NOTE: This is for information and awareness purpose only. Do Your Own Research for any specific cases not mentioned here.

📌How to Use This Tracker

1. 📊Master Tracker ( H-1B Lottery to Approval)

| Task | Status Not Started🟥| In Progress🟨|Done🟩 | Priority High🔴 | Medium🟡 | Low🟢 | **Owner (Responsible)

You👤 Employer🏢 Attorney⚖️ DSO 🎓** Deadline Notes📝
📝 Pre-Filing ( Before Filing)
Confirm H-1B Lottery Selection High🔴 Employer🏢 Official Confirmation is Required from Employer for safer side.
Attorney Assigned / Filing Team Assigned High 🔴 Employer🏢 Attorney will prepare filings so ask about attorney.
Share Docs with Employer / Attorney High🔴 You 👤 Required for Filing.
Verify Passport Validity? High🔴 You👤 Must atleast valid for 6+ Months more.
Collect all I-20s & EADs Medium🟡 You👤 Required for Filing.
📥🗂️Filing Stage ( While Filing)
Confirm LCA filed & approved?
Labor Condition Application to DOL
Department of Labour High🔴 Employer🏢 LCA is submitted to Department of Labor.
This is 1st Step even before H-1B Filing.
No LCA = No Filing.
Confirm H-1B Petition Filed or Not?
(LCA is Done then only H1B filing possible) High🔴 Employer🏢 A timely filing avoids any delays and also gives you peace.
Confirm Change of Status / Consular Processing for H-1B. High🔴 Employer🏢
But You 👤get the final Impact. Usually Change of Status is preferred 99.9%. But just make sure if they did it right or not.
Get Filing Date High🔴 Employer🏢 Filing date is useful to get an idea or timeline of when it will be approved.
Confirm Processing Type Medium🟡 Employer🏢 Regular / Premium
Receipt Number Received or not
( Case Number) High🔴 Attorney⚖️/ Employer🏢 Receipt Number - useful to track the status.
Get Receipt Number (After Filing)
I-797 C Notice of Action for Filing is given after filing. High🔴 Employer 🏢& You👤 Allows you to track your H1B ( Approved/ Not yet/ RFE)
📫Post Filing Steps ( After Filing)
Track Case Weekly High🔴 You👤 Weekly
Monitor USCIS Status High🔴 You👤 Weekly
Respond to RFE (if any) High🔴 Employer🏢 Very Soon URGENT High Priority as documentation needs to be submitted to USCIS.
Save all notices ( I-797 C, I-797A , LCA Copy) Medium🟡 You👤 It is your H1B copy, proofs
⏳Cap-Gap / F-1 Maintenance
Check OPT/ STEM Expiry High🔴 You👤 Used to determine Cap Gap Eligible or Not
Confirm Cap-Gap Eligibility High🔴 You👤 If OPT / STEM Expires before Oct 1st → Eligible
Request Cap-Gap I-20 to University / DSO High🔴 DSO🎓 / You👤 If Eligible for Cap Gap
Verify SEVIS Update High🔴 You👤 Check if SEVIS updates after Cap gap I-20 is issued.
🚀Final Stage ( APPROVAL)
Check Approval Status High🔴 You👤 and Employer🏢 I-797 A notice will be sent by USCIS which is your H-1B copy. Start dates and end dates are listed in this.
Confirm Change of Status High🔴 Employer🏢 COS is preferred option. Confirm COS = I-797 A
Consular Processing= I-797 B

Sometimes Employer/ Attorneys overlook cost you. | | Plan Visa Stamping (Mostly NO but only if needed) | | Medium🟡 | You👤 | | ( Only for Consular Processing Mostly NO One in USA does it) Or in times of urgent vacation or travel you need to enter with a valid H-1B Stamping to reentry. | | Prepare for October 1st Start ( H-1B Starts Now) | | High🔴 | You👤 | | From H-1B start date, you are officially under H-1B and your paycheck should deduct FICA and Social Security Taxes. |

2. 🗓️Important Dates Tracker ( Use This to Track Your Specific Dates)

📌Event 📅Date ✅Status 📝Notes
OPT/STEM Expiry 🗓️ Enter Your OPT or STEM expiry in Date Section
H-1B Filing Deadline 🗓️June 30 2026 (This Year) Usually June 30th of the Year
Receipt Notice 🗓️ Enter the date when you received the Receipt Notice ( I-797 C and I-797A)
RFE Deadline (If Any..) 🗓️ Only incase of RFEs, track your RFE deadline.
H-1B Start Date ( OCT 1st Usually) 🗓️October 1st Every Year ( edit here..) Usually Oct 1st every year but incase of H-1B approval got delayed. The moment it is approved they will list start date in the Receipt notice I-797 A

3. 🔄 Weekly Checklist Routine ( Stay Consistent)