USCIS has received enough petitions to reach the additional maximum 30,000 visas made available for returning workers under the H-2B numerical limit (also called a cap) for fiscal year (FY) 2019.
“For employees who are coming from outside the US, premium processing will offer a great deal of comfort in knowing where a case stands. If the application is denied, which is quite common these days, there will be enough time to appeal or litigate it before the October 1, start date,” Rajiv S. Khanna, Managing Attorney at Immigration.com told TOI.
For more on this news please read the attached file.
On May 31, 2019, The Department of State updated its immigrant and nonimmigrant visa application forms to request additional information, including social media identifiers, from most U.S. visa applicants worldwide.
Certain New Zealand nationals can now request a change of status to the E-1 nonimmigrant trader classification and the E-2 nonimmigrant investor classification under Public Law 115-226.
Beginning July 1, USCIS will no longer accept Form I-407, Record of Abandonment of Lawful Permanent Resident Status at international field offices by mail or in person.
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Rajiv S Khanna, Managing Attorney at Immigraiton.com told TOI: “Changes like imposing per country limits on H-1B visas will most likely require a legislative mandate, which can only be secured through amendment of laws passed by both Houses of the Congress (US Parliament). It is highly unlikely that a provision like this will make it through the Democrat-controlled House of Representatives. Neither visa extensions nor new H-1B visas can be affected in such a profound manner through an executive order or action without legislative mandate.
Discussion Topics, Thursday, 20 June 2019:
FAQ: Impact on current H-1B if another H-1B is denied ||H-1B joining another employer while a transfer, extension or amendment is pending|| When does one become H-1B cap exempt - change of status/visa stamp? ||What to do when past immigration problems are causing a current visa denial? || Downgrading from EB-2 to EB-3 || Can priority dates be transferred between husband and wife? || Applying for green card while on student (F-1) visa.
Other: Transferring EB priority dates || I-485 delay || EB-5 travel || B-2 visa extension || Consequences of H-1B extension denial || EB-1C eligibility || Multiple H-1B transfers simultaneously || Travel on AC21 Advance Parole, etc.
Situation:
Resigned company A already and Got offer from employer B and applied H1B transfer(premium processing) but received RFE. But I have another offer from Employer C as well who is yet to file my h1b transfer
Question:<br>
1. If RFE is denied for employer B Can i join employer C with the receipt notice as Employer C has started H1B transfer by that time ?<br>
2. How long one can stay in US without job/payroll having H1B ?
Note: This is a verbatim transcript of the referenced audio/video media delivered as oral communication, and, therefore, may not conform to written grammatical or syntactical form.
WASHINGTON— USCIS is announcing the expansion of its digital Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) Immigration Records System (FIRST). FIRST is the only system in the U.S. government that allows users to submit and track FOIA requests and receive documents digitally. This process will save time, improve efficiency, and reduce potential errors that can occur with manually handling paper.
USCIS announced today it will automatically extend parole, and employment authorization if applicable, for certain residents of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI).
Form I-864, Affidavit of Support under Section 213A of the INA, is a contract an individual signs agreeing to use their financial resources to support the intending immigrant named on the affidavit. The individual who signs the affidavit of support becomes the sponsor once the intending immigrant becomes a lawful permanent resident. The sponsor is usually the petitioner who filed an immigrant petition on behalf of the intending immigrant.
“A bill that proposes to take away over a quarter of a million temporary positions, primarily in STEM, makes little sense in an economy that has less than 4% unemployment,” says Rajiv S Khanna, managing attorney at immigration law company Immigration.com.
For more on this news please read the attached file.
I am already on a cap-exempt H-1B working for a non-profit full time. Another employer filed my H-1B petition on the cap-subject quota on april 2018 and got an RFE april 2019 and was denied with a reason for maintaining of status. They asked my paystubs from my current employer. My questions are:
1. will there be any impact to my current H-1B?
2. If they only ask for paystubs, can I submit them and initiate motion to reopen the case? what are the possibilities of success.
FAQ Transcript
1. No, not if you are maintaining status.
2. If the case was denied just for maintenance of status and you have the pay stubs that are required then there is a very high likelihood the case will be reopened. If the petition is denied, then you are still subject to the H-1B quota. More...
Note: This is a verbatim transcript of the referenced audio/video media delivered as oral communication, and, therefore, may not conform to written grammatical or syntactical form.
My current visa H-4 VISA is valid till Nov 25 2016.
- I had applied for an change of status/extension of stay (I539) for H-4 status to July 4 2018 (through underlying H-1 extension).
- I had to travel to India while it was pending. USCIS issued an I-797 - Approval for the extension of stay without abandoning it.
- At the port of entry, the I-94 expiry was marked as Dec 25 2016.
- The expiry date does not jive with the original VISA expiry date Nov 25, 2016 that was presented at the time of arrival. Nor does it reflect the I-539 extended date of July 4 2018 (that was not presented at port of entry).
Please advise -
a) What action would I required to correct I-94 expiry date? Who do I contact to correct it?
b) I am filing for a I-485 adjustment as a spouse of EB-3, The forms require to put the status expiry date. Is it OK to use the more conservative Nov 25 2016 date even though I-539 has been erroneously approved till July 4 2018?
FAQ Transcript:
This is a recurring issue, so first of all I want to address the problem and the possible solutions or the lack of solutions. Often times we have a case, we have a case working on right now actually. This lady entered the US on H-4 visa which was good for let’s say till 2017 but her passport was expiring in 2016 or 2015 She comes in and Customs and Border Protection gives her I-94 only till the date of her passport approval. And sometimes they do that; they will give it to the extent of visa approval, which is incorrect. Your visa could be expiring earlier than your approval. They should still give you the I-94 all the way to your approval not till your visa. In this case they gave it only till 2015 and she is been here over a year now in unlawful presence not realizing that she has been given less stay than 2017.
So, this is a very complicated issue or problematic issue. They will correct the mistakes they have made. If they have made a mistake giving you a wrong date or giving you the date till visa not the approval date, you can actually go back to the CBP at the airport or any of their offices or nearby posts. They have lists of them at www.cbp.gov website and you can ask your I-94 to be corrected.
But there are certain things they don't consider them as errors, such as approval till the passport expiration that cannot be corrected. Then the question is what do you do then?
You have two choices; either you can do the extension of status or current status by filing the form I- 539 or I-129, if you are H-1, L-1 holder. For H-1, L-1 they do it all over again as new case. For H-4 it’s less complicated or simple or you can step outside USA, showing your visa and comeback and receive your I-94 approval. But if your I-94 is already expired, you must speak with your lawyer before you leave. You could very well subject to the bar which comes from the unlawfully present.
So, in this case what happened is the person who has the above question traveled to India while change of status for H-1 to H-4 was pending.
Now USCIS should have declined change of status because they left US, came back received I-94 good till December 2016. The visa expiration date is November 2016, which is what I gave at the airport he says.
What action would I required to correct I-94 expiration date?
Look you can go back to the CBP, make your case that you have made an error, I don’t see the error. If anything they have given you is more time not less and because you traveled abroad while your change of status was pending , that approval is really not worth anything. That’s the mistaken approval.
I am filing for a I-485 adjustment as a spouse of EB3, The forms require to put the status expiry date. Is it OK to use the more conservative Nov 25 2016 date even though I-539 has been erroneously approved till July 4 2018?
I would use the date which they have given you in I - 94 and I would attach an explanation saying that this date maybe incorrect but you don't know. According to your calculation it should have been November 2016.
I always like to make full disclosure to the government, so that they don't come back and create a problem with the discrepancy.
I started my GC processing in Sept. 98. Rajiv and his team got my LC done in Apr 99. I filed my I-140 in May 99. There were some questions regarding the valuation of my degree and experience. But Rajiv and Fidelina went out of way and got second evaluation of my education done which fitted the case in the EB2/RIR category. My I-140 was approved on 7 Dec.99 and now I have sent my I-485 papers for filing. Thank you very much Rajiv, Fidelina , Suman and the entire team. They are very dependable team even in difficult times. I must appreciate the skill and patience they showed in getting my I-140 approved.