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