Guestbook Entry for Giridhar Tanjore , United States
Name
Giridhar Tanjore
Country
United States
State
OH
Search
Guestbook Entry for Roshan D'Souza, United States
Name
Roshan D'Souza
Country
United States
State
WA
Comment
Great Firm, excellent service. Ursula E., was very dilligent, sincere, provided excellent customer service. The firm is fortunate to have paralegals of such great calibre.
Guestbook Entry for Aravinth Kaliappan, United States
Name
Aravinth Kaliappan
Country
United States
State
MD
Comment
ABSOLUTELY FANTASTIC LEGAL SERVICES!!!It's with heartfelt appreciation and gratitude that I want to express my Thanks to the Staff of Law Offices of Rajiv S. Khanna, especially to Ms. Charu Bhagat, Ms. Reena Wadel and Ms. Sirisha Durgam for the patience with which they worked my very complicated case. I was basically in an out-of-status mode in the US for a long time with my past employment and it was a big question as to whether I would get my Visa transfer approved. Thanks to the ABSOLUTELY METICULOUS preparation of documents and the constant communication between INS and Rajiv S. Khanna's Office that amde it happen. The only thing that I would STRONGLY reccomend anyone that has the privilege of getting help from Rajiv S. Khanna's Office is...1. Be Patient and WORK (really, without question) with the lawyers who are handling your case.2. PROVIDE every bit of documentation asked for and be very PROMPT with it.3. Respect their effort in helping you and do not be impatient.Ms. Sirisha, Ms. Charu and Ms. Reena were three of the most friendly and helpful persons. Thank you so much!!Aravinth Kaliappan
Guestbook Entry for Dilbagh Gill , United States
Name
Dilbagh Gill
Country
United States
State
NJ
Comment
It was a very pleasant experience working with the Law Offices. I would like to make a special reference to the person I worked with who kept me informed on each step during the process removing any anxiety - I did get prompt responses on all queries and she returned every call, that was amazing. I look forward to working with this team again when I apply for my Green Card.Thank and appreciate all your efforts.
Guestbook Entry for Rajesh Nair, United States
Name
Rajesh Nair
Country
United States
State
MN
Comment
Rajiv Khanna and the people at his office did a very good job in processing my Green card. All of the people(Leila Lehman, Shivane Sharma,and others), I used to contact were very knowledgable. It has been a nice experience! Thanks and keep up your good work!
Guestbook Entry for Ramesh Doraiswamy , United States
Name
Ramesh Doraiswamy
Country
United States
State
CA
Comment
My wife and I got our Passports stamped in San Diego, CA with our I-485 approval notice. Let me try to SQUEEZE in an approx. 750-day history (9/01/99 till date) into 4 paragraphs. The whole GC process through your offices was a REAL PLEASANT experience. I am sure that with your guidance, you and your team will scale NEW HEIGHTS with EASE and STRIDE, and HELP a LOT of people. I would like to thank all of your team members. In particular, I would like to mention the DILIGENCE and PREOFESSIONALISM of Diane Lombardo, in praise of which I apologize, as I am unable to get the RIGHT words. I ENVY your and your staff's CARE, PUNCTUALITY, CONCERN and UNDERSTANDING. I was THRILLED when Suman Bhasin returned my voice mail on Saturday. Also, I am really AMAZED at how you can respond to emails in spite of your busy schedule. Also the immigration forum (http://www.immigrationportal.com) is a NOVEL and WONDERFUL idea. You have once again proven your INNOVATIVENESS. Thanks a lot to you Mr. Khanna and your PROFESSIONAL team. Friends, if you need to get the job done right, hire Mr. Khanna. May GOD bless you and your TEAM with the BEST of the WISHES so that a LOT many souls like us, can see their DREAMS come TRUE. I am eagerly looking forward to working with you in the future. Thanks
Lockbox Filing Location Updates
USCIS recently updated the lockbox filing location information for the following form(s). Please see the “Where to File” section of the webpage for your form.
USCIS Updates Interpretation of “Under Honorable Conditions” for Military Naturalization
Release Date
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services is publishing an update to its Policy Manual to clarify that a current or former service member who received an uncharacterized discharge may be eligible for naturalization under sections 328 and 329 of the Immigration and Naturalization Act (INA).
Frequently asked questions answered in The Economic Times NRI Helpdesk by Rajiv : What are the risks involved in renewing F1 visa in another country?
Published by: The Economic Times: August 01, 2022
Question: I have been in the U.S since 2017, and my F1 visa expires this month due to the 5 year validity period.
Answer: First of all, unless you are traveling, you do not have to renew your visa. If the visa expires while you're still completing your course, it's absolutely no problem.
Read more by clicking the link below or the pdf attachment.
Potential conflict between employment in India and F-1 visa status
Question details
I am currently working at a company in India. I am eligible to claim Employee Stock Option (ESOPS) on 17th August 2022. However, I will be landing in Dallas, USA on 10th August on F-1 Visa (For Fall 22). The company will still offer those ESOPs, but the official relieving date will be on 17th August. From 9th August onwards till 17th August, I will be on Loss of Pay Leave i.e (unpaid leave). I am worried that situation would create a conflict with my F-1 visa status.
1. I want to know whether this is legal as I will be employed at a company in India for 7 days after arrival in the U.S. on an F-1 visa.
2. Whether this will cause problems in future when I apply for OPT or H-1B or even EB-3 as my previous employment end date is 7 days after arrival in the U.S.?
1. It appears that you are getting a benefit based on the work you have already done. You will NOT be performing any "new" work for the Indian company.
2. I do not see this as an issue.
FAQ Transcript
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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.
PERM Processing Times (as of 7/31/2022)
| Processing Queue | Priority Date |
|---|---|
| Analyst Review | December 2021 |
| Audit Review | October 2021 |
| Reconsideration Request to the CO | March 2022 |
Agency
Green Card
Immigration Law
Name change during naturalization
Question details
If I request a name change on form N400, will it take longer to adjudicate the case? Is the name change processed by the adjudicating officer or by a judge?
It can take longer. The USCIS notes:
You can legally change your name after filing your application for naturalization with USCIS. If your name has changed after you filed a naturalization application, you must promptly provide USCIS with the document(s) that legally changed your name(s), such as a marriage certificate, divorce decree, court order, or other official record. Make sure to mention your name change and bring the documents related to your name change at the time of the interview.
FAQ Transcript
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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.
Recording of Aug 4, 2022, Free US Immigration Community Conference Call with Rajiv (Every Other Thursday)
Nonimmigrant Visas
Green Card
Discussion Topics
FAQs: Changing profession after receiving Employment Based Green Card || Eligibility for the EB-1A extraordinary ability category || The H-1B remainder option: Calculating recapture of H-1B unused time ||
Visa Bulletin For September 2022
Number 69
Volume X
Washington, D.C
A. STATUTORY NUMBERS
This bulletin summarizes the availability of immigrant numbers during September 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.
Agency
Green Card
Immigration Law
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:
Recording of August 18, 2022 Free US Immigration Community Conference Call with Rajiv S. Khanna
Immigration.com
Agency
Nonimmigrant Visas
Green Card
Discussion Topics, Aug 18, 2022
FAQs: Change of employers after H-1B is approved and before October 1; the number of pay stubs required; revocation of H-1B before October 1 || I-140 was approved and then revoked in 2011. Can I keep my priority date and also apply for I-485? What is the deadline for filing I-485? || Impact of alternate wage survey for H-1B LCA; the success rates of H-1B extensions; AC21 rule when the company is bought by a successor-in-interest
Rajiv's Comments in the News - A second H-1B cap lottery for fiscal 2023 is unlikely
Published by: The Times Of India: August 22, 2022
Quotes and Excerpts from Rajiv in the article:
According to Rajiv S Khanna, Managing Attorney at Immigration.com, “There may not be a second H-1B lottery this year. The USCIS has electronically issued several ‘non-selection’ notices, which is a step taken only when there will be no more lotteries.”
For more on this news please see the attachment.
Does approval of an I-485 EAD automatically invalidate my H-1B?
Question details
My Wife and Kid have an appointment to get stamped on H4 as i have a valid H1 till Jan2023 and I am in USA. Now I just received a notification that my EAD card is approved for my GC. Will this impact in any way for my Wife and Kid's H4 Stamping?
Your H-1B remains valid as long as you do not use the EAD. Mere approval of an EAD has no impact.
FAQ Transcript
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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.
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.
Naturalization issues when one continues to work with the new employer on GC instead of joining back the old employer
Question details
1. My previous employer applied for my GC and it just got approved on 07/15/2022.
(a): I have EB3 and EB2 I-140 approved from the same employer.
(b): Filed 485 based on EB3 priority date and received EAD and AP.
(c): No interfiling done to move from EB3 to EB2 and GC got approved.
2. I joined a new employer 5 months ago using H1B with mutual understanding with my previous employer. In case needed, I would join them back. No I-485J transfer has been done so far.
Q: Can I continue to work with my new employer using my GC instead of H-1B?
FAQ Transcript
You can, but you should join the sponsoring employer within a commercially reasonable time.
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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.
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?
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.
PhD students and eligibility for EB-2 NIW and working on F-1 OPT
Question details
1) Is it possible for current PhD students to apply for EB-2 NIW?
I have been through websites where they have said It's Possible, but then why is it not possible for current MS students?
2) Is it possible to work and study in F-1 OPT after completing the degree?
FAQ Transcript
Sure, you can apply for any of these green cards while you are still a student.
Please go through my article in The Economic Times:
NIW laws require only that you possess an advanced degree. A Master’s degree is an advanced degree.
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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.
I thank Mr. Khanna, Suman Basin, Leila Lehman and Diane Lombardo for helping me through the Employment based Green Card processing. The best thing I like about the Law offices of Rajiv S. Khanna is that they are there when you need your questions answered. Efficient and very professional team.