回复：回复：a lesson to take: never ever let others to keep your

The lower part ( connect to the I-94) of the H-1B Approval notice is I-797A, and you should keep it for yourself. The upper part is I-797 and this part should kept by the employer. When you apply for the H-1b visa in China, you should ask the employer to give you the original I-797 and show it to the visa offical. But if you do not get the original I-797 (as in your case), you can use the original I-797A for the visa application (you may also show the photocopy of I-797 to the visa official). Just read the instruction of the back of I-797A and you can find that the I-797A works when you use it to apply for the visa.