USCIS Forms Update Notice
USCIS recently updated the following form(s):
Form I-131A, Application for Travel Document (Carrier Documentation)
USCIS recently updated the following form(s):
Form I-131A, Application for Travel Document (Carrier Documentation)
Published in the December 2022 issue of ALI CLE’s The Practical Lawyer
This article is part of the continuing series of interviews between Rajiv S. Khanna, principal of The Law Offices of Rajiv S. Khanna, PC, (www.Immigration.Com), and leading practitioners across the country, designed to provide personal and professional insights into various areas of the law.
Read more by clicking the pdf attachment.
I am currently on an H-1B visa and working remotely. My h1b petition has two addresses, home (VA) and office (PA). The office headquarters is in NJ.
My employer filled PWD in Mar2022 which got approved in Oct 2022. When I reached out to them for the next step, they mentioned that there were some issues with the previously filled PWD, so they had to refiled my PWD in Jul2022.
Based on my discussion, I came to know that they did not mention the main headquarters address, which is in NJ, and put the address of the PA office, which is in my h1b petition. They said because I am a remote employee, they are supposed to put the address of the headquarters.
Q1: Are we supposed to put the headquarters address when we file GC for a remote job?
Q2: Are we supposed to put the headquarters address when we file h1b for the remote job? Or is any office ok?
In my view if this job is remote it should be advertised nationally and you should put either the corporate headquarters or the principal place of business. You should not put an office where you are not going to work as this could be problematic. Make sure you have a conversation with your lawyers.
My last H-1B was recently revoked four months after receiving a Green Card and the company attorney says automatic revocation is a standard practice by USCIS not always followed. But most people I know did not have their H-1B revoked after Green card approval so I am a bit concerned why this happened to my case only.
There is absolutely no need to be concerned. This is by operation of law. But, just to keep matters orderly it is a good policy to send in a revocation notice and that should not be of any concern to you.
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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.
My spouse is a dentist from India and converted to F-1 from H-4 on Sep 29, 2022. She pursued a few courses for MBA (non-stem) between March 2022 and Jun 2022. Now she is completing the remaining courses of her MBA on F-1 for the next 12 months.
My queries are-
1. Does she need to be on F-1 status for a min 365 days to be eligible for OPT?
2. If we ever need to change to H-4 status again (stamped till Aug 2024), can she travel to India and come back without F-1 stamping? or a COS application from F-1 to H-4 ( that may take 6 months) could be a better option for EAD application.
1. The 365 days requirement is not required. What you need is one academic year or two if there is a need to change to H-4.
2. If she has an H-4 stamping already there is no need to go to India. All she has to do is drive to Canada or Mexico and return showing her H-4 visa stamping.
Note: To be eligible to apply for OPT, you must:
I filed my I140 with 180 days after Perm is approved. But after that, the I140 is denied and my Perm is expired. Can I fresh file I140 again the my expired Perm. Thank you.
There may be a typo in your question. If the first I-140 was filed within 180 days of the PERM validity period, the second or subsequent I-140 can be filed outside the 180 days. No problem.
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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.
We are looking to apply for an E2 visa being Canadian Citizens born in India. Seeking your advice on a couple of questions- we have pending F3 status immigration with a 2011 priority date, can the primary applicant on the E2 application be my wife, who is also the primary applicant on F3 immigration? Would you recommend going through consular processing or an adjustment of status for my wife, considering we have a pending immigration file?
In my opinion that can be done because the E-2 visa is kind of a dual intent visa. It allows you to have a green card pending as long as you have no intention to violate U.S immigration laws and you have the intention to go back to your home country if required.
1) How long does one have to wait in total if the company applied for PERM (EB2 - MS CS degree), and THEN Concurrently applied for I-140 (premium) and I-485 and the country of birth is UAE?
2) Can the above be done on an F-1 (OPT + STEM OPT) Visa instead of an H-1B? And any potential issues for F-1 in this case?
3) In this scenario, how would it work if the person also submits NIW in parallel with PERM?
My status changed from F-1 to H-1B status this year on Oct 01, 2022. Since I am now on an H-1B visa, I am planning to buy a house soon, before the end of this year, and my plan is also to rent out other rooms and maybe Airbnb in the future. I researched this is considered passive income and is legal but:
1. I was wondering if I can do the same by opening an LLC. Will this still be considered passive income?
2. Another question, since my status changed from F-1 to H-1 this year, for 2022 taxes, should I still fill out the 1040 NR form or not?
I really cannot tell you that there is a clear guidance from the USCIS on this issue. I would avoid this unless you are the adventurous kind. Just remember one thing: the fact that you were engaged in unauthorized or questionable employment or income generation is less damaging to you than lying about it.
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FAQs
- Switching employers while one's spouse is on an H-4 visa and the steps to ensure a smooth return to the U.S.
- H-1B or green card misrepresentation: Legal options and consequences for fighting back against USCIS
- Options for extending stay in the U.S. after layoff as an international student pursuing a Master's in IT
- Potential visa complications for an H-1B visa holder due to past employment with a blacklisted company and alternatives for obtaining an H-1B stamp
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Processing Queue | Priority Date |
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Analyst Review | July 2022 |
Audit Review | April 2022 |
Reconsideration Request to the CO | August 2022 |
Published by: Live Mint: May 04, 2023
https://www.livemint.com/news/world/us-visa-process-to-tighten-up-amid-…
Quotes and Excerpts from Rajiv in the article:
Following up on the announcements of April 21, April 27, May 1, and May 8, 2023, the Office of Foreign Labor Certification (OFLC) is postponing the date for filers to begin submitting the new, revised applications for permanent employment certification and CW-1 applications for temporary employment certification in the Foreign Labor Application Gateway (FLAG) from May 16, 2023, to June 1, 2023. Applicants should continue to use the current PERM and CW-1 forms until such time.
A. STATUTORY NUMBERS FOR PREFERENCE IMMIGRANT VISAS
If I change my employer while my wife is in India on an H4 dependent visa, will she be able to return to the US even though her visa stamp bears my old employer's name? She has valid stamping till Sept 2024. What steps should we take to ensure a smooth return to the US for her?
No, it is not a problem as long as you maintain your H1-B status. Whether you have changed employers or are in the 60-day grace period, she can return on her H-4 visa without any issues. Even if her visa stamp bears the old employer's name, it does not matter. There are no specific steps to take in this situation as it is perfectly legal.
This article is part of the continuing series of interviews between The Practical Lawyer Editorial Board Member Rajiv S. Khanna and leading practitioners across the country, designed to provide personal and professional insights into various areas of the law.
Read more by clicking the pdf attachment.
1. Have you taken cases of H1B or GC fraud or misrepresentation?
2. What are the consequences if caught - Just losing status and deportation? Can it lead to Jail in any case?
3. Can we fight back in court to justify our case and win against USCIS?
Yes, our firm has taken cases involving H-1B or green card fraud or misrepresentation for about 30 years. Our focus is on employment and business-based immigration and related cases. Our firm has also assisted criminal defense teams in similar cases. If caught in a fraud or misrepresentation, the government can choose to prosecute you criminally since most immigration papers are filed under penalty of perjury. This can result in imprisonment for up to five years, as felonies are serious crimes. From an immigration perspective, a misrepresentation or fraud can lead to a permanent bar from entering the United States, causing you to lose your stay and potentially be unable to return. However, if you did not intentionally lie or the misrepresentation was immaterial, you can fight back in court by asserting defenses such as lack of intent or immateriality. For example, if a minor detail unrelated to the visa decision is misrepresented, it may not be considered material. These are some of the grounds to consider when fighting against misrepresentation. If you don't have any valid arguments, it may not be worthwhile to fight your case.
I came to the US in Aug 2015. Completed masters in 2017. Started OPT on 07/2017. When applying for OPT EAD I joined employer AZTech Technologies. I joined as an intern and was there for like 4 months. He responded for 2 months during training, after a couple of months employer did not respond at all. I got a doubt and found another job and moved to a different company. Later I got an H1B and I 140 approved. I am planning to go to India this August 2023. Recently I found out through social media that the company I joined in the initial stage of OPT EAD was a black listed company. Most people who joined those similar companies' visas got rejected when they went for stamping. I am going for H1B stamping. Will there be a problem in my case? Could you please advise me in this case? In an emergency situation, I need to go to India. I heard from some friends and social media groups out of my research that I can go get stamping done in other countries and then travel to India and can be back to the US.
Firstly, it is crucial to be truthful and transparent about your employment history. Attempting to hide or misrepresent any information can have serious consequences. If there is misrepresentation in your background, it is possible that you may be barred from entering the United States permanently. Unfortunately, there may not be much we can do to change that outcome.
It is advisable to consult with an immigration attorney who can assess your specific circumstances and provide personalized advice based on the current immigration laws and regulations.