H-1B Processing Update: USCIS Completes Return of FY 2016 Cap Petitions Not Selected in the Lottery
July 14, 2015

United States
USCIS today announced that it has finished returning H-1B petitions that were not selected in the FY 2016 cap lottery. Employers with cases not chosen for processing should receive their returned petition packages and fee checks by July 20, 2015.
USCIS continues to work on pending non-premium processed cases, as well as premium cases that received requests for evidence (RFEs). The agency has not yet estimated when it will finish initial adjudication of non-premium cases, but is expected to do so in the coming weeks. During the FY 2015 H-1B cap adjudication season, USCIS completed initial adjudication of pending cases by early August 2014.
Employers who receive RFEs in pending cases should work with their Fragomen professionals to quickly assemble any additional facts or documents necessary for a response. The sooner an RFE response is submitted, the greater the likelihood that the case will be decided in time for an October 1, 2015 H-1B employment start date.
This alert is for informational purposes only. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact the immigration professional with whom you work at Fragomen.
© 2015 Fragomen
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