Follow-up steps for H-1B Beneficiaries for securing a visa and Working  

Steps for Beneficiaries outside the US:

Now that you have the approval notice or the Form I-797 in hand, here are the steps that you need to follow:

Step 1: Submitting the DS-160: A beneficiary must first submit the DS-160 online via the Consular Electronic Application Center website (https://ceac.state.gov/genniv/). Remember, the information that is entered in the DS-160 form should match the Form-129. After submitting the form, the system will generate an AA number as proof of successful submission.

Step 2: Scheduling an Interview & Biometric Verification: Use your AA number to book an H-1B visa interview appointment online with the nearest U.S. Embassy or Consulate. You can do it through the websites ustraveldocs.com or usvisascheduling.com, depending on your country, by paying the $205 MRV (Machine-Readable Visa) fee. One should book the appointment within 48 hours of submission of the DS-160 form.

Step 3: Attend the Interview: The interview will generally take place at your local U.S. Consulate, where you will answer questions from a Consular Officer. The Officer will vet the information in the DS-160 form and verify consistency across the DS-160, I-129, and the H-1B registration. They will also review the beneficiary’s social media profiles to understand their political ideology and verify the information provided in Form I-129. If everything goes well, the Consular Officer will provide a verbal decision after the interview and will retain your passport for visa stamping.

Step 4: Passport Stamping:  Post the interview, you can track your status on the CEAC website (ceac.state.gov/CEACStatTracker). If the status shows “Approved,” it means the notification confirms successful completion of the interview and approval of Form DS-160. On the other hand, if the status is “Issued”, it means that your passport is already stamped with an H-1B Visa for the Cap Season 2027. You will soon receive a notification via email or SMS, and your passport will be delivered  by the authorized courier service of the embassy ( Like VFS Global or US Travel Docs)

Step 5: Entry into the US: It is time to plan your travel. You may enter the country up to 10 days before the employment start date, which is 1st Oct 2027, for the Cap Season 2027 (if selected in the first lottery), as listed on Form I-797. Upon arrival at the airport, the Customs and Border Protection Officer will issue an electronic I-94 record, an official confirmation of your admission status. 

Steps for Beneficiaries in the US:

If you are already in the country and have Form I-797A (H-1B approval) in hand, there is no need to attend the interview or complete the DS-160 process. The approval notice will already have a detachable I-94 at the bottom. It shows that your H-1B status will become active on 1st Oct 2027 for Cap Season 2027 (if selected in the first lottery), as per the I-797A.

Here are a few things to keep in mind:

1. Don’t travel before your status changes to H-1B, as it will automatically update your case type from “Change of Status” or “Consular Processing.”
2. Maintaining your current status: Don’t take any action that affects the validity of your current status (e.g., F-1, L-1, H-4) before it changes to H-1B on 1st Oct 2027. For F-1 students whose OPT expires before October 1, the “Cap-Gap” rule typically allows you to continue working and staying in the U.S. legally until the H-1B begins, provided the petition was filed timely.

• Immediately Employment Eligibility Verification: Once the beneficiary joins as your Employee on the 1st of Oct 2027, the first step for the employer or their HR teams is to do the I-9 Employment Eligibility Verification of the H-1B Employee within three days of activation of their status
• Payroll adjustments and Wage Compliance: Employers must strictly adhere to the wage levels specified in the LCA and the wage level on which the beneficiary is selected for the Cap season 2027. For the status start date, ensure the beneficiary is paid at or above the prevailing wage for the applicable wage level at the worksite.

• Updating the Public Access File (PAF): Every Employer must maintain a Public Access File (PAF) for every H-1B worker, in accordance with Department of Labor guidelines. This requirement applies to all employees hired through the 2027 H-1B Cap season. Remember that the PAF should be available for public inspection at the employer’s principal place of business or the worksite.

The entry phase for participating in the H-1B Cap Season 2027, during which the Employer enrolls all future H-1B employees they intend to hire.

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A USCIS shortlisting mechanism that will be used to sort H-1B aspirants of the Cap Season 2027 based on enrollment done during registration

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The final application process for the H-1B visa for aspirants and their employers who get picked during the H-1B Cap Season 2027 Lottery.

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A list of final steps that the aspirants and employers need to follow after USCIS accepts the H-1B Cap Season 2027 Petition

We will guide you through the process of an H-1B Visa. We have a proven history of assisting associations with crucial H-1B requirements to achieve full compliance and mitigate the chance of penalties and late fines. Contact us to discuss your H-1B visa requirements.  To reach out to our immigration lawyers at the Law Offices of Prashanthi Reddy, PLLC, email us at prashanthi@reddyesq.com or call us at 212-354-1010. You can also read the Latest Immigration News About the H-1B Visa. Our Immigration Attorney Also Provides Immigration Services to Other U.S States, as well as New York, Florida,  New Jersey, Texas, and  California. Our team of U.S. immigration lawyers would be happy to assist you in obtaining your H-1 B visa.