Pending H-1B
If your H-1B is still pending on October 1, please consult your employer/immigration lawyer about how to handle your employment situation.
Rejected, Denied, Withdrawn, or Revoked H-1B
Your cap-gap extension and/or OPT/STEM work authorization automatically terminates upon the rejection, denial, withdrawal, or revocation of the H-1B petition. You will be entitled to a 60-day grace period from the date of the notification.
Checking the status of an H1-B petition
There are several ways to check the status of your H-1B petition. Before following any of the methods below you will need to obtain your petition receipt number from the attorney who filed your H-1B petition.
- Contact USCIS at 1-800-375-5283
- Visit the USCIS website and click “Check Case Status”
- Log into your SEVP Portal Account. Check the end date of your OPT. If it has been changed to September 30, you most likely have been selected. Please contact the petitioning attorney for further information.
STEM eligible students are strongly encouraged to apply for the STEM OPT extension before the end date of their Post-OPT. Having an approved STEM extension will continue your employment eligibility in the event your petition is not selected for processing or your petition is denied.
H-1B Lottery Results
If you are seeking the status of your H-1B petition, have your petition’s receipt number available and please contact USCIS at 1-800-375-5283, or log onto the USCIS Web page and click “Check Your Case Status” for the latest information on your petition. USCIS manages the H-1B program and is best equipped to answer your questions, not the ISSC.
If you have access to the SEVP Portal and are able to see information on end dates, and if your end date for your OPT was extended to 09/30/2020, it is likely you have made the H-1B lottery.
If this is the case, you can ask your attorney who filed the H-1B petition for you whether they have received any information about its status. You will need the receipt number from your attorney in order to check the status with USCIS. If they have not received it yet, please wait until they do so you can check its status.
To request a Cap Gap I-20, submit the Replacement and Travel I-20 Request eForm in MyISSC eForm Portal.
Also, we highly suggest that students eligible for a STEM extension submit the application before your Post-OPT ends, if you have not done so already, as a back-up plan if you do not make the lottery or if your H-1B case gets denied.
A common error is SEVIS completing records for students whose H-1B was approved for consular processing. In order for ISSC to request your F1 status be reactivated, you must have adhered to all reporting requirements. It's your responsibility to report on time. Although you are set up to receive reminder emails, they may not work as designed. Please make sure you are setting reminders to report regularly.