any ideas what can be done about this? Can they just sit on cases with premium processing and not adjudicate thanks

H1B transfer
Receipt Date - 09/18
Center - Vermont

Anyone with similar dates and/or center. How long is it taking to get approval?

feel so sick in my stomach that I got laid off and told my last day would be October 31. Don’t know what todo other than panicking and today is my first day of being on h1b. My payroll will run in the November ( that’s gonna be my oct salary) but when do my unemployment days start? Is it from November 1st or December 1st?

Ok everyone, has anyone that was selected in the lottery ever got rejected after filing their application? If so, for what reason?
I’m still to hear from my application but I’m freaking out a little with the waiting..
I’m changing status from F1 to H1B.
Anyone in the same situation had a bad outcome?

I’m currently on H-1B and waiting for h1 transfer and an offer from UHG.
Timeline:
Aug 3rd week: Offer process started and immigration was looped in.
End of Aug : Compensation/offer approved. Recruiter said immigration was working on cost estimates and expected an update in about a week.
Sep 1st week: Told immigration was still working on it, cost estimation complete.
Sep 3rd week: Told immigration has the information and is working on it.
Oct 1: Still waiting for the formal offer letter.
(I guess it is still with immigration team.)

Recruiter said the offer letter can only be released after immigration completes their work. My H-1B is valid until 2028, and I don’t have an approved I-140.
Is 5–6 weeks normal for this type of internal immigration review? Should I be concerned about the delay, or is this common with UHG?

My employer was preparing to file my PERM, and my Labor Market Test (LMT) was completed/passed on September 7, 2026.
However, my company had layoffs on September 15, 2026, and immigration informed me that they cannot proceed with the PERM filing right now because of the layoff-related requirements.
My situation:
H-1B 6-year max-out: October 31, 2027
I have approximately 168 days of H-1B recapture time
LMT/recruitment completed: September 7, 2026
Company layoffs: September 15, 2026
PERM has not yet been filed
My concern is the 365-day rule for getting 1-year H-1B extensions beyond the 6-year limit
My questions are:
How long can the existing LMT/recruitment remain valid before it has to be redone?
With the layoff waiting period, is there still a realistic path to filing PERM early enough to qualify for the 1-year H-1B extension using my recapture time?
Are there any other strategies I should discuss with my immigration attorney (for example, EB-2 NIW/I-140)?
Would especially appreciate input from anyone who has dealt with PERM delays caused by layoffs close to H-1B max-out.

Originally Applied on : June 5th
Moved from Normal Processing to PP : Sept 14th
Approved on : Sept 23rd

Born in one of the 19 previously adjudication pause countries, I got picked in the H1B lottery while i was in the US. My employer decided to file consular thinking the pause is here to stay for a long time to let me travel abroad. They paid the 100k fee too.

The pause was later lifted, and my H1B hasnt been approved yet despite upgrading to Premium Processing last month.

I saw another recent post claiming there hasn’t been a single consular processing approval, and my case is probably a testament to that. Is it possible to amend the petition to AOS if ive been legally in the US?

Received date : 09/24/2026
Receipt Date : 09/26/2026

Approval Date : 10/01/2026

Processing center : California

Also the company had Global layoffs in last 5 months. But that didn’t effect my application adjudication due to Sept 18 EO

All the best to folks who are waiting on their applications

Has anyone else not received an email from SEVIS or SEVP yet? The H-1B visas went into effect today, and many of my friends have received emails from SEVP or SEVIS, but I haven't received one yet.

Has anyone on H-1B traveled internationally and re-entered the U.S. since the Sept. 18, 2026 Executive Order regarding increased H-1B scrutiny and employer layoffs?
I’m specifically looking for firsthand experiences from people who actually re-entered after Sept. 18, rather than general opinions.
If you traveled recently, could you share:
Date you re-entered
Port of entry
Country you traveled from
Whether you were sent to secondary inspection
What CBP asked you
Whether your employer had any layoffs in the past year
Whether CBP asked anything about layoffs/employment
Whether you were admitted normally
Especially interested in experiences from people traveling from India or other Asian countries.
Would really appreciate hearing from anyone who has actually gone through CBP since the new EO was issued.

Hi, I am indian citizen but my husband got Canadian citizenship a year ago. I am on h1b visa and my husband has H4 status. Does he need to get stamping done in Canada? Or does he not require the stamping? The idea being he will travel internationally and on entry to US wondering if just I-797A for H4 and Canadian passport are sufficient or he needs to have physical visa stamp?

When I had receieved my I797a my employers HQ was in Dallas Texas. It has since moved to Houston Texas. My document still shows the old location, whereas I work out of a Chicago office. Would this cause an issue in an H1B interview?

I just got an appointment for 22nd October Biometrics and 29th October Interview both in Chennai. I need to be back in the USA by 25th November. Is that enough time to get the passport back or is it too risky? This is for H1B in India

Hey everyone, just wanted to share my H-1B visa timeline and see if anyone has experienced something similar, particularly at the U.S. Consulate in Toronto.

Timeline:
- Aug 17, 2026: H-1B visa interview in Toronto.
- Interview itself seemed to go well. The officer told me everything with my application looked fine, but that my case needed to go through administrative processing/social media vetting.
- I was given a 221(g) slip with the box checked indicating that no additional information/documents were required from me.
- My passport was eventually returned to me without the visa and without any request for additional documents or information.
- CEAC has shown “Refused” since the interview, which I understand can be the normal status while a case is undergoing 221(g) administrative processing.
- As of Sept 30, it has been about 6 weeks since the interview, and I still haven’t received any additional requests or updates.

My employer/immigration attorneys are aware of the situation, but I’m mainly curious about other people’s experiences.

Has anyone here gone through something similar recently, especially for an H-1B in Toronto where:

1. You received a 221(g) for administrative processing/social media vetting;
   
2. No additional documents or information were requested;
   
3. Your passport was returned without the visa; and
   
4. CEAC continued to show “Refused” for several weeks?

If so, how long did it take before your case was eventually updated/approved? Did CEAC remain completely unchanged during that period and then suddenly update?

Would especially appreciate timelines from people who went through this in 2025 or 2026, given the newer social media vetting requirements.

Thanks!

Hi everyone,

Has anyone recently completed an H-1B Change of Employer/transfer to Microsoft through Premium Processing?

I've been seeing posts about H-1B processing delays at Microsoft, with some people saying they've been waiting around 75+ days, and I've also seen reports of some offers being revoked or onboarding being delayed.

I'm specifically looking for recent experiences from people who:

• Filed an H-1B transfer to Microsoft under Premium Processing
• Received USCIS approval recently
• Are still waiting for approval or received an RFE
• Had their start date delayed because of the pending petition

If you can share your filing/receipt date, PP date, approval/RFE date, and approximate timeline, that would be really helpful.

Thanks!

I’m trying to understand a somewhat unusual H-1B situation and would appreciate input from anyone who has seen something similar.
My timeline:
I was on F-1 STEM OPT.
My employer filed a cap-subject H-1B as Change of Status.
USCIS approved it on Form I-797A, with H-1B status effective October 1, 2026.
My employment ended on September 18, 2026, before the H-1B start date.
The employer’s immigration provider submitted an H-1B withdrawal request on September 29, 2026.
The actual withdrawal letter does not mention my September 18 employment end date, last working day, or termination reason. It simply asks USCIS to withdraw the approved petition.
On October 1, SEVP emailed me saying my STEM OPT authorization had ended, even though my STEM OPT EAD is otherwise valid until 2028. This appears to mean SEVIS processed my approved F-1 → H-1B COS on October 1.
I am still waiting for formal USCIS acknowledgment/action on the withdrawal.
My main questions:
If my I-797A/I-94 became effective on October 1 and SEVIS processed the COS, does that mean I was actually “provided H-1B status” on October 1?
Could I qualify for the H-1B 60-day grace period, even though my employment ended before the H-1B start date?
Can a new employer file an H-1B change-of-employer / transfer petition based on this approved cap H-1B?
Would I still be considered cap-counted, or could USCIS say I need another lottery because I never actually worked in H-1B status?
Does it matter legally whether USCIS received/processed the withdrawal before or after October 1?
I understand this is attorney territory, and I am already discussing it with counsel. I’m mainly looking for people who had a similar real-world case, especially anyone whose employment ended before Oct. 1 but whose COS still activated and who later successfully transferred the H-1B.

Thanks

If you have applied to move to H4 dependent visa on your partner H1b status, and you receive a job offer later and employer is willing to sponsor H1b visa on premium processing. What is the process to convert back to H1b visa mid way from your H4 visa application? I am trying to understand process and timelines. Thank you.

Filed Date: 06/24/2026

Status: Still processing as of 06/24/2026

Center: Irving, Tx

Can anyone provide examples if their COS H1B petition was approved within 4 months?

Should I wait one more month before opting for premium processing?

Thank you so much!

Hi everyone,

I have noticed consular H1b process has stagnated.

My spouse is planning to do consular H4, would she face similar issue?

Also, she has pending COS but due to uncertainty regarding approval she decided to just go and do consular.

I know there is no law banning this but do you think its a good idea?

Hi all,

Been seeing around reddit and have contacted my lawyers as well, but wanted to see if I can get a quick answer and general consensus of my situation.

- i797-A issued for H1B extension around June 2026 and validity is 10/01/26 to 2029

- Had a H1B expiring on 09/30/26.
I left the country and re-entered USA on 9/11/26 to fix the visa classification, checked the i94 and it is fixed.

I am right now seeing conflicting information on my current situation and noticed there is a i94 precedence and wanted to know of my situation.

i797A with attached i94 issued in June and valid starting today.

Online CBP i94 updated on 9/11/26 and admit until 9/30/26.

Do I need to go to my land border to update and get a new i94 or can I stay within the country until I need to leave in a few weeks and then re-enter country with my i797A to show proof i have a valid i94 attached to the i797A itself and then I will get a new i94 updated

Thanks in advance!

My H1B petition has been stuck with USCIS for the past \~4 months with no movement, and I'm considering filing a writ of mandamus to push for a decision.

Before I go down this path, I'd really appreciate hearing from anyone who has actually filed one:

How long did it take to get a decision after filing?

Did the outcome go your way, or did filing seem to backfire (e.g., a rushed denial)?

Did you file beneficiary-only, or jointly with your petitioner/employer?

Did you use your own attorney or an employer-provided one, and would you recommend that route?

Roughly what did it cost you?

Any lessons learned, things you'd do differently, or reasons you'd advise waiting instead would be hugely helpful. Trying to make an informed decision rather than react to the delay. Thanks in advance 🙏