*****UPDATE 5/15/18 – USCIS ANNOUNCED THAT DATA ENTRY IS COMPLETE*****
This means we should see the last of the receipt notices for selected petitions arriving in the mail over the next 1 to 2 weeks.
Today, 4/19/18 we saw our first filing fee checks cashed and the first receipt notices arrived in the mail from both service centers. These receipts have a “Received Date” of 04/12/2018 and a “Notice Date” of 04/12/2018. Please remember that this is just the beginning. Don’t get discouraged if you haven’t heard anything yet. The receipting process takes a few weeks given the sheer volume of petitions USCIS must go through and complete data entry on.
Below you will find daily updates regarding the cap-subject H-1B receipt notices for petitions filed in the FY2019 lottery. Before commenting, please review the following FAQs:
- My checks have not been cashed/I haven’t received a receipt notice/SEVIS doesn’t show any update – does this mean I did not get selected?
NO, that does NOT mean you were not selected!!! The process of sending out receipt notices, updating systems, etc. takes time – remember: it’s only been a few DAYS! This entire process of notifying selected applicants will take WEEKS to complete. It’s still very early on, so don’t worry if you haven’t heard anything about your petition yet.
- My checks have been cashed/I have received a receipt notice/SEVIS shows a receipt number – does this mean I got selected?
Yes, USCIS only cashes checks/sends receipts to those that were selected.
- Can I find out about my H-1B through the new SEVP Portal?
Maybe. SEVP does update the employment end date to September 30th for those that are in the cap gap and have been selected. However, this occurs over time, not everyone is updated right away.
- Was my Advanced Degree petition selected in the Advanced cap or in the Regular cap?
USCIS does not disclose if an AD petition was selected under the AD cap or the Regular cap. There is no way to determine which cap an AD petition gets selected under.
- Why are we seeing receipts for AD petitions first? Is USCIS sending receipt notices for the Advanced Degree lottery first and then the Regular lottery?
The lottery is done. The receipts are sent separately. USCIS tries to send out AD petition receipts first as these applicants are more likely to need the receipt notice ASAP for cap-gap purposes. This is not an indicator of whether the AD petition got selected under the AD cap or the regular cap – again, there is no way to determine which cap an AD petition gets selected.
- I’ve received my receipt notice but nothing shows up when I check my case status on the USCIS website/it doesn’t recognize my receipt number! Was I selected or not? What does this mean?
If you have received a receipt notice, your petition was selected in the lottery. USCIS only sends receipt notices to the petitions that were selected. The website most likely has not been updated or your receipt number hasn’t been entered into their system yet and that is why you cannot find a status update for your petition online. (Remember, these things take time!)
- Can you share the percentage of checks cashed versus the percentage of receipts received?
The difference between the percentage of checks cashed and the percentage of receipts is so small that it doesn’t change anything I have already shared.
- When will I get my receipt notice/rejection notice/approval notice?
Check out my free timeline at: http://immigrationgirl.com/lottery/
6/4/18 UPDATE: We have not received any receipt notices since Monday, 5/21/18. We have not started receiving any of the non-selected petitions back either.
5/29/18 UPDATE: We have not received any receipt notices since Monday, 5/21/18.
5/25/18 UPDATE: We have not received any receipt notices since Monday, 5/21/18.
5/24/18 UPDATE: We have not received any receipt notices since Monday, 5/21/18.
5/21/18 UPDATE: Receipts came in only for non-AD case today. All of these receipts had a Notice Date of 05/14/18. I think we are getting close to the end.
- We have received I-797 receipt notices in 60% of our cases filed as AD/VT (Advanced Degree-masters / Vermont Service Center)
- We have received I-797 receipt notices in 66% of our cases filed as AD/CA (Advanced Degree-masters / California Service Center)
- We have received I-797 receipt notices in 50% of our cases filed as non-AD/VT (Regular-bachelors / Vermont Service Center)
- We have received I-797 receipt notices in 53% of our cases filed as non-AD/CA (Regular-bachelors / California Service Center)
5/18/18 UPDATE: Receipts came in only for non-AD case today. All of these receipts had a Notice Date of 05/11/2018 or 05/12/18. I think we are getting close to the end.
- We have received I-797 receipt notices in 60% of our cases filed as AD/VT (Advanced Degree-masters / Vermont Service Center)
- We have received I-797 receipt notices in 66% of our cases filed as AD/CA (Advanced Degree-masters / California Service Center)
- We have received I-797 receipt notices in 47% of our cases filed as non-AD/VT (Regular-bachelors / Vermont Service Center)
- We have received I-797 receipt notices in 49% of our cases filed as non-AD/CA (Regular-bachelors / California Service Center)
5/17/18 UPDATE: Receipts came in only for non-AD case today. Last year, we received the last of the receipt notices about 1 week after the data entry complete announcement. Therefore, I anticipate that next week should be the end of receipts coming in.
- We have received I-797 receipt notices in 60% of our cases filed as AD/VT (Advanced Degree-masters / Vermont Service Center)
- We have received I-797 receipt notices in 66% of our cases filed as AD/CA (Advanced Degree-masters / California Service Center)
- We have received I-797 receipt notices in 28% of our cases filed as non-AD/VT (Regular-bachelors / Vermont Service Center)
- We have received I-797 receipt notices in 32% of our cases filed as non-AD/CA (Regular-bachelors / California Service Center)
*****UPDATE 5/15/18 – USCIS ANNOUNCED THAT DATA ENTRY IS COMPLETE*****
This means we should see the last of the receipt notices for selected petitions arriving in the mail over the next 1 to 2 weeks.
5/14/18 UPDATE: Receipts came in only for non-AD cases. It is still possible that a few AD receipts will continue to arrive since we have not yet had any announcement from USCIS regarding data entry being completed.
- We have received I-797 receipt notices in 60% of our cases filed as AD/VT (Advanced Degree-masters / Vermont Service Center)
- We have received I-797 receipt notices in 66% of our cases filed as AD/CA (Advanced Degree-masters / California Service Center)
- We have received I-797 receipt notices in 23% of our cases filed as non-AD/VT (Regular-bachelors / Vermont Service Center)
- We have received I-797 receipt notices in 26% of our cases filed as non-AD/CA (Regular-bachelors / California Service Center)
5/10/18 UPDATE: Receipts came in for all types of cases.
- We have received I-797 receipt notices in 60% of our cases filed as AD/VT (Advanced Degree-masters / Vermont Service Center)
- We have received I-797 receipt notices in 66% of our cases filed as AD/CA (Advanced Degree-masters / California Service Center)
- We have received I-797 receipt notices in 15% of our cases filed as non-AD/VT (Regular-bachelors / Vermont Service Center)
- We have received I-797 receipt notices in 3% of our cases filed as non-AD/CA (Regular-bachelors / California Service Center)
5/7/18 UPDATE: Receipts came in from both Vermont and California today for AD and from Vermont only for non-AD. We also received our first Requests for Evidence so it looks like USCIS has begun the adjudication process for those selected.
- We have received I-797 receipt notices in 60% of our cases filed as AD/VT (Advanced Degree-masters / Vermont Service Center)
- We have received I-797 receipt notices in 62% of our cases filed as AD/CA (Advanced Degree-masters / California Service Center)
- We have received I-797 receipt notices in 12% of our cases filed as non-AD/VT (Regular-bachelors / Vermont Service Center)
- We have received I-797 receipt notices in 0% of our cases filed as non-AD/CA (Regular-bachelors / California Service Center)
5/4/18 UPDATE: Receipts came in from both Vermont and California today for AD. We also received our first non-AD receipts from Vermont today!
- We have received I-797 receipt notices in 53% of our cases filed as AD/VT (Advanced Degree-masters / Vermont Service Center)
- We have received I-797 receipt notices in 51% of our cases filed as AD/CA (Advanced Degree-masters / California Service Center)
- We have received I-797 receipt notices in 4% of our cases filed as non-AD/VT (Regular-bachelors / Vermont Service Center)
- We have received I-797 receipt notices in 0% of our cases filed as non-AD/CA (Regular-bachelors / California Service Center)
5/3/18 UPDATE: Receipts came in from both Vermont and California today for only AD.
- We have received I-797 receipt notices in 52% of our cases filed as AD/VT (Advanced Degree-masters / Vermont Service Center)
- We have received I-797 receipt notices in 50% of our cases filed as AD/CA (Advanced Degree-masters / California Service Center)
- We have received I-797 receipt notices in 0% of our cases filed as non-AD/VT (Regular-bachelors / Vermont Service Center)
- We have received I-797 receipt notices in 0% of our cases filed as non-AD/CA (Regular-bachelors / California Service Center)
5/2/18 UPDATE: Receipts came in from both Vermont and California today for only AD.
- We have received I-797 receipt notices in 48% of our cases filed as AD/VT (Advanced Degree-masters / Vermont Service Center)
- We have received I-797 receipt notices in 46% of our cases filed as AD/CA (Advanced Degree-masters / California Service Center)
- We have received I-797 receipt notices in 0% of our cases filed as non-AD/VT (Regular-bachelors / Vermont Service Center)
- We have received I-797 receipt notices in 0% of our cases filed as non-AD/CA (Regular-bachelors / California Service Center)
5/1/18 UPDATE: Sorry for the late update! It took some time for our office to complete the data entry so that I could calculate the statistics. Receipts came in from both Vermont and California yesterday for only AD. No additional receipts came in today, but more are still on the way!
- We have received I-797 receipt notices in 42% of our cases filed as AD/VT (Advanced Degree-masters / Vermont Service Center)
- We have received I-797 receipt notices in 45% of our cases filed as AD/CA (Advanced Degree-masters / California Service Center)
- We have received I-797 receipt notices in 0% of our cases filed as non-AD/VT (Regular-bachelors / Vermont Service Center)
- We have received I-797 receipt notices in 0% of our cases filed as non-AD/CA (Regular-bachelors / California Service Center)
4/26/18 UPDATE: Receipts came in from both Vermont and California today for only AD
- We have received I-797 receipt notices in 26% of our cases filed as AD/VT (Advanced Degree-masters / Vermont Service Center)
- We have received I-797 receipt notices in 26% of our cases filed as AD/CA (Advanced Degree-masters / California Service Center)
- We have received I-797 receipt notices in 0% of our cases filed as non-AD/VT (Regular-bachelors / Vermont Service Center)
- We have received I-797 receipt notices in 0% of our cases filed as non-AD/CA (Regular-bachelors / California Service Center)
4/25/18 UPDATE: NO Receipts came in today’s mail. I’m sure there are more on they way so don’t worry!
4/24/18 UPDATE: Receipts came in from both Vermont and California today for only AD
- We have received I-797 receipt notices in 20% of our cases filed as AD/VT (Advanced Degree-masters / Vermont Service Center)
- We have received I-797 receipt notices in 19% of our cases filed as AD/CA (Advanced Degree-masters / California Service Center)
- We have received I-797 receipt notices in 0% of our cases filed as non-AD/VT (Regular-bachelors / Vermont Service Center)
- We have received I-797 receipt notices in 0% of our cases filed as non-AD/CA (Regular-bachelors / California Service Center)
4/23/18 UPDATE: Receipts came in from both Vermont and California today for only AD
- We have received I-797 receipt notices in 6% of our cases filed as AD/VT (Advanced Degree-masters / Vermont Service Center)
- We have received I-797 receipt notices in 7% of our cases filed as AD/CA (Advanced Degree-masters / California Service Center)
- We have received I-797 receipt notices in 0% of our cases filed as non-AD/VT (Regular-bachelors / Vermont Service Center)
- We have received I-797 receipt notices in 0% of our cases filed as non-AD/CA (Regular-bachelors / California Service Center)
4/20/18 UPDATE: NO Receipts came in today’s mail. I’m sure there will be lots on Monday. Have a great weekend everyone!
4/19/18 UPDATE: Receipts came in from both Vermont and California today for only AD
- We have received I-797 receipt notices in 5% of our cases filed as AD/VT (Advanced Degree-masters / Vermont Service Center)
- We have received I-797 receipt notices in 1% of our cases filed as AD/CA (Advanced Degree-masters / California Service Center)
- We have received I-797 receipt notices in 0% of our cases filed as non-AD/VT (Regular-bachelors / Vermont Service Center)
- We have received I-797 receipt notices in 0% of our cases filed as non-AD/CA (Regular-bachelors / California Service Center)
I will update this information daily as we get more receipts in.
Please remember to keep your comments helpful and positive. And read the above information before commenting! I will delete comments that are not beneficial to readers here. There are usually quite a few duplicate comments or just general comments about making the lottery. I will try to remove those just to keep the feed clean, please don’t take offense if your comment gets deleted! It is just to keep the page as clean as possible. Best of luck everyone!