*****UPDATE 5/3/17 – USCIS ANNOUNCED THAT DATA ENTRY IS COMPLETE*****
Below you will find daily updates regarding the cap-subject H-1B receipt notices for petitions filed in the FY2018 lottery.
Please limit your comments and questions to those that will help other readers here. Before commenting, please review the following updated FAQs:
- With data entry completed, does that mean I was not selected if I haven’t heard by now?
NO, receipts will continue to arrive over the next 7 to 10 days, SEVIS may still be updated, checks may still be cashed.
- With data entry completed, when will petitions that weren’t selected be returned?
Last year, we started receiving the petitions back in the mail in mid-June. I will post about it when our office starts receiving them.
- 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.
- What is the order of check cashing, SEVIS updating, and receipt notices arriving?
There isn’t any specific order. All these things depend on banks, the post office, and the SEVIS system.
- My OPT ends after October 1st or I am still in F-1 status, does my SEVIS get updated?
Some have reported that it does, I am not a DSO so I cannot confirm. You should check with your DSO.
- 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.
- 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.
- I haven’t heard anything, is it over?
It is only officially over when your employer receives the returned petition back in the mail with a notice stating that it was not selected. Also, keep in mind, that your employer or attorney may not inform you right away, your employer or attorney may not check whether filing fees have been cashed, your SEVIS may not get updated.
- When will I get my receipt notice/rejection notice/approval notice?
Check out my free timeline at: http://immigrationgirl.com/lottery/
5/4/17 UPDATE: Receipts came in for all case types today. Expect the last of the receipts to arrive over the next 7 to 10 days. Petitions not selected will start to be returned soon.
- We have received I-797 receipt notices in 55% of our cases filed as AD/VT (Advanced Degree-masters / Vermont Service Center)
- We have received I-797 receipt notices in 49% of our cases filed as AD/CA (Advanced Degree-masters / California Service Center)
- We have received I-797 receipt notices in 44% of our cases filed as non-AD/VT (Regular-bachelors / Vermont Service Center)
- We have received I-797 receipt notices in 42% of our cases filed as non-AD/CA (Regular-bachelors / California Service Center)
5/3/17 UPDATE: No receipts today. Checks are still getting cashed for all types of cases, which means receipts are still on their way. USCIS announced data entry is completed today.
- We have received I-797 receipt notices in 54% 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 26% of our cases filed as non-AD/VT (Regular-bachelors / Vermont Service Center)
- We have received I-797 receipt notices in 38% of our cases filed as non-AD/CA (Regular-bachelors / California Service Center)
5/2/17 UPDATE: No receipts today, which is normal for a Tuesday. Checks are still getting cashed. I expect receipts to continue to come in over the next 7 to 14 days.
- We have received I-797 receipt notices in 54% 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 26% of our cases filed as non-AD/VT (Regular-bachelors / Vermont Service Center)
- We have received I-797 receipt notices in 38% of our cases filed as non-AD/CA (Regular-bachelors / California Service Center)
5/1/17 UPDATE: Receipts came in for all case types today – It is NOT over.
- We have received I-797 receipt notices in 54% 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 26% of our cases filed as non-AD/VT (Regular-bachelors / Vermont Service Center)
- We have received I-797 receipt notices in 38% of our cases filed as non-AD/CA (Regular-bachelors / California Service Center)
4/28/17 UPDATE:
- We have received I-797 receipt notices in 47% of our cases filed as AD/VT (Advanced Degree-masters / Vermont Service Center)
- We have received I-797 receipt notices in 36% of our cases filed as AD/CA (Advanced Degree-masters / California Service Center)
- We have received I-797 receipt notices in 13% of our cases filed as non-AD/VT (Regular-bachelors / Vermont Service Center)
- We have received I-797 receipt notices in 11% of our cases filed as non-AD/CA (Regular-bachelors / California Service Center)
4/27/17 UPDATE:
- We have received I-797 receipt notices in 47% of our cases filed as AD/VT (Advanced Degree-masters / Vermont Service Center)
- We have received I-797 receipt notices in 36% of our cases filed as AD/CA (Advanced Degree-masters / California Service Center)
- We have received I-797 receipt notices in 13% of our cases filed as non-AD/VT (Regular-bachelors / Vermont Service Center)
- We have received I-797 receipt notices in 11% of our cases filed as non-AD/CA (Regular-bachelors / California Service Center)
4/26/17 UPDATE:
- We have received I-797 receipt notices in 45% of our cases filed as AD/VT (Advanced Degree-masters / Vermont Service Center)
- We have received I-797 receipt notices in 24% of our cases filed as AD/CA (Advanced Degree-masters / California Service Center)
- We have received I-797 receipt notices in 7% of our cases filed as non-AD/VT (Regular-bachelors / Vermont Service Center)
- We have received I-797 receipt notices in 5% of our cases filed as non-AD/CA (Regular-bachelors / California Service Center)
4/25/17 UPDATE:
- We have received I-797 receipt notices in 45% of our cases filed as AD/VT (Advanced Degree-masters / Vermont Service Center)
- We have received I-797 receipt notices in 24% of our cases filed as AD/CA (Advanced Degree-masters / California Service Center)
- We have received I-797 receipt notices in 7% of our cases filed as non-AD/VT (Regular-bachelors / Vermont Service Center)
- We have received I-797 receipt notices in 5% of our cases filed as non-AD/CA (Regular-bachelors / California Service Center)
4/24/17 UPDATE:
- We have received I-797 receipt notices in 45% of our cases filed as AD/VT (Advanced Degree-masters / Vermont Service Center)
- We have received I-797 receipt notices in 24% of our cases filed as AD/CA (Advanced Degree-masters / California Service Center)
- We have received I-797 receipt notices in 7% of our cases filed as non-AD/VT (Regular-bachelors / Vermont Service Center)
- We have received I-797 receipt notices in 5% of our cases filed as non-AD/CA (Regular-bachelors / California Service Center)
4/21/17 UPDATE:
- We have received I-797 receipt notices in 13% of our cases filed as AD/VT (Advanced Degree-masters / Vermont Service Center)
- We have received I-797 receipt notices in 16% of our cases filed as AD/CA (Advanced Degree-masters / California Service Center)
- We have received I-797 receipt notices in 1% 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)
4/20/17 UPDATE:
- We have received I-797 receipt notices in 8% of our cases filed as AD/VT (Advanced Degree-masters / Vermont Service Center)
- We have received I-797 receipt notices in 16% of our cases filed as AD/CA (Advanced Degree-masters / California Service Center)
- We have not received any notices for Regular Cap (Bachelor’s) cases and no checks have been cashed.
4/19/17 UPDATE:
- We have received I-797 receipt notices in 4% of our cases filed as AD/VT (Advanced Degree-masters / Vermont Service Center)
- We have received I-797 receipt notices in 16% of our cases filed as AD/CA (Advanced Degree-masters / California Service Center)
- We have not received any notices for Regular Cap (Bachelor’s) cases and no checks have been cashed.
4/18/17 UPDATE: First receipt notices arrived in the mail today
- We have received I-797 receipt notices in 4% of our cases filed as AD/VT (Advanced Degree-masters / Vermont Service Center)
- We have received I-797 receipt notices in 16% of our cases filed as AD/CA (Advanced Degree-masters / California Service Center)
- We have not received any notices for Regular Cap (Bachelor’s) cases and no checks have been cashed.
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 have been quite a few duplicate comments or just general comments about making the lottery so I decided to start a new post. I will continue to remove comments 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!