Recording of September 01, 2022 Free US Immigration Community Conference Call with Rajiv S. Khanna

Discussion Topics:

FAQ: What is the meaning of a US “visa canceled without prejudice”? || I have an Approved I-140 from a previous job. My new employer has initiated the PERM. How can I make sure that the attorneys use the priority date from my old I-140? || What are the chances of an H-1B visa (STEM OPT) after completing Masters in the U.S? || H-1B visa holder travels abroad (Canada) for work sometimes; is an H-1B amendment required for change of address or location abroad?

Frequently asked questions answered in The Economic Times NRI Helpdesk by Rajiv - Can you change your profession after getting a Green Card?

Published by: The Economic Times: September 04, 2022

Question: Can I change my profession after getting a Green Card? I received my GC in EB2 as an Accountant. Now, I see the salaries in the software/IT sector to be much higher.

Answer: Sure, you can change your profession as long as you did not have a pre-conceived intention to do so before you got your green card. I cannot say that there is any particular time frame attached to it.

The H-1B remainder option: Calculating recapture of H-1B unused time

Question details

I had a quick question for you. I worked in the US from 2009 to 2012 on an H-1B visa, left the US in 2012, then came back on a new H-1B visa to work in the US from 2014 to 2017, and then left the US again in 2017. So overall, I didn’t use 3 years on both my H-1B visas. Recently I came to the US on an H-1B visa in mid-2022 using the unused 3 years on my most recent H-1B visa issued in 2014. This H-1B visa expires in mid-2025.

(a) Do I need to leave the US for one year after mid-2025 to be eligible for a new H-1B visa, or am I eligible to apply for a new H-1B visa after mid-2025?

(b) Is it possible for me to recapture unused 3 years on my previous H-1B visa issued in 2009 after my current H-1B status expires in mid-2025?

(c) Is the only way for me to extend my H-1B visa status in the US after mid-2025 is to file for PERM ETA 9089 (pending over a year) or have an approved I-140?

Video URL
FAQ Transcript

Yes, you need to leave the United States because you have a total of six years. You are using the remainder left on that six years. You should have your ETA 9089 (PERM labor certification) pending for over a year, or have an approved I-140. There is no other way to extend this H-1B.

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Note: Unless the context shows otherwise, all answers here were provided by Rajiv and were compiled and reported by our editorial team from comments, blog and community calls on immigration.com. Where transcribed from audio/video, a verbatim transcript is provided. Therefore, it may not conform to the written grammatical or syntactical form.

Eligibility for the EB-1A extraordinary ability category

Question details

I wish to assess my eligibility for the EB-1A category. I have a B.Tech., M.Tech., and Ph.D. from India, and I just finished a postdoc in the USA. I am currently employed in India as an associate professor at a good university.

The following are my credentials.

1. I have over 25 publications in international journals and conferences that have undergone peer review.

2. I review articles for three high-quality journals.

3. I currently have 358 citations.

Video URL
FAQ Transcript

Just looking at the numbers is not enough. We need to look at the overall resume.

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Note: Unless the context shows otherwise, all answers here were provided by Rajiv and were compiled and reported by our editorial team from comments, blog and community calls on immigration.com. Where transcribed from audio/video, a verbatim transcript is provided. Therefore, it may not conform to the written grammatical or syntactical form.

Changing profession after receiving Employment Based Green Card

Question details

Can I change my profession after getting a Green Card? I received my GC in EB2 as an Accountant. Now, I see the salaries in the software/IT sector to be much higher.

Video URL
FAQ Transcript

Sure, you can change your profession as long as you did not have a pre-conceived intention to do so before you got your green card. I cannot say that there is any particular time frame attached to it.

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Note: Unless the context shows otherwise, all answers here were provided by Rajiv and were compiled and reported by our editorial team from comments, blog and community calls on immigration.com. Where transcribed from audio/video, a verbatim transcript is provided. Therefore, it may not conform to the written grammatical or syntactical form.

Guestbook Entry for Bhagavan, United States

Name
Bhagavan
Country
United States
State
NY
Comment

I want to thank Mr. Khanna for his valuable inputs throughout my immigration process. His office is very knowledgeable and well informed. Special thanks to Bryant and Heather for their super quick responses to my questions. They have been very patient, supportive and always on time with their inputs all these years. It goes without saying that I will recommend this office to the people in need, friends and families. Thank you.

USCIS Reaches Fiscal Year 2023 H-1B Cap

Release Date 

USCIS has received a sufficient number of petitions needed to reach the congressionally mandated 65,000 H-1B visa regular cap and the 20,000 H-1B visa U.S. advanced degree exemption, known as the master’s cap, for fiscal year (FY) 2023.

USCIS has completed sending non-selection notifications to registrants’ online accounts. The status for registrations properly submitted for the FY 2023 H-1B numerical allocations, but that were not selected, will now show: