there may be a delivery delay or the package has been damaged, the petitioner may file a second H-1B petition with:

  • A new fee;
  • An explanation as to why the second petition is being filed, with supporting evidence (such as the notice from the carrier); and
  • A request to withdraw the first H-1B cap petition.

USCIS will return the withdrawn petitions with the fee, even if they have already been receipted.

Petitions that do not include the above-referenced items will be treated as duplicate petitions and will be denied or revoked, and USCIS will not refund the filing fees. Please also note that if the FY2015 cap is met within the first five business days of April, USCIS will reject all petitions received after April 7, 2014, including duplicate H-1B petitions filed in accordance with these instructions.

April 2, 2014

  • There is no update from USCIS.
  • Overnight Delivery companies reported to have delivered large volumes of applications.
  • Some H1B applications packages could have been damaged or delivered but not scanned. (AILA)

April 1, 2014

  • No Updates from USCIS

Immigration Attorney’s should have mailed the H-1B Visa package on  Monday (March 31, 2014) to California and Vermont USCIS service centers.

FedEx and UPS should have carried thousand’s ( over 100,000) H1B Visa applications to respective USCIS service centers for delivery today.

It’s not easy to process so many applications by USCIS in a single day. Typically private contractors are hired to handle huge volumes of H1B visa applications on month of April.

USCIS will give an update about

  • Number of General H1B Application Received
  • Number of Advanced Degree Applications received
  • When Quota was reached
  • When H-1B Visa lottery will be conducted

Last Year – Regular Processing

Last year, USCIS sent notices for Regular Processing only in June 2013. That’s 3 months wait time to even know if H1B petitions was selected in the lottery.

If you need an earlier update, then convert the application to Premium Processing.

Sometime early next week. Till then we will be in dark.

I’m sure if you have applied for H1B Visa, your hearts will be pounding to know the results of H-1B Visa lottery results.

Following the links below for related articles in this series

  1. [Video] What Happens Next After H1B Visa Lottery?
  2. USCIS Received 172,500 H-1B Visa Applications
  3. H1B 2015 Cap Reached
  4. H1B Visa 2015 Daily Updates (from April 1, 2014)
  5. H1B Visa 2015 Predictions

Similar Posts

4,682 Comments

  1. Hi,

    I have received a confirmation from my employer that my petition has been accepted in the lottery, but they have not shared the receipt number.

    What could be the reason for not sharing receipt number with us, if the employer has received it?

  2. Hi Raghu,

    I got selected in 2015 H1 B cap. I got RFE twice and 2nd RFE was received on Dec 5th and the status on the website showing that, case under review and you should get the decision by 3rd Feb. But on the website still today status is same.when I called today to employer he told me that, there are less employees in USCIS so the processing is getting delayed. I am not sure whats happening. Can you please tell me, did you find any of this type of cases in past. ? what is the chances of approving my visa?

  3. I got my h1b approved on Oct 2nd 2014 and my petitioner received the same on Oct 13th 2014. I asked my US sponsor regarding stamping. My sponsor told that till new year it is a holidays season, so there wont be any jobs, so there is no point of coming to US then, so i waited all along. I talked to them in Jan 1st week, they told me to forward my CV so that they will search for a client who needs an employee with my profile which might take a week. Its been 2 weeks. Is this normal or is he delaying my stamping which is scaring me?? Well this is a different scenario from the guys who go onsite. Any views on this guys??? Does delay in going to the interview effect my stamping approval chances???

      1. Raghuram Sir,

        Are there any chances that Employer is expecting money to send docs in this situation?

        At the time of filing petition, Petitioner is required to submit Client letter and other required doc otherwise petition won’t be approved. So if petitioner has already submitted client letter, it implies that Client is already available. So why employer has to find new job or client?

      2. i had the same question as the other friend had. If my h1 has got approved, at that time my petitioner would have showed the client details to USCIS for which i got approval right?? I can take the same documentation and i can go for stamping na?? then why is he arranging for new client?? Plz explain Raghu

  4. Hi;

    My Work Permit Petition got Approved during Oct ’14 and when I appeared for Consulate Stamping Interview, during Dec’14, the Consulate Officer had issued 221 G and asked me to submit the Document Via Email.

    When I approached my Employer, he had sent the Responses and the Required Document as an attachment, size of the attachment is around 100MB.

    Though I knew that sending 100mb file in a single mail is not possible, just thought of checking, whether is it fine to send them in 3 or 4 email parts. or is there any ways and means to send them in single email to the Visa Consulate Office.

  5. I’m Vijay previously i had filed my petition for H1 B visa
    and i had got my I-797c form and also I-129 during the year April’2008.
    I
    wanted to know from you whether my H1 B petition is still valid or not.
    If valid can it be transferred to some other company or my previous company would be
    able to provide me documents for attending the interview.

  6. I’m Vijay previously i had filed my petition for H1 B visa
    and i had got my I-797c form and also I-129 during the year April’2008.
    I
    wanted to know from you whether my H1 B petition is still valid or not.
    If valid can it be transferred to some other company or my previous company would be
    able to provide me documents for attending the interview.

  7. Hi Raghuram,

    My Case Status in USCIS website is Response To USCIS Request For Evidence Was Received and You should receive a decision or case update by October 13, 2014 but till now I did not get any update. My company is also saying to wait for some more time. Can you suggest me what should I do. Is this thing is normal, I mean the prolong time frame. or should I ask my company to raise a ticket.

  8. Hi Raghuram Sir,

    For H1-B stamping, Please let me know if Transcripts are required for
    the MCA degree (Masters of Computer Application) if MCA done from
    university in INDIA. I have only marksheets for each semester but no
    transcripts as university did not provide any. Please reply.

    Thanks!

  9. Can you share your time line of the whole process with dates?

    Applied –
    Type – General/Masters
    Processing – Regular/Premium
    Receipt Received On –
    Approved On –
    RFE Receive On
    Rejection Received On –

    Thanks.

    1. Applied – April 1st 2014
      Type – General/Masters – General
      Processing – Regular/Premium – Regular
      Receipt Received On – May 9th 2014
      Approved On – 28th October 2014
      RFE Receive On – 6th August 2014
      Rejection Received On – NA

    2. Applied – April 1st 2014
      Type – General/Masters – General
      Processing – Regular/Premium – Regular
      Receipt Received On – May 5th 2014
      Approved On – 21st October 2014
      RFE Receive On – 15th May 2014
      Rejection Received On – NA

    3. Applied – 1st April 2014
      Type – General/Masters – General
      Processing – Regular/Premium – Regular
      Receipt Received On – 30th April 2014
      Approved On – 2nd Oct 2014
      RFE Receive On – 7th July 2014
      Rejection Received On – NA

  10. What could be the better or appropriate answer to the question:

    1. Why do you want to go to USA or work in USA?

    2. why not other countries like UK/Europe

    1. my version would be….US has a wide exposure for IT…..many kinds of projects…can face many challenges there….that would be very vital for me to improve my tech skills….all the best….

  11. Hi All;

    My Work Permit got approved on 16th October, 2014. I am yet to receive the Approval Notice from my Sponsor. Yesterday while I was browsing through the website of USCIS and noticed that, they had mentioned a comment as If the approval notice was not received on or before 15th November, a Duplicate Copy of the Approval Notice can be requested.

    My Question:

    (1) How long will it take to get the Approval Notice, if the Petition is processed under Regular from Vermont Processing Center.

    (2) To whom will the USCIS will send the Approval Notice – To myself or To my Sponsor

    (3) Is it ok to raise a Request in the website for Duplicate Copy? As it is currently 18th November.

    1. USCIS will send the approval notice to the attorneys. My h1 got approved on Oct 2nd in the USCIS website and i got the approval notice from the my attorney on Oct 13th. You have to talk to both your attorney and sponsor. I guess they should have it by now.

      1. Hi Red;

        While I was browsing through the USCIS Website, they had mentioned that – Approval Notice had been sent, if it is not received by 15th November 2014, they had asked to raise a duplicate copy request.

        I am hoping that my Sponsor / Attorney would have already got the approval notice. As the HR Spoc from my Sponsor is on a Week Vacation, She would be back in Office by Next week.

        I am praying to god to get the Approval Notice before the End of Nov 2014.

  12. Hi,

    Finally the day has arrived to share the good news.
    Yes, my H1B visa got approved yesterday in Chennai consulate.

    OFC (Day#1)

    This was like a cake walk. They will just scan your DS-160 and passport and put a barcode sticker on it. Also they will take the finger prints.

    Question asked: Why are you traveling to US?

    Consulate (Day#2)

    Documents verification
    Question asked

    Who is your client
    How much money you make there
    Whats your highest qualification

    Thats it and then comes the golden word “Your visa is approved” 🙂

    All the best guys who are waiting.

    For details of my petition movement please read my earlier post.

    FYI: Mine was stuck in RFE for 2 months because of clint letter/MSA/SOW

    Thank you Raghu for this wonderful blog which let others know the status and process going on.

    Thanks!!

  13. Hi Raghu,
    My case status still displaying as Initial Review “On April 10, 2014, we received this I129 PETITION FOR A NONIMMIGRANT WORKER, and mailed you a notice describing how we will process your case…….” My receipt number is WAC141xxxxxxx. I know no one can say anything what can happen later or by when I can expect the result, but just want to know, is there any one like me who has not received any response so far and waiting waiting waiting……

  14. Hi All;

    My Work Permit had got Approved on Oct 16th, 2014 – I got to know about this through USCIS website alerts on 22nd Oct 2014. The Petition was filed under Regular Processing in Vermont Center.

    Please find below my Timelines:

    Applied for H1B through Sponsor – March 15th, 2014
    Documents submitted to USCIS, Vermont Center – 30th March 2014
    Documents received by Front Desk at USCIS, Vermont Center – 01st April, 2014
    Got Selected in Lottery on 10th April 2014
    Received Receipt Number from Sponsor – 25th April 2014
    Status changed to RFE – 9th July 2014 (Deadline for RFE Documents Submission – 4th Oct 2014)
    RFE Document submitted to USCIS – 30th September 2014
    Status changed to RFE Review – 30th September 2014
    Work Permit Petition Approved on – 16th October 2014.
    Received mail alert from USCIS website on 22nd October 2014.

    THANKS to the Almighty for making this happen and also to all of my Friends and Family Members, who supported me in trying out this exercise.

    1. hi anandh, how do receive the mail alert. I could see the status through website. did you had your visa interview.

  15. Please let me know if there is anyone here whose status is more than 60 days showing as RFE response Review. Thanks.

  16. Hi Raghu,

    After more than 8 months starting from feb LCA/H1B application filing date to till date, finaly got denial notification on Oct 3rd (after we submitted the RFE response) . My employer still waiting for the denial letter. I talked to my employer and he asked me to wait till we get to know the reason and he is ready to to file a motion to reopen. So can you please help me to understand this:

    1. What exactly MTR is and what can be the reason generally they said?
    2. How long it will take to obtain decision on MTR?
    3. Possibility on approval for MTR.

    Please reply to me…

        1. I can not see those comment. can you please copy and paste that here or send me link of that comment.

          Thanks

  17. All the guys who are done with visa interview. Plz post your experience and what were the questions that they were asking so that it will be helpful for the people like me. One more question, I have been told that in US consulates like Hyderabad, interviews are tough and few of the h1s get denied for the same, so people prefer chennai or delhi consulates. How far is this true?? Plz some one throw light on this.Thanks

  18. Finally my Case got Approved on Oct 2nd 🙂

    My Experience

    – My case got picked in the lottery and got the receipt on 30th April

    – Status changed to RFE on 7th July

    – RFE documents submitted and status changed to RFE review on 25th Sep

    – Post decision activity (Approved) on 2nd Oct

    Good luck to all the applicants waiting for the decision. Hope all of you make it. Thanks a ton to Raghu for this wonderful website, whenever i was down i used to come here and check the updates and would feel satisfied that there are many others in my position. It was like a stress buster to me. Kudos to you.

    1. Hi Red;

      Could you please let me know, whether your Petition was processed under Regular or Premium.

      Mine was processed under Regular in Vermont Center and My Current Status is in RFE Review (since 30th September 2014). By looking at your timeline, i assume that Mine should be approved by mid of Oct 2014.

      1. Hi Madhavan, mine was done under regular processing in California centre. I guess yours might be done max by Oct 3rd week or may be later. All the best

  19. Hi All;

    My Case was turned to RFE during July 15th and when I approached the Employer and Attorney, they asked me to Prepare the Project Schedule / Project Itinerary for SAP FICO Functional Consultant and send it to them along with the Experience Certificates.

    Which I had sent to the Employer during 1st Week of August. When I asked the employer about the cut off date for submission of the RFE Documents, they told that it is on 04th October.

    The USCIS also requested for Client Letter, for which the Company said they would take care of the same. The Client had sent the RFE Documents, to USCIS in VT Center, through FedEx Priority Overnight by Yesterday (29th Sept) and it had Reached USCIS at VT Center by Today (30th Sept 2014). The Client is located in Secacus, NJ.

    Please let me know, when can I expect any update on my Petition.

    1. This depends case to case. Next step is RFE Response Review. And then Post Decision Activity. Overall this might take 1-2 months time. But as said, this depends case to case. Where I have seen it is on RFERR status for 4 months.

      Mine was cleared in a month after the employer responded to the RFE

      1. Hi

        My Case had got changed to RFERR (RFE Response Review) on 30th Sept, 2014 – after my Sponsor had submitted the Document on the same date.

        As per the Sponsor’s Comments he said that this might take another one more month in getting the response on RFERR. Hope it should be cleared before the end of Oct 14.

  20. Hi Raghuram,

    My H1B was approved but I need to go for stamping bcoz I don’t have valid I94 after sep9th.Now my H4 was approved..Can I reopen the case again to avoid stamping?

    Thanks in advance.

  21. Hi,

    Thought of posting my experience so far which could be useful for someone.

    1. Got picked up in the lottery
    2. Mine is RP in Vermont center

    3. Got RFE on June-12-2014. Asking for SOW/MSA/Client letter
    4. My client did not provide client letter. So my employer submitted below docs
    a. MSA & SOW
    b. Org hierarchy
    c. Letter from HR
    d. Letter from onsite manager (stating my work will be supervised by the employer manager not by the client manager)
    e. Letter from the employer stating the payment module, hire fire policy
    5. Status moved to RFE Response Review on 5-Sept-2014
    6. Status moved to Post Decision Activity on 22-Sept-2014

    Now within next two weeks I will be going for my stamping to Chennai US consulate.

    Wish luck to folks who are waiting for the RFE to move to next level

    Thanks,

      1. This is going to take 4 weeks to get the I797 + other approval from national visa center. Post that I can fill DS-160 and schedule interview. I have been told by the employer that to get the petition approval this will take 2-4 weeks.

  22. Hi raghu…Plz check the website…Sometimes it is not showing the typed comment so had to type 2 times….there is no delete option…..and even this updates link opens some times and its doesnot open sometimes…

  23. My case status is still in RFE. My petitioner and lawyer are not responding properly. Its 3rd week of september. I am worried. Any one else in the same boat as me? Is this normal or am I getting hyper???

    1. Attorneys do take time. I felt my attorney as the laziest person. Even when my petition got approved though online status didn’t changed he informed me after 1.5 days. It took 1.5 days for online status also to change to decision from Acceptance.
      My status changed after 1.5 months from RFE to RFE RR. That too because i changed it to premium processing. Vermont center has increased their processing time as well. No just wait.

  24. My status is still in RFE. My lawyers and petitioners are not responding to my emails. I am not sure whether they have submitted the docs for RFE or not. Now its third week of september. Are any of you guys in the same boat as me. Is this normal or am i getting hyper??

  25. We filed for my husband H1b and got thru lottery.
    RFE received: 6th June 2014
    RFE responded: 1st August 2014 (Date when Attorney sent it to USCIS)
    Status remains in RFE for more than a month now and haven’t even changed to RFE RR.

    Requested our attorney to change the Regular to Premium processing on 5th September.
    Can anyone help how much days it takes to convert the processing from regular to premium.
    Also, will there be any email indicating 15 calendar days time frame started ?

      1. Hi Raghuram- Thanks for your reply. Also, Is it normal for status to stay in RFE even when attorney has sent the response long back (more than a month back)?

      1. Because when I entered the question very first time as a Guest, it didn’t got displayed for almost 15 mins which is why I register myself and again entered the question. But later i checked both questions getting displayed. Seems some problem with the site.

  26. We filed for my husband’s H1b and got thru lottery.
    RFE received: 6th June 2014
    RFE responded: 1st August 2014 (Date when Attorney sent it to USCIS)
    Status remains in RFE for more than a month now and haven’t even changed to RFE RR.

    Requested our attorney to change the Regular to Premium processing on 5th September.
    Can anyone help how much days it takes to convert the processing from regular to premium.
    Also, will there be any email indicating 15 calendar days time frame started ?

  27. Hi ,

    I need your help regarding my designation.
    In I-797B and LCA, the designation mentioned as “Computer Programmer” and in employer offer letter and client contract it is mentioned as “Programmer Analyst”.

    So, what should I tell to VO when they asked me about my designation?

    Please suggest.

    1. I guess the VO is not much of a tech guy….just tell him that you are a programmer. I dont think he is gonna drill into that. Gudluck

  28. Hi,

    I have applied for H1B visa this year. Initially, I got an RFE for SOW,
    client letter. After the attorney has
    submitted the Response the case moved to RFE Response review. Today I see that
    the case has again moved to RFE state. Could you please help me to understand this and what are the chances of approval. Thanks.

  29. Hi All,

    My receipt # EAC141465****, I noticed that there was no change on my case status(On April 10, 2014, we received this I129 PETITION FOR A NONIMMIGRANT WORKER, and mailed you a notice describing how we will process your case) as i have seen so many cases there is some change on case status(RFE or decision or post decition) ……. I am worried .

  30. Hi Raghu,

    As I mentioned earlier, there was an RFE on my case on 7th July and my petitioner and lawyer are looking into the matter. My doubt is, will all the h1b seekers get the approval/denial before oct 1st as the h1b period starts from oct 1st or else…..does it get delayed too(after oct 1st) ??? like in the case of RFEs….plz let me know…thanks

    1. Hi,
      There are possibilities it can get delayed beyond Oct 1st. Some people got thier approval in Oct,Nov,Dec and Jan also. So it depends on each case. But normally, once you have responded for the RFE, you have to wait for 60 calendar days. If you don’t get any status update and your employer can call USCIS to check the progress. Good Luck.

  31. Hi Raghu,

    My H1 processed for this year , was stuck at RFE.
    my employer sent response on Aug7th, i saw status changed on Aug9th.

    on Aug18 status is Initial review and aug 20th status is post decision activity.

    Does this mean It is approved or is there any thing else?

    Reason being got doubt is people say it takes 60 to 90 days to get update after RFE response.

    1. approved.. I am on the same boat and waiting for my application to move forward. Still this shows RFE. Can u pls share the application number masking the last 5 digit

  32. Hi All;

    My Case was turned to RFE during July 15th and when I approached the Employer and Attorney, they asked me to Prepare the Project Schedule / Project Itinerary for SAP FICO Functional Consultant and send it to them along with the Experience Certificates.

    Which I had sent to the Employer during 1st Week of August. When I asked the employer about the cut off date for submission of the RFE Documents, they told that it is on 04th October (As it is falling on Saturday, I persume that it should be sent to USCIS by 3rd October).

    The USCIS also requested for Client Letter, for which the Company said they would take care of the same.

    Please let me know, when can I expect any update on my Petition.

    1. Once your RFE is responded by your employer, USCIS might update the case as soon as they receive the response. Sometimes they won’t update at all. The processing time can be anywhere from 5 days to 60 days after the response. So you have to wait. If it crosses 60 days and still there is no update on your application, your employer can call and ask USCIS about the progress. Good Luck.

  33. Hi All;

    My Case was turned to RFE during July 15th and when I approached the Employer and Attorney, they asked me to Prepare the Project Schedule / Project Itinerary for SAP FICO Functional Consultant and send it to them along with the Experience Certificates.

    Which I had sent to the Employer during 1st Week of August. When I asked the employer about the cut off date for submission of the RFE Documents, they told that it is on 04th October (As it is falling on Saturday, I persume that it should be sent to USCIS by 3rd October).

    The USCIS also requested for Client Letter, for which the Company said they would take care of the same.

    Please let me know, when can I expect any update on my Petition.

  34. Hello Raghu,
    My H4 to H1B was denied on Aug 8th once after we submitted the RFE response. Still waiting on the denial letter. My employer has advised me to wait till we get to know the reason and he is planning to file a motion to reopen as he has some new evidence now. Meanwhile I have an job offer back in India which I should accept before Nov 2014 and they are also ready to file H1B for 2016. My questions are:

    1. How long do we have to wait for obtaining a decision on MTR?
    2. Will there be any issues if I travel back to my home country while the MTR is pending?
    2. Should I travel back to India and accept the job offer which could serve as a backup plan?
    3. Suppose If my MTR is approved, can I travel back to US on H4 and then apply for a COS for H4 to H1B? (or) Should I stamp my H1B before returning to US?

    1. Hi,
      Sorry for that. Could you please share your receipt no. masking the last 5digits? Did you get the denial reason and share what was your RFE about? It might help others. Thanks

  35. Hello, I got the RFE on July 23rd and till now I didnt the mail from the USCIS regarding the RFE documents need to be submitted..and on August 13th status has been to changed to “On August 13, 2014, the post office returned the notice we last sent you on this case I129 PETITION FOR A NONIMMIGRANT WORKER as undeliverable. This may have serious effects on processing this case.” The employer has not changed the address. My employer has called to office and asked them to resend once…
    Is this going to effect on my visa processing case…. I am worried .

  36. To All:

    1) What is RFE (Request for Evidence):
    Request for Evidence (RFE) is a letter or notice USCIS adjudication
    officer uses to request additional information for pending applications.

    2) Why and when does USCIS issue RFE’s?
    Generally, an application or petition falls into 3 categories:
    (1) record is complete and case is approvable;
    (2) is not approvable based on evidence of clear ineligibility;
    (3) its evidence raises underlying questions or does not fully establish eligibility.

    When there is a particular piece or pieces of necessary evidence
    missing, or there are questions regarding the evidence submitted, the USCIS officer will issue an RFE so that eligibility determination can be made.

    3) What should I do if I receive an RFE from USCIS?
    You should read it carefully and determine what kind of evidence or
    document is requested. Some RFE’s are more complex than the others; if you receive a complex RFE and do not think you understand what is needed or how to respond, you should retain a competent immigration attorney to address the issues raised in the RFE. Note that only petitioner and/or attorney on the case receive RFE’s on employment-based petitions.

    4) How much time does USCIS allow to file a response? Can I just ignore it?

    Depending on the complexity of the RFE, it may range from 30 days to 84 days, whatever the USCIS officer indicates on the letter. It is
    imperative you file the response by the deadline. Late response will
    not be allowed. If you ignore the RFE, USCIS will make a decision based on the submitted evidence, which generally will be unfavorable.

    5) After I file the response, how long does it take for the USCIS to render a decision?

    It varies from a few days to more than 60 days. After 60 days if you
    have heard from the USCIS you may file call the National Customer
    Service Center to file a Service Request.

    6) What is the difference between an RFE and NOID (Notice of Intent to Deny)?

    In an RFE, USCIS is simply seeking clarification on submitted
    evidence or requesting missing documents in order to make a decision;
    whereas in an NOID, initial evidence is predominantly present, and the officer is not convinced the evidence establishes eligibility.

    1. Its really easy to cut and copy this information from path2usadotcom but if you don’t know what you are posting, don’t plagiarize. RFE time is 90 days irrespective of the case. They made it standard 90 days for all cases after July 2011 as USCIS published an interim memo about this. Google rfe response time and you will see the USCIS official interim memo about this in the search result.

      1. Can you please confirm with somebody near your because mine status changed to RFE on 26 June.
        My employer is litle rigid and he is saying they are arranging the documents and they will update me once they are done with that.

        Its almost 50 days has gone after RFE and as per you only 10 days are left and if this is the case then its worry for me.
        Humble Request- Please get the exact information dear, if possible.
        Thanks

        1. Hi H1b Reqd,

          In the RFE letter, the USCIS mention the response due date to submit the asked documents. Example: for me the RFE was issued on June 12 and the response due date is on Sept 7th.

          So USCIS gives enough time for submitting the asked documents. But yes, if the documents are not submitted on/before the due date mentioned, they will cancel the petition.

          Also in the RFE letter, they mention it will take 14 days to 60 days to work on the RFE petition.

          Hope I cleared your doubts.

    1. RFE time is 90 days irrespective of the case. They made it standard 90 days for all cases after July 2011 as USCIS published an interim memo about this. Google rfe response time and you will see the USCIS official interim memo about this in the search result. So you got RFE on 26th June, you got time till 24th Sep. Don’t force your employer as it is not important how quick they respond it is important how well and appropriator their response is. Good Luck.

  37. I got RFE on my h1b on 7th July, My lawyers and petitioner have told me that they are working on it, but when i ask my petitioner what was the query about, they are not giving a proper response . How can I get that information??

  38. Hi All;

    My Work Permit Receipt # is EAC1414150183. It had been filed as Regular Processing at Vermont Center and got selected in the Lottery on 10th April.

    While I was browsing through the USCIS website on Yesterday, I noticed that the Status had got changed to RFE.

    Further I dont know what is the Additional Documents required by USCIS? When I inquired, with my Sponsor he said he is yet to receive the details from the Attorney on what is the additional document required and when I approached the Attorney they conveyed that there was an RFE Notice sent against my Receipt and that they had received it during 18th July.

    As Oct 2014, is nearly 2 Months away from Now, I am concerned on whether how much more time will it take to get my Work Permit Approved. Is there any Time frame for USCIS on approving the Work Permit.

    Please Clarify.

      1. It’s common for employers to not give the details of RFE . They will ask employee, if RFE required info that you have. RFE’s can be from company financials to client letters.

  39. My Case status is in Initial review as of 07/29 .Received date April 10th but my Employer says he got RFE 10 days back .Did any one of you faced this situation ?

  40. My Case status is till now in initial review but my employer said he got the RFE letter 10 days back .is the USCIS case status site is down for this long ?

  41. Hi All,
    I have got the approval notice. Do I need to go to the same consulate for visa stamping mentioned in the notice or can I go to any other city also?

  42. My petition was approved yesterday! Thanks for all the helpful information on this website. Good luck to you all 🙂

    Non-AD/RP/VT

  43. Hi Raghu,
    Its already Mid July and my employer says he hasn’t heard any thing on my case yet. No rejection nor approval. Its confusing and a lot of decisions are waiting on this. Could you please tell me if this is normal or am I overreacting? Am I supposed to hear anything by now? Is there anyone else in the same boat?

        1. If someone is applying for H1B, they are expected to have some degree of understanding about the process. If someone doesn’t want to spend time to learn what to expect or what’s going on with USCIS even after 3.5 months since this H1b season started , I can’t reply to a question that has been answered multiple times in this comments thread or in several other video interviews and blog posts.

          1. Dear Mr Raghu

            What degree of understanding you think the OP doesn’t have? What he asked was a simple question and it is obvious he is asking because he doesn’t know it. If it is already answered, post a link so that the OP can understand.Just because you are knowledgeable on something, doesn’t mean everyone else would be. If you are too frustrated and don’t want to respond, just don’t. That’s much better than posting some crap like this.

          2. Excellent reply Ashok. This process is not easy for any of us… insted of that crap.. we need help and support… if Mr Raghu hates to do this, then why create a page like this???? it does not made any sense….

          3. He could have searched in the blog with same keywords. Total article in the blog about H1B is over 1000. Most basic questions are answered in just this thread. Plus several video interviews explaining what to expect from the lottery. If the person had scrolled few more comments in this thread would be sufficient to find the answer. I bet there are over 500 comments in this blog post with answer with exact same question.

            I did my best to answer several 100’s of questions just in the thread. If the question is new, tough to find answers, then most times, I have responded. Few could have slipped. Unfortunately some folks want answers handed over to them.

  44. Hi Raghu,

    1) Have you ever heard Rejection after RFE ?
    2) is it possible for someone to get rejection after RFE status?
    3) What are the %age of getting rejection on RFE?
    4) What could be the reason for rejection after RFE?

    Thanks.

  45. Hello Ragu,

    Every one I know have received there rejection packages or acceptence.
    But still I never got my package back.
    Do you think my employer is bluffing?

        1. so, u started the process in May??? I thought all the ppl start after April 10. Congrats! I am in RFE status 🙁 so impatient 🙁

  46. @Reedy123

    Got RFE on Jun 17th but we received RFE letter after one week and they asked us to submit the supporting documents by Sep12th.

    Call USCIS helpline number.

  47. Hi,

    My case status changed to RFE on June 19th. Till now attorney did not receive the RFE letter . Usually how long it takes to receive the hard copy of RFE? Any one is in the same boat like me?

    1. I am on the same boat as you are. My application status got changed to RFE on June 12 and I got informed by my employer on June 24 on the supporting docs asked by the USCIS. And the deadline for submitting the asked documents is on Sept 30.

    2. for me it took week and a half. they dont email the RFE they send a hard copy to the lawyer. I called USCIS and they did not give any information, they said the only give information to the employer :S

  48. My receipt number belong to 144 series…On Monday(7th July) my Status has changed from Initial Review to Request for Evidence??? What is the success percentage of h1b after getting a RFE

    1. I am on the same boat. The RFE is raised to produce more supporting documents to process further. IN my RFE case, they have asked for below docs

      1. MSA/SOW
      2. Client Letter
      3. Letter from my manager stating my roles and responsibilities

      Once submitted, they will review it again for further processing.

      1. how long does it takes after u re submit all the RFE documents? I am on the RFE status and my lawyer just said that USCIS requested docuemts from my company not from me… they did not said anything else to me 🙁

        1. I am yet to submit all the docs. Trying to get cleint letter. Deadline given by USCIS is 30 Sept 2014 to submit the docs

    1. Me waiting for lottery results still..
      Just wondering if there are chances still?

      Has the attorney informed him now or the receipt has come just now?

  49. Hi Raghu;

    My Name is Anandhapadmanaban Madhavan, I got selected in the Lottery on 10th April 2014. My Receipt Number is EAC1414150183. It was filed in Vermont Processing Center in the Regular Processing Category.

    I checked out the status of my Receipt in the USCIS.ORG, it says INITIAL REVIEW. I Validated it just now (9th July @11:25 AM IST).

    Could you please let me know, what is the least possible date for getting an update on the Status of the Review that is being conducted by the USCIS.

    Is it wise enough to convert the processing into a Premium Process Now by paying an additional amount of USD 1500.00

    Please Clarify.

    1. Hi,
      Are you not following any of the blog post or comments? Not only Raghu, nobody can answer when the status will change. You have to wait patiently as like many others case are similar to you. You never know yours might be approved and the status will change soon. Don’t go for premium processing now as from your post I can see you are from India, you can’t start working anyway from Oct 1st. So wait for some more time as in some cases, converting to PP might lead to RFE. So wait for a month and you might get an answer.

    2. Hi All;

      A Quick Update on my Receipt, The Status shows as RFE (Request for Evidence).

      Raghu, Please guide me how to proceed further

      Anandhapadmanaban Madhavan

      1. Again take some time to read the blog posts else don’t be lazy enough to just post questions. If there are no answers, you can ask. But there are answers out there. You don’t need to do anything for RFE right now. Your employer’s attorney will get the hard copy of the RFE which will have the details about RFE. It takes 1-2 weeks for them to get the hard copy. If the RFE is about some docs from you, the employer will ask the docs from you else if it is related just to the employer, they will take care. Just keep checking with the employer about the RFE details. Once they respond it, again it takes its time and you never know. You might get approval in 15days to 2 months. Good Luck

  50. Hi Raghuram,
    Need your help in understanding the process.

    I have received the “Receipt Number” on 3rd July from the attorney, whats next?

    1. You got your receipt number on July 3??? Could you please provide more details like your receipt number and did your Employer provide any info as to why so late?

      1. Hi Mohit,
        I do not have any idea on why so late and all.. Even from then, i am seeing the case status and its not ‘Post Decision Activity’. But still now i didn’t hear anything from my employer about the documents and the updates. Any suggestions

  51. Hi,
    I have not heard anything till now from my attory,nor got any rejection package,pls suggest.

  52. Hi Raghu,

    Need your suggestion on below concern.

    My application was picked up in the lottery but the status shows as RFE and they are asking for docs like

    1. SOW
    2. MSA
    3. Client letter + many more

    I could manage to get all docs except end client letter. and client is reluctant to give letter and email also stating as per company policy they can’t provide client letter.

    Can you please advise what is the alternative of end client letter to move it forward.

      1. Thank you for your response.

        1) Will it work if I produce the recent email communication showing I am working in the project + org hierarchy.

        2) Will it work if I get an email from my colleague of same project where client manager is reluctant to send an email?

    1. Hi ST,

      Could you please let us know your complete Receipt Number. Mine is a Non AD / VC / RP.

      My Receipt # is EAC14141501XX. The Status as per USCIS website is still in INITIAL REVIEW.

        1. Hi ST; Thanks for providing the Details. Mine was under Initial Review since Last Week. I got the Receipt from my Employer on 25th April, 2014.

          Hope I should get the Result of the Review on or before the End of July 2014.

          1. Be patient, it can take more time as well. Hopefully you will receive it soon 🙂
            All the best!

          2. Thanks for the Support ST. Could it take time till next year’s Lottery.

            Its my Dream to come and work in THE UNITED STATES.

            I would feel lucky, if my Petition gets approved before end of July 2014.

  53. Hi Raghu,

    I heard that USCIS expects Detailed Experience letter to approve H1-B petition otherwise it issues RFE if we submit experience letter which only describes designation, start date & end date. Could you please confirm? Generally company doesn’t give detailed experience letter.

    Please reply!

    Thanks & Regards,

  54. Hi Raghu,
    I believe you would answer this query, please do. I have heard from lot of people that there are chances of people getting H1b approved or RFE without having any signs of receipt generation notification/ lottery results or check being encashed. Is there any truth in this?Should we be thinking in this angle at all?

    1. Good one Mohit … I am on the same boat or situation as of today … Look forward for a positive response from Raghu on this … Cheers !

      1. Got an email from my employer/attorney … Its a “REJECT” … Guess less hopes on cases like us !

  55. Finally our company has announced the H1B results, out of 42 people 16 are selected that too all are High level operational management level guys bad luck still ride on IT guys

    1. Yep Mohan .. Still waiting on it !! I am on regular process + cap subject ! Any hopes or is it just snail mail time wait for applications like us ?

  56. Hi Raghu, any new update from immigration girl . For my case I have still not heard anything from my employer ( huge MNC ) in India.

  57. Hi Raghu,
    Received a H1B petition approval however can I get clarity on H1B interview like how soon I can start attend the H1B visa interview .

    My LCA Employment start date : 24/01/2014

    My case recipient : WAC141445XXXX / Non-AD /RP

  58. I got email from my employer today early morning that my application was not picked in lottery 🙁 !! Its an end for 3 months long pain .. Thanks Raghu for all your efforts and keep going 🙂

  59. Hi Raghu,

    I have got the following email yesterday night from the lawyer that filed the H1B petition on behalf of my employer.

    “I apologize for the delay in response as your employer is in the process of handling your case at this time and I am awaiting their guidance. Please reach out to your recruiter regarding the status of your case.”

    does this imply that my case was selected?

    thanks a lot!

  60. Hi Raghu,

    I have a question.

    yesterday I got the following email from the lawyer that filed my petition.

    “I apologize for the delay in response as your employer is in the process of handling your case at this time and I am awaiting their guidance. Please reach out to your recruiter regarding the status of your case”

    does this mean that my petition was selected in the lottery?

    thanks a lot!

  61. Can anyone please give me information on how do we get to know if my employer has filed an application for H1B ? we havent heard anything from USCIS whether its selected in lottery or not. Is there a possibility to call USCIS to ask if they have recieved an application for me for H1B?

  62. Can anyone tell me how to identify if my application is regular or premium.. My status is post decision activity on May 23… and still same.. and employer says i have to go visa stamping in july last week

    1. Oh Man. No need to worry about whether is it reg or premium. Your petition is approved. Congrats.
      If you are in India, you need to get visa stamping and you can travel to US starts from 1st Oct.

      1. On or after July 3rd u can attend interviews fr stamping. 90 days or less should be the diff between stamping and employmnt start.

  63. I got my H1 petition go thru the 2014 Lottery successfully. The case status shows “Initial Review” with “On May 14, 2014, your Alien Registration Number was changed relating to your I129, PETITION FOR A NONIMMIGRANT WORKER. ”

    It has been this way from the date – May 14th. Any idea how long it takes for it change? What should i be expecting next? Any help/suggestions guys?

    Thanks!
    BB

  64. I got an email from my employer that my package and cheque is returned but the notice of action says, “you mentioned wrong employment start date. if you think it is an error, please re-submit the case with all the previous documentation”. My employer said they are going to correct it and submitting the amendment forms through over night shipping and they confirmed with USCIS by calling them. my employer is hoping that it was selected in the lottery. The interesting point is the notice of action dated as May 14th but i received it on June 19th. Actually, I lost hopes long time back but suddenly the email popped up in my inbox on June 19th. So if you didn’t receive a notice, and no package returned , this could also be a possibility like it happened to me. I waiting for the acknowledgement of the resubmitted case. I will keep you posted.

  65. It seems most of regular petitions are getting approvals this week….waiting for mine – non-AD/RP….ANY PREDICTIONS???

  66. I still have not heard anything back from USCIS, neither a receipt nor the package (reject). Not sure if there are few others with the same situation.

    1. I was on same page till june 19th. I got an email from my employer that my package and cheque is returned but the notice of action says, “you mentioned wrong employment start date. if you think it is an error, please re-submit the case with all the previous documentation”. My employer said they are going to correct it and submitting the amendment forms through over night shipping and they confirmed with USCIS by calling them. my employer is hoping that it was selected in the lottery. The interesting point is the notice of action dated as May 14th but i received it on June 19th. Actually, I lost hopes long time back but suddenly the email popped up in my inbox on June 19th. So if you didn’t receive a notice, and no package returned , this could also be a possibility like it happened to me. I waiting for the acknowledgement of the resubmitted case. I will keep you posted.

    2. @disqus_fvLePgaTb1:disqus – Great ! Good for you. I got my package back saying “Missing LCA” as the rejection reason. My lawyer says he did include the LCA with the package and gave us a copy of the whole package that he sent. He has returned the package to USCIS again with a cover letter saying we did include the LCA and the rejection reason is wrong. I am not sure if USCIS is going to reconsider my case. We are just taking a shot at it ! Its a weird case for me.

  67. Hi Guys,
    WAC141445xxxx / Non-Ad/RP Case status is moved Post-decision activity..big relief and finally I got my peace of mind back too.

    Thank you Raghu !

  68. Hi, i believe my petition got approved because of the below message under ‘Post Decission Activity’ window, please confirm
    “On June 19, 2014, we mailed you a notice that we have approved this I129 PETITION FOR A NONIMMIGRANT WORKER. Please follow any instructions on the notice”

  69. Hi I have not got my receipt number yet…I was picked up in lottery and it was notified on 5th may .Just wanted to know if thr is a delay from USCIS or issue with my application

  70. Raghu how do i identify that my case is regular or premium.. my employer says they r changing from regular to premium… what hey do what is the procedure… canyou please tell… my status went into post decision activity on May 23… just want to know…please tell

  71. How we know that whether my name is selected in lottery or
    not. please let me know any body will provide this info.

    1. Hello Shankar,
      Your lawyer or your company HR should have information. Nobody else will be able to provide this informaiton for you.

  72. Finally, thank god… H1 approved …
    Non ad, premium process, WAC1413****,
    Receipt number received on April 17… Till June 10 status showed “acceptance”, June 11 status changed to initial review, June 18 status changed to “decision”
    Note: there is no rule that premium process status shows only “post activity decision” for approved cases. I am writing this as note Bcoz , I have read previously in this forum that premium process approved cases shows only “post activity decision ” .
    I came to know that I got RFE… Status didn’t changed to “RFE ” though. Only after uscis received my Response to RFE, status moved to “initial review” on June 11.
    Thanks to all of you …
    Thanks to raghu
    And all the best.

    1. Hello!! My status is initial review.. when it supposed to change? its no just 2 months for doing the initial review?
      thanks!

      1. Yeah … Sometimes uscis doesn’t update it on their website … For some it may be RFE when it is in initial review. I have seen such cases as well. I am just giving you an idea , I actually don’t know the period when it is going to change… Don’t worry all the best. It’s easy to tell but hard to wait… I have faced it…

    1. I think initial review takes 2 weeks, is not it? we supposed to get answer before end of June … I think!

      1. Hi H1b Wait,

        Could you please let me know the First Two XX as Mine is also in the same series EAC14141501XX

  73. Finally, received the status update from my Employer-“Rejected in lottery”. Game Over ! 🙁

      1. Don’t worry, sooner or later you will know. I was AD/PP/CA. Not decided on plan B yet. When does your OPT expire? Is this your last chance?

        1. Ya only reason I was concerned was because of my travel.But after consultation with attorney, thats not a problem. No, I have 2 more chances with OPT ext..

          1. whyus ..just curious Did lawyer say that you can travel with COS pending ?? that might triggera consular approval correct ??

          2. As answered by many attorneys as well, travelling when (and if ) your h1 with cos application in under process will cause the COS part of your application being abandoned (not H1 itself). So, your H1 will still be approved. The only thing you have to do is go out of US before your OPT expires (and after October 1st) to get H1 stamping to come into H1 status. This can be done by going to Canada if you have a US masters.

    1. Pooja, did you receive any notice mentioning “not selected in random selection” along with package. please confirm

      1. I haven’t. I emailed the paralegal the day I received the notification asking for a rejection notice (electronic copy) but haven’t heard back from them.

  74. Hi, I did not get any updates from my employer regarding the
    lottery selection, how to track to get the status of lottery whether I have got
    selected or rejected?, please provide your answer or share the related
    blog/discussion links

  75. Hi, I did not any updates from my employer regarding the lottery
    selection, how to track to get the status of lottery whether I have got
    selected or rejected?

  76. Hi, I did not get any updates from my employer regarding the lottery
    selection, how to track to get the status of lottery selection, whether I have got selected or rejected?

  77. hi raghu.

    AD/RP/VT.. EAC14137*****

    i got my receipt dated apr 17th on apr22.
    more than 2 months, still my status is “initial receipt”. i am little concerned as i see lot other numbers getting approve.

  78. Guys,
    Here is the scenario
    Person X is on OPT-STEM extension with validity up to next year. H-1B is approved..Can he/ She travel to India in August 2014 (before oct-1) and re-enter on F-1. What is jeopardizing H-1B status.???

    Please help.

    1. Hey Vito, I don’t know if you have already read the materials. But after the 2005 USCIS clarifications, if your H1B is approved and you have another visa (OPT) then you are free to go to India and come back on the same visa (F1). Your H1 will not kick in until 10 days before Oct 1. So, you are fine travelling in other visa status but not H1. (But it’s better not to get H1 stamping when visiting in Aug because, consulate officer may cancel F1 while stamping H1. Instead, come back in F1 and go to India again after October to get H1 stamping). Murthy’s has clearly described this case.

      1. Thank you very much whyus. for getting back.. I did read about this online but I just wanted to make sure and also i read something about jeopardizing H-1B status if I traveled before the start date but I guess that might something before 2005…
        Thank you again though…

  79. Hi Raghuram — Today my employer called me and informed me that , I am NOT selected in the lottery process. Bad luck. But I wanted one infmation from you. My status was updated withe receipt number VRN150500XXX. What does VRN means/stands for?. Just for curiosity . Thanks in advance.

  80. My status is still under “initial review”. I have read in some other site that it takes from 2 to 6 months to adjudicate under Regular processing. In case if it takes more than 6 month, what are the chances to get acceptance? were there any cases where people got acceptance even after 6 or 9 month?

    1. Same here buddy!
      Mine was also WAC141445xxxx under Non-AD/RP till now it’s initial review stage only however next to my numbers status are changed to other step (almost 70% numbers are changed ) but they haven’t done for anything to my case number..

      May be we need some expert opinion here.

      Hi Raghu ..Don’t fail to reply us.

      Cheers,VJ

  81. Dear All;

    Though it is understandable that the Work Permit Period will start only from Oct 1st, 2014 – Is there is any Time Frame before which we can get the Selected Petitions approved by the USCIS.

  82. Hi, I am AD/PP. My attorney tells they heard nothing back from USCIS. I am on F1 OPT (valid till next year) and am planning to travel to India this month. Now. I am not sure if it’s safe? I am seeing a person who got his H1 directly approved without receipt couple of days back.. I am confused..

    1. For some reason my post has not been posted.. I guess it had a link in it that is why…I have removed the link..

      until you receive the return package ,, you do not know if you have selected or not. I am not an expert just sharing my opnion, since your H-1B was filed with a particular Alien number when you exit the country USCIS ‘MAY’ perceive you as abandoning the peition

      just google abadonment of petition( I was not able to post the link)

      Again not trying to scare you. If this a family emergency or a function which you need to attend then you can go and should go. Now in case you do receive your rejection package then no issues and you can re-enter on valid f-1 visa, valid opt card and I-20 signature.

      if H-1b gets approved i believe the same opinion holds. Do get with your attorney and share what he say

      1. Thanks for the information. But my reasoning is, if at all they took up my case for processing, I should have long heard the result as it is Premium processing. So, only possibility now is it should directly come as h1b approved or come as rejected ? I don’t know if something PP is still under process for accepted ones.. Any thoughts on this? Thanks again

        1. Well the truth is none and none of us know how the USCIS actually functions did ny one expect the approval to come through without receipting first… Ye sI agree since it is PP you should have heard earlier but you should have also received the return package by now which you did not.. so we do not know exactly know what is happening..
          you might want to wait see till the end of the week may be to figure things out for sure..

          1. Thanks again for the reply Vito. Have asked the attorney again if they are receiving the rejected application submitted along with mine. Strange enough luck is not favoring me to even send a rejection mail. I have scheduled my travel this week and am so confused..

    1. Hi Pooja, what does your attorney say? I thought it was certain we got rejected.. but some guys are telling otherwise..

      1. @whyus:disqus: She told me that the packages have been trickling in since two weeks now, but she hasn’t seen my package yet. She told me that she’s never noticed a direct approval w/o any prior notice/receipt. She just can’t tell me officially that I’m rejected because there’s no news about my package.

        1. Especially being PP, I guess we can be certain of the rejection.. (I thought so and even made travel plans) but post from a guy below surprised me. At this point, I am just hoping to hear anything back from USCIS – rejection is fine too..

          1. Same here, just need an official update. But at this point PP or RP doesn’t really matter. Yes, the guy has posted the news of getting approval directly, but I need atleast 4 more to post the same to believe that this could happen to me. I’m emailing the paralegal now to verify if the check got cleared. Yes, I agree, at this point, rejection is fine too.

          2. I am same like you, Non AD/PP. my attorney said “it looks like you will not get H1B number”. he used word ‘looks like’ because as you mentioned, they cant use official firm language as nothing has been informed by USCIS. But I left hope as now at this time all PPs are in waiting list and chances are very very very less. if somebody rejected, then only possible.. better to go for plan B. we can always stop on plan B when we will be selected. Those ear of only one prosperous country of US gone now. Opportunities are every where in the Globalization era. Couple of my friends and relatives living in Canada. I have not heard any negative views from them about living in Canada.

  83. I got an update form my attorney that they got my petition back. AD/RP/VT

    Hard luck. I am the only one amongst my friends and colleagues who didn’t get selected in lottery 🙁

  84. Hi,

    My H1b was not selected in the lottery; I dont have OPT STEM Extension; I am unaware of colleges which offer CPT from the first day…

    I would be grateful if anyone can list colleges near Michigan which offer CPT from first semester

  85. Hi All;

    Its Good to Hear, that some of the Receipts are getting Approved atlast. Mine is EAC14141501xx, I got the Receipt Details from my Employer on 25th April.

    Can anyone tell me, when can I expect this to be approved. It is a RP / Non AD / Processed at Vermont.

    1. Mine is EAC141405xxxx (non-AD/RP/VT) and still is under initial review. It’s been a while since I’ve received my receipt notice, but the status hasn’t changed. Hopefully I will hear something back before the month ends! Good luck to you!

    2. Same with me. My EAC#EAC1414550XXX. This was shared by my project manager on May-20. Till today the status is under “Initial Review”. But one of my friend (not sure about his EAC#) got the status as “Post Decision Activity” and his processing has been commenced including dependent for H4

  86. Received rejection notice today… 🙁 in a way I am happy to have atleast some conclusion…

    Good luck to all !
    See you all next year

  87. I got an RFE. Raghu what are the chances of approval in case of RFE based on your experience. Receipt WAC14141*****

  88. Guys Don’t loose hopes those who have not received receipt yet. I was one of those who was waiting till today for receipt number. Just before some time my HR told me that your H1B is approved, I never received receipt number till date. I am RP/AD EAC14137#####.

    On May 30, 2014, we mailed you a notice that we have approved this I129 PETITION FOR A NONIMMIGRANT WORKER.

    Even my attorney and HR never received receipt, and now its done.
    So i would say until and unless you do not get your packet back wait for it. 🙂

    1. Congrats Shekhar!
      Could you please let us know how your HR received this information (via email)? I believe there should be some date for your receipt, so could you please check and let us know the same?
      thanks for your help.

      1. Yes date was receipt date was 17th of April but neither my Attorney nor my HR received any receipt from USCIS. So we were thinking that petition has not been selected in the lottery.

        1. 1. Did you happen to check if your cheque was encashed earlier?
          2. How did your attorney/HR come to know of your status now, vide email/mail?
          3. And congrats for you getting picked in the lottery, you seem to be one lucky guy!!!! Hope u make good use of this opportunity…

          1. Its true that encashment of cheque does means you are selected in the lottery but there are cases who are picked up in the lottery but their cheque isnt encashed. Mine was encashed on 3rd June. where my h1b got approved on 30th of May.

            About status, Attorney received mail from USCIS about h1b approval. Packet is not yet received.

            And yes I am lucky as i have seen people having tough time. Yuupp definitely ..proud to be part of innovation team of a company pioneer in #Cloud #Flash#storage.
            Thanks for your wishes. Good luck.

            PS -I am trying to get more information from Attorney and USCIS why i never received any receipt or cheque encashment updates or DSO SEVIS updates. If i get any i will post here which can be helpful to someone who was floating in same boat like me.

    2. my lawyer also informed me the same as i havent heard anything back , no lottery result nor have i recieved the rejection package yet. I dont know what exactly to expECT.

    3. Yes. It is quite true. I am from CTS and one of my friend got the receipt 3-4 days back only. Immigration team does not hide anything and inform candidates as soon as they receives the notice. It was Non AD/REG case, no idea about processing center. Current status is in RFE .

  89. NON AD/RP EAC14144XXXXX got approved on 9th June. Thanks to Raghu for such a great forum. All the best to all who are waiting for approval.

  90. I am on h4 and want to start work on f1 or anything, can anybody tell me how to get college admission which can allow me to work.

    Raghu, couple of days ago, I have posted this in new forum but I am unable to see my post there.

    Please help me in this. How can h4 guy work in USA, getting f1 or study work visa , anything like that 🙂

  91. Did your employer/lawyer receive it today? Or had they received it a long time ago and decided to inform you now?

  92. Hi,

    My H1b was not selected in the lottery; I am on OPT STEM Extension and have about 4 months left; I am unaware of colleges which offer CPT from the first day…

    I would be grateful if anyone can list a few colleges which offer CPT from the first day… My only aim is to keep my current job going.

    1. Goldey-Beacom College, DE
      Lamar University, TX (?)
      University of Texas, TX
      Sullivan University, KY
      University of Florida, FL
      South Florida University, FL

      I found this info from comments in this blog, you’ll have to scroll all the way down to find them. i wish there was a way to sort / filter the comments to find things easily. i don’t have details on these universities, you’ll have to do your own research. FYI, i am in the same situation as you. i just haven’t heard back about my petition yet. at this point, i’m pretty sure it was not selected.

      1. Thanks a lot. I will touch base with the Goldey-Beacom College tom; its the closest to my place of work and I see that it has weekend classes… Thank you…

  93. I got a mail from my employer, that i got selected through H1B.
    He sent me the receipt number too. So glad.. I literally lost all my hopes and was not even thinking about it

        1. Did your employer/lawyer receive it today? Or had they received it a long time ago and decided to inform you now..

  94. Today i got the mail from attorney that my H1 was returned stating “not selected in the random process”. But my DSO college official has provided me a receipt number a month back stating my SEVIS has been updated.

    Can anyone faced a similar issue before..Greatly appreciate any help..

    1. Ask the attorney for the scanned copy of the notice from USCIS that says your H1-B case was not selected in the lottery process. If they provide you the notice then you have to trust the attorney and accept the fact that your case was not selected.

      1. My attorney has provided me the scanned copy of the rejection and similarly my college official has also provided me the screen shot of my SEVIS page which has the receipt number.

        1. If your attorney provided you with the scanned copy of the notice from USCIS that says not selected in the lottery then you have go with the attorney’s word because the attorney gets H1-B approval/rejection notice, not DSO.
          Try entering the receipt number that DSO gave you into USCIS website and see what you get; I suspect it will say the case not found.

  95. Received my package back. Just got an email from the attorney this morning. Went through the rejection notice and it says “USCIS received your petition during this time-frame however it was not among those randomly selected for processing.” Surprised by the fact that a random computer generated process decides fate.Thanks Raghu for this forum and all the guys posting their updates. Signing off.

  96. Finally a closure from attorney – “We have received confirmation
    that the H-1B filed on your behalf was not accepted for
    processing under the Fiscal Year 2015 H-1B quota.”
    Currently, I am on OPT-STEM extension which expires on October, 14th, 2014. My H1-B case was filed under Advanced degree with Premium Processing.

    1. Congrats, mine Non AD / RP, WAC14141XXXXX is still in Initial Review stage. How it’s possible?

    1. Congrats, mine Non AD / RP, WAC14141XXXXX is still in Initial Review stage. How it’s possible?

  97. Hi, as i have not received the receipt# till today , i accepted the fact that my case has not been selected for H1 – B this year, now i would like to know my options. I am currently on I -94, is it possible to file a fresh L1-B from US itself, or i need to go back to India and then only can apply for Fresh L1-B through the current employer ? Any suggestions ???

    1. I am on L1B too and now visa for only 6 months. You said fresh L1B that means I assume you have used total 5 years duration. if not then it will be an extension of 2 years. In that case, I think you can apply for L1B extension from here as the extension is basically for getting new I-94 for another 2 years but no need to stamp visa if you are in USA. But if you go outside US before expire of current I-94, then you have to file for L1B extension + visa stamp from India. LIFE IS HARD EVEN IF WE ARE IN AMERICA.

      1. Thanks KK, can i ask my employer to file the L1-B extension even though i am currently on I-94, as i was told that extension cannot be filed on I-94 and ext on L1-B must be file atleast a day before L1-B VISA expiry date. Is this not true ?

  98. Guys,
    Any H1B Approval letter on WAC 143 0R 144 series receipt numbers under Non-AD/RP.

    Finger crossed 🙂

  99. Hey Raghu bro!!

    my receipt is wac14143*****

    i just checked today that the person who is two no. less and who is two
    no. more than my no., have been approved yesterday. and many more near my number have been approved or given RFE.

    What does this mean? When will i get my approval. My status is still showing “Inital review”

    How are they approving… is it random or based on company or name?

    is Approval process still not decoded till now by you or any expert 🙂

    1. It’s serial Random Selection process includes background check feedback and other formulas in it, don’t worry and too early to pay attention but according me , you will need wait another 15 days to hear a response from them.next update for WAC 143 & 144 Series on June 16th 2014.

  100. I just emailed my attorney regarding any update on my petition. In her own words “I received two rejected H-1B packages for other clients yesterday. I anticipate that within the next week, I will receive all rejections.” Such is life. I believe its over 🙁 All the best and congrats to the one who are selected..!!

  101. Non-AD/PP Packet received today.. 🙁
    Good luck to all those who got selected..
    thanks to happyschools.com for your help.

      1. This blog has been truly helpful during these tough times. Raghu, are there any colleges providing CPT from day one in the Bay Area (apart from ITU)?

  102. my receipt # has been on “INITIAL RECEIPT” FOR 1.5 MONTHS

    EAC141375****

    Have ppl started getting “approval”? should i panic now of getting RFE bcoz of delay?

    AD/RP/VT

  103. Hi, i am still waiting for lottery result. don’t know the status as of now.
    Still there is a hope for positive result??????????

  104. Hi, i am still waiting for lottery result. don’t know the status as of now.
    Still there is a hope for passitive result…

    1. No more hopes , its time for plan B. U shud get the rejection package now soon, all rejection packages have started to reach the attorney all lottery results are already anounced

  105. Hi Raghu,
    I’m currently on H4 visa. Got thru H1B lottery this year Non AD/Regular processing, 4 year engg degree in Biotechnology) I received a RFE(saw online) yesterday but yet to get it in mail.What kind of RFE can I expect?Thanks
    Aishwarya

    1. Thanks for your response. I will send the RFE once I get it. Can I also know if this is a situation that people in the past has gone through succesfully or a tough one to go through !non IT engg grads in IT esp one’s like me 🙁

        1. I can guess right Raghu! Education and experience evaluation in details would be reqd like my case.

  106. my h1b details
    approval oct 2007-
    stamped aug 2008
    expiry oct 2010
    Will I be cap exempt can I apply for h1b now?

  107. Some guy named Mohan below asked for this receipt number “Wac1417151048”. If its H1B application or not. (I am not sure if its H1B extension or something else)

    When i checked case status belonging to that receipt number i found this.”On June 3, 2014, we received this I129 PETITION FOR A NONIMMIGRANT WORKER, and mailed you a notice describing how we will process your case. Please follow any instructions on this notice. You will be notified by mail when a decision is made, or if the office needs something from you. “

    1. Hi,

      Mine is EAC14147XXXXX and it is still in Initial review. Dis you mean all 147 series got decision yesterday?

        1. mine..EAC141375**** got apr 14th as selected lottery. can u tell you next 3 #s. after 141? is it at initial review still as mine?

          1. They are not doing in order of receipts many friend 147 141 RP got approval mine 140 hence its random.So we have to wait!

    2. Hi,
      Mine is EAC14147XXXXX and witth gods grace got it approved yesterday .. now how do we get appointment for visa stamping interview .. normally how long from here will take for that interview ?

      1. U have to get they 1 797 form from ur employeer and book visa slot in usa consulate u need to book 1 month prior since it will be booked soo u can get ur stamping by july mid.

  108. AD/RP: The attorney do not have any update of my petition. We are still waiting for good/bad news. Does any of you know a School, that provides CPT from the every first day in Florida? Now I am outside US, but I really want to relocate to there, and I would like to figure out some plan b. Thanks in advance of all help.

          1. if u dont have a masters now , and u are out of US then u need to apply for F1 visa then CPT is granted after 1st semester only if you have chosen a field which requires CPT from sem 1. Every college has its own rules and regulations of giving CPT for a particluar field . i wud suggest you speak with the admission officer and get more info before making any decisions.

          1. No, I dont. I am out of US, but I am planning to start a masters and try to find some work with CPT authorization.

      1. If this is H1B receipt then this is strange, Check this status.

        “On June 3, 2014, we received this I129 PETITION FOR A NONIMMIGRANT WORKER, and mailed you a notice describing how we will process your case. Please follow any instructions on this notice. You will be notified by mail when a decision is made, or if the office needs something from you.”

      1. This one can be extension or cap exempt or transfer of H1B visa…… not a new H1B Under Cap.

  109. Hi,

    I got a receipt EAC14147XXXXX with notice date as Apr 29th and the status says initial review. Please advice when the status generally change.

      1. I got the reciept today from the company who had filed for me. I am not sure when they received. As per receipt the notice date is Apr 29th and received date 10th Apr.

  110. Hi, my status is:Request for Evidence. could anyone please tell me what kind of evidence they might want? thank you very much!

  111. status: Request for Evidence. Could anyone please tell me what kind of evidence they might want? thank you very much!

  112. AD/RP/CA : Got the rejection letter today from the attorney. On Opt extension and looking for an alternative. Hard to find a School that provides CPT from the every first day in St Louis Area .

    1. Sullivan university provides CPT they have admissions for this summer session starting June 2014. They are in louisville KY.

      You can contact
      Vinay Patel, M.A.
      International Admissions Officer
      Sullivan University
      Admissions Office
      3101 Bardstown Rd
      Louisville, KY 40205
      [email protected]
      Phone: (502) 413-8537
      Fax: (502) 456-0040

      1. I am on OPT Ext and didn’t got selected in lottery. Any schools near Charlotte, NC that provide CPT from first day.

        1. Try for
          Goldey-Beacom College it is closer and they give CPT from day 1 how ever students must live and work near Washington and new york area
          This is what i recieved when i inquired about CPT with Goldey beacom college.
          CPT can be approved for full time employment once the Change of Status has been approved, but not before that. When CPT is approved, permission to work is posted to Page 3 of the I-20 and the student is enrolled in a one-credit-hour CPT internship class, a net cost of $773. This has a one-year duration, and can be renewed the following year. Students must live and work within the Washington DC to New York City area.

          1. This information is really helpful. thanks Sakhu!
            Do you know of colleges in NJ, NY, Boston area that allow CPT from the first sem? thanks so much!

          2. Goldey beacom in Delaware they allow u to work in NY and Washington DC. You dont have to attend college every day it will be once a month i guess. You can email the
            Admissions Representative and ask any questions you have, she will email you all the details.
            [email protected]

          3. I spent last week in NAFSA conference for Educators. I spent few hours talking about CPT, OPT with the person who actually handles applications, I-20, admission for international students in GB college.

          4. Hello Sakhu,
            Do you know any colleges in Michigan which can offer CPT from day 1?

          5. this is what i recieved when i inquired with GBC for CPT currently i am on L2 and if i change to F1
            (If your COS is approved before the session starts, the earliest CPT can legally begin is the Monday after your first class. If your CPT is approved in the middle of a session, you are welcome to apply as soon as you submit your approval notice to your academic advisor.)

          6. yes i already have EAD card and i am working since 10 months on EAD, how ever my status will change to H4 IN OCT becuase i didnt get thru in lottery this year hence this is my plan B

          7. i have a question, currently i am on L2 i can start my first sem on L2 and request for COS which takes say 3 months , college is ready to give me CPT after i complete first sem . this is possible even if i am on L2 in first sem and then change to F1 from second sem and while on CPT? My college is asking me to do first do COS and then only i can start my first sem on F1 which is actually not correct because as per USCIS on L2 i can study full time

      2. Thank you so much for the Help. But my place is around 260 miles away from Louisville. Most colleges provides CPT for the companies located in radius of 150-200 miles. This one exceeds that. Is it a good idea to talk to Mr. Patel about the first day CPT.

        1. yes it does not matter where you work. i have a friend in st louis who travels once a month to louisville she is in same college doing MBA and on CPT working in st louis. And as you already have a degree from USA u will get CPT from day 1 its the same with my friend who is attending same college

      3. Sakhu do you know any university in Texas that offers CPT from Day 1? Any information would be really appreciated

      4. Thanks, Sakhu. Do you know of any colleges providing CPT from day one in the Bay Area (apart from ITU)?

        1. California state university… u can inquire i am not sure if they give CPT from day 1. Its most unlikely. Colleges give CPT from second sem or after third sem min. Sullivan givens CPT from second SEM .And only if u have a US master degree and if ur course qualifies for CPT then u can get from day 1

  113. Hi All;

    I got my H1B Receipt from my employer on 25th April. My Receipt Number is EAC14141501XX. Received Date as per the Receipt is 10th April 2014 and the Notice Date as per the Receipt is 22nd April 2014. I had filed my Petition under Regular Category in Vermont Processing Center.

    The Current Status as per USCIS Website is INITIAL REVIEW.

    Please let me know, when can I expect the result of this Initial Review.

  114. Even I haven’t received anything back yet. I think, we should wait for one more week as package return process is still in progress.

  115. I applied my H1 in premium and i did not get my return package yet, is there any chance to get selected?

  116. My employer has not yet shared the lottery results with anyone.
    Is there any other way that we can track for the results ?

    Guess there are no options until the sponsor reviles the information. am I correct ?

        1. Same here…..Haven’t heard anything yet about the lottery result!! Filed Under Premium Processing…

          1. I checked with my Manager but he too said that there are no updates from Immigration team.

            Have you received the receipt & when did u receive it ?

            Please help me out. They are not disclosing any information..

      1. No, your employer has to share your receipt details with you. After that, you can track your status on the website of USCIS.

      2. If you are on F-1 Visa then you can ask your DSO about any changes on your Sevis Record. If you are selected it will show Pending H1B Status.

  117. IS any one got receipt number recently .
    Do we need to wait till June end or it is closed .( rejected )

    1. Approval is case to case basis. I know someone (Non AD/RP) in 14147 series getting approved last week. While there are people from earlier series yet to be decided on. Keep calm and enjoy your lottery selection.

    2. There are some people I know (with series 148) who got their receipts recently. Courier services take unduly long at times to deliver your receipt to your employer. Please keep checking with your employer at the same time!

  118. How to know receipt number provided by company is yours as in status checking uscis website don’t give give any information about you.

    1. Ask your employer to send the scanned copy of the receipt. It should have your name along with the receipt number.

  119. My case status is in post decision activity and it says on May 6th the petition I129 was processed and sent to address on file. It does not say approved or rejected. What does this mean? Does anyone else’s status say this?