you are looking for competent, aggressive lawyer, your search ends here. Do NOT hire ordinary lawyers that your company asks you to hire.
My wife & kids H4 was not renewed and were Out of Status due to company's fault and my ignorance and trust on the company. This happened in 2003. We hired a local lawyer, best in town, to handle my case in 2005, when I found out on my own that my dependant's H4 was not renewed. We applied at USCIS, but was rejected. We appealed in the Court, but was denied.
I contacted Rajiv Khanna and we applied in 2008, after more than 4 years in Out of Status. My H1 was renewed, along with H4 in 2 days!!!!! Can you believe it?
After 4 years of Mental tension and all the agony, we passed through, we felt so relieved.
We got our new I-94s attached for my wife and 2 kids. Great People, Nice Dedicated Staff, Intelligent Lawyers.
I would recommend him to anyone, no matter how big or small the case is, Do NOT look any further. I did all my research for all these years looking for good lawyer, don't spend any more time searching. If you are in trouble, take my advice, talk to him and he can definitely help you. I was told by other lawyers that there was no chance that I would be able to get them back on status. but Miracle happens and it happened to me. Lots of smart work at Rajiv's end. Thanks Rajiv and Good Luck to all.
The service provided by Art Shiflet and Mathew Chacko from Mr.Khanna's office during my citizenship process was exceptional. They both provided me prompt answers to my inquiries, updated me with information as soon as they became available and were extremely knowledgeable . I would highly recommend Mr.Khanna's office for any sort of immigration cases
Both me and my wife filed for our I-485 processing through LORK in July 2007. My file got through and I received my EAD,I-485 receipts and AP. But my wife's file got lost in USCIS and we did not got any receipts. Roopa and Matthew put in great efforts to get her application through. We really appreciate the work done by entire Rajiv's team.
Fran Fisher and Anna Baker were very dedicated to insuring that this sensitive issue was processed diligently. Follow up was constant, insuring that nothing was left undone.
I would like to give special thanks to Mathew Chacko,Rita Dhakal,Pramitha , Suman B for thier prompt service & quick responses during the process.The GC was filed in May 2003 & from then till April 2008 ( when my 485 got approved, wife is yet to be aproved )I have been in close touch with RK's office & I really should say that how every busy these guys are, they have always got back to me for any questions,doubts that I had from time to time.
I have heard stories from other colleagues , friends about some law offices & how they handle the client GC cases.I would highly recommend RK's office & his team to anyone who wants to file his GC thru employment. You are guys are no -1 in every way.
I would also add that my employer has been equally cooperative & supportive to me during the whole process.
A big thanks to Rajiv and his excellent team including Mathew, Heather, Mark, Anna, Rena and everyone else who touched my case over the past five years. Thank you for sharing my pain when I was waiting (sometimes impatiently) for the Green Card and for responding to all my questions (of which there have been many) as I tried to understand the options available to me through the green card process as well as all the H1B renewals.
Rajiv, thank you also for the phone consultations as they have helped my decisions during crucial moments in my career.
Thanks to Mr. Vijay Durgam and his firm who did a great job to get my Labor certification done in less than 4 months of application.
Rajiv has an excellent team in Mathew & Heather. They are very knowledgeable, proactive & understanding. They would call me at home with an update. I highly recommend Rajiv and his team of Mathew & Heather as your case managers
Wonderful and thorough team- Att. Diane, Sheena and Matthew helped me at every step with RFE for I-140 as well as I-485. Ever ready and alert team. They would call me immediately whenever we were in need. Besides, Mr Khanna, personally took interest and supported, made suggestions when we had queries. Att. Diane and Sheena worked very hard on my case and did their best to put the message across.
I am grateful to you all and thank myself for choosing you.
Regards
I had my interview at the Dallas DO today May 14th. It went very well. I was very nervous about my extensive travel over the past 5 years. I had some 800 odd days of travel that included trips to a lot of countries in the world. But none of my trips was over 6 months, the maximum trip length was 110 days. I was working for a US company as a contractor and did have a letter from the company for the reason for the numerous visits.
Release Date
Today, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced that the initial registration period for the fiscal year 2026 H-1B cap will open at noon Eastern on March 7 and run through noon Eastern on March 24, 2025. During this period, prospective petitioners and representatives must use a USCIS online account to register each beneficiary electronically for the selection process and pay the associated registration fee for each beneficiary.
We recommend that the H-1B lottery registration process should be planned and initiated now to ensure that it is ready to be submitted once the registrations open from noon Eastern on March 7, 2025 through noon Eastern on March
Number 99
Volume X
Washington, D.C
A. STATUTORY NUMBERS FOR PREFERENCE IMMIGRANT VISAS
This bulletin summarizes the availability of immigrant numbers during March for: “Final Action Dates” and “Dates for Filing Applications,” indicating when immigrant visa applicants should be notified to assemble and submit required documentation to the National Visa Center.
SUBSCRIBE to Immigration.com YouTube Channel for further updates.
mmigration.com, Law Offices of Rajiv S. Khanna PC, US Immigration Attorney
SUBSCRIBE to Immigration.com YouTube Channel for further updates.
mmigration.com, Law Offices of Rajiv S. Khanna PC, US Immigration Attorney
FAQs:
1. Laid off on EAD from EB1A, can I start an UNRELATED teaching business?
2. Can I travel on Advance Parole?
3. Can I delay using an H-1B visa to utilize the STEM extension period?
4. H-1B specialty occupation for MS in UX Design (STEM)
SUBSCRIBE to Immigration.com YouTube Channel for further updates.
mmigration.com, Law Offices of Rajiv S. Khanna PC, US Immigration Attorney
SUBSCRIBE to Immigration.com YouTube Channel for further updates.
mmigration.com, Law Offices of Rajiv S. Khanna PC, US Immigration Attorney
SUBSCRIBE to Immigration.com YouTube Channel for further updates.
mmigration.com, Law Offices of Rajiv S. Khanna PC, US Immigration Attorney
FAQs:
1. Can I volunteer with a Non-Profit while on any temporary visa (for example, F-1 OPT)?
2. Options after layoff on approved EB-1 - Compelling circumstances EAD and GC EAD conversion
3. NIW I-485 rejected: Refiling options and priority date usage?
We primarily have questions on relocation to India and possibilities.
My wife and I want to retain our Green Cards and eventually get US citizenship. We are just 3 years away from getting our US citizenship.
However, we want to relocate to India for our aging parents. We want to be able to relocate to India now for a few years (5 years), but we also don’t want to miss out on the citizenship opportunity when we are this close to getting our US citizenship. Is this even possible without the hassle of staying 6 months in the US and 6 months in India, and would there be any tax implications if one of us continues to work for the same employer in the US remotely from India?
We are aware that we can take 2 years' permission by filing Form I-131 and staying outside the US for 2 years. However, we need more than 2 years to stay outside the US. Also, the citizenship clock resets if we take this option. Is there a way to avoid this?
If you plan to relocate to India with a green card before obtaining U.S. citizenship, it can significantly complicate the naturalization process. To apply for U.S. citizenship, you must meet physical presence requirements: at least 2.5 years in the U.S. over the last five years and no single absence of a year or more. If you stay outside the U.S. for over six months but less than a year, you may need to provide an explanation.
A re-entry permit (Form I-131) allows you to stay outside the U.S. for up to two years without losing your green card, but it does not help with citizenship requirements. Form N-470 can protect your eligibility in limited cases, such as working for a U.S. company’s foreign branch, but it does not guarantee naturalization.
If you stay abroad for more than a year, you will likely need to restart your five-year residency requirement (or four years and one day if a re-entry permit was used). While re-entry permits can be renewed in certain cases, they do not protect your citizenship timeline.
Best advice: Obtain U.S. citizenship first and then relocate, as naturalized citizens can live abroad indefinitely without affecting their status. Please consult your lawyer regarding this.
I applied for a change of status from an H1B to an H4 visa via I-539 in May 2024 as I got laid off, with my last working date being 3/19/2024.
The document was received by USCIS on 5/10/2024 and confirmed by I-797C, Notice of Action dt 5/20/2024.
On 12/26/2024, my case was approved. I received I-797A Notice of Action with Approval on 1/7/2025. The approval date shows the validity of H4 from 12/23/2024 to 03/13/2027.
On my I-539 I had asked for the change of status to be effective from 05/15/2024 as my 60-day period would run out on 5/19/2024.
However, the H4 approval shows the start date as 12/23/2024. So, my question is, what status was I in during the period 5/19/2024 and 12/23/2024, and will I face any problems if I go for visa stamping? Do I need to write to USCIS and ask for a date to be changed to 5/15/2024 to avoid issues in the future?
If you applied for a change of status (COS) while still in valid status—such as H-1B plus the 60-day grace period—you are not considered out of status while your application is pending. In this case, since you applied for H-4 within the grace period, the period between May (filing date) and December (approval date) is classified as an authorized period of stay, meaning it does not count as unlawful presence.
Even though the approval date is later, you are not subject to the three-year bar because you remained legally in the U.S. while the petition was pending. There are no negative implications for your status.
I am in my first year of OPT and eligible for a STEM extension. If selected in the H1B lottery on the first attempt, can I delay activating my H1B to fully utilize my STEM OPT? Would this be advisable, and what are the potential benefits or risks?
If you have time left on your STEM OPT but have won the H-1B lottery, you can technically opt for H-1B consular processing and continue using your STEM OPT. However, since 2023, this approach has become riskier.
The safer option is to proceed with an H-1B change of status. If you delay the H-1B activation and later face job loss, transferring the H-1B could be more complicated. While consular processing is still possible, it carries uncertainties. If it were my case, I would choose the change of status for a more secure transition.
I have an EAD from an approved EB1A petition (priority date: Apr 2022). I recently got laid off and am thinking of starting a business ( related to K-12 education.) MY EAD is based on an advanced degree in Operations research with publications and related work experience in data science. Is there a risk to justify 'teaching' or running a tutoring business based on this EAD? If so, can you keep looking for related jobs and teach on the side without incorporating this as a business in the interim? On an unrelated note, in your opinion, what is the risk of traveling out of the country in this situation? (I have an advance parole in hand as well.)
If you have an EB-1A-based EAD and a pending I-485, starting an unrelated business (such as teaching) is risky. Your EB-1A petition asserts that you intend to work in your field of extraordinary ability. Shifting to an unrelated field could raise questions about your original intent and impact your green card application.
Additionally, traveling on Advance Parole in this situation may pose some risks. It’s advisable to either have a job offer or a clear plan to work in your field (such as consulting with clients) before traveling. Proceed with caution.
All Readers, I quote from my latest msg. to Mr. Rajiv Khanna's office. Please make yourself more aware on your issues by visiting his web-site (and positively contributing to it) and get advice from his office for your particular needs. All cases are NOT the same. Quote Dear Mr Khanna I barely get time to go to your web-site, though I know it is an ocean of information for all those awaiting their immigration process at some stage or the other. Today I happened to spend an hour there and learnt that your Office had done me good!! I live in an area which lacks Indian neighbors and in my Office too, I am the only Indian working in my whole division! Therefore, there is seldom any interaction with people who are at a similar stage as me in the Immigration process. When my I-140 was filed, your Legal Assistant Nimia Aranibar informed me of the CP option. Though I might have surprised her with my lack of knowledge on this process, she explained the process to me and answered my doubts. And she did as I opted for. No suggestions or implications or other discussion. She was very professional in giving me the information and in answering my questions on the issue. She even understood my concerns with the CP process and offered to clarify my doubts and suggested the recourse to this choice if I needed a recourse at a later date. After reading the chat-site on your web-site, I now realise that the lady was giving me good information at the right time. There are so many people on the web who feel have been un-informed of this process. I, on the contrary, have got the right information from your office and am very happy about this. Thank you and best regards Prateek Rishi Nimia, reading in copy, thank you very much for the time taken to explain me the two processes.