USCIS Completes Data Entry of H-1B Cap Subject Petitions for Fiscal Year 2019



USCIS Returning Unselected H-1B Visas Filed in FY2019

As part of our ongoing H-1B visa services, we are notifying our clients of important news. On May 15, 2018, the United States Citizenship and Immigration Service (“USCIS”) announced that it has completed the data entry for all H-1B cap-subject petitions selected in the 2019 H1B visa lottery. This means USCIS will now begin returning all H-1B cap-subject petitions that were not selected.

Not surprisingly, USCIS indicates that it cannot provide a definite time frame for returning the petitions not selected in the 2019 H1B visa lottery “due to the high volume of filings.” Last year, USCIS made this announcement two weeks earlier on May 3, 2017. This is consistent with the overall decrease in H-1B visa filings in fiscal year 2019, perhaps due to the increased scrutiny on the H-1B program by the current administration. You should not inquire with USCIS on the status of your petition until you receive a receipt notice or until you receive the unselected petition back in the mail. USCIS will announce when all the unselected H-1B petitions have been returned.

You may receive a transfer notice from USCIS. To balance the distribution of cases adjudicated with California Service Center and the Vermont Service Center, USCIS is transferring certain H-1B cap subject petitions between the two service centers. If your case is transferred, USCIS will mail you a transfer notice. After receiving the notification, you need to send all future correspondence to the new service center processing your petition.

The business immigration attorney at Columbus, Ohio-based Porter Law Office, LLC has in depth experience with securing immigration benefits including H-1B visas. If you need assistance with an H-1B visa, or have H1b visa lottery questions, contact the H-1B visa lawyer at Porter Law Office, LLC in Columbus, Ohio today.

Immigration Lawyer in Columbus, Ohio

Ohio H-1B Visa Attorney 

Porter Law Office, LLC has experience in securing H-1B visas for a wide variety of organization and individuals. The H-1B visa process is complex. There are strict federal labor laws and immigration rules and regulations. Columbus, Ohio immigration lawyer Matthew R. Porter, Esq. assists employers in complying with the H-1B visa regulations. We can help your organization with H-1B visa petition filings and compliance issues. If your organization is considering sponsoring a foreign national on an H-1B visa, contact Columbus, Ohio immigration lawyer Matthew R. Porter to discuss your H-1B visa options.