Dear Readers,
My experience went really well perhaps due to changes in the immigration procedures meant to make some applications process faster so that one can go on with life while waiting to gain finally permanent residence status?
I applied for a permanent residence through marriage to a US citizen while in F-1 status. Please note that I applied after our two year anniversary so the conditional permanent resident status would not apply. Here is the time line for my application process:
I am originally from Maryland and I met my husband when I was attending college in Houston, TX. After I completed college, I moved back up to Maryland to spend time with my family and I also got a very good opportunity to work, in Washington D.C. My husband and I decided to get Married in February 2002, and I decided to move back to Houston so we could start our lives together. By the time I could wrap things up in Maryland and finally move to Houston it was August 2002.
Hello,
Had an interview at chennai consulate and here are the details
F1(CPT) to (First Time)H1B
Interview date 20 th nov - 8:45 to 9:00 am
Dear Rajiv, Suman, Diane and Leila:
I wish to thank all of you for your excellent co-operation and help at all stages of our GC application.
On 7/20 we saw the online notice about the APPROVAL of our I-485 petition. We/you had filed an RFE on 7/16. Me and my family are very happy that the decision process was so quick, and all this would not have been possible without your valuable guidance.
At this stage I have two requests: 1) Most likely the approval notice will be received by your good office and we would like to have a copy of the same. Could you please email us upon receipt of the Approval, so we could forward you a fax number? 2) What is the next step after receipt of the I-485 Approval notice?
Once again many thanks to you and your excellent team for all the help all the way.
With best regards,
The KUPs.
Thanks all you wonderful people for the good job you are doing. Special thanks to Leila, Diane and Shivane for their help and support I got during my GC processing . You all have been great and thanks for being patient and quick in responding to my queries
I got my I-485 approval on July 20, 2004, ending a long nerve wrecking wait of almost 4 years. I would like to thank Rajiv S. Khanna and his staff for their outstanding work to help me in this important process.
I had to have my EAD renewed 2 times due to immense backlog. But I was not charged for the unexpected extra work.
I would like to show my special thanks to Leila Lehman, who was always there to answer instantly to all my questions during the I-485 processing.
Also, I would like to thank the entire staff especially to Diane Lombardo (Labor, I-140 and other paper processing), Suman Bhasin (for all those complicated and subtle questions), and Rajiv S Khanna (for indirectly answering my convoluted questions) and every one else who helped me during the process.
I have a couple of colleagues who went through the permanent residency adjustment of status processed by the team from the Law Office of Rajiv S. Khanna, and I have never heard anyone complaining.
I would like to extend my gratitude to the entire staff and thanks them for their professional assistance. For without it I would not have seen this day.
I would like to thank Mr.Khanna and his wonderful staff for being with me at every part of my Green Card Journey. Their professionalism and prompt correspondence is second to none. If you are with Mr.Khanna then you are in good hands. I would like to Thank Leila Lehman, Diane Lombardo, Shivane Sharma for helping me with my case. Law Offices of Mr.Khanna is the best.
To Anna, Joy and Charu
My application was speedily and professionally done by the above-mentioned persons. You are truly remarkable for the effort you put in a short period of time available. Thanks once again for an outstanding effort.
I would like to thank the law offices of Rajiv Khanna. The staff was very helpful and very meticulous in their tasks. They are the best and kudos for the keeping you the good work.
Rajeev,
Savita and all your team did an excellent job to responding to this RFP. We had almost lost hope but it came through. Her hard work and patience finally paid off!! You got a great team. We'll be sending many more cases.
I finally got my GC after waiting 3 years in 485 status.
I appreciate Law office support,
prompt services and help in getting my green card. It is very pleasure working with Leila, Diane and
Suman all along these years.
I am very thankful to the advices given by Mr. Rajiv and his staff.
I would like to thank Mr.Khanna and his excellent staff for being with me at every part of my Green Card Journey.
Their professionalism and prompt correspondence is highly appreciable. If you are with Mr.Khanna then you are in good hands. My special thanks to Diane Lombardo. She did a great job.I would like to Thank Leila Lehman and Shivane Sharma for helping me with my case. Law Offices of Mr.Khanna is the best.
Thank you,
Venkata Maddipatla
I came here on L1A. At the time of petition, my offer letter from my employer had a salary of $120K annually. This is $10,000 monthly. I want to know if running my payroll for less money will affect my GC process which I am planning to apply next year. Considering following situations, Will it affect my GC process which I am planning to apply after 1 year from my arrival date? 1) If my payroll is run for lesser salary e.g. in the range of $6000 to $8000? 2) If my payroll is run with (salary + bonus) to make it a total of $10,000/month (120K annually). For example salary = $6000/month and bonus = $4000/month
Video Transcript
Ideally, you should be paid what is indicated on the L-1 paperwork, but there's certainly no law that I can point to that mandates that result. It is just a general sense of uneasiness because it could go into eligibility. Also, if your payroll is run with salary plus bonus I think then you should be ok although I haven't researched this issue. Have your lawyers look into it.
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.
USCIS recently updated the following form(s):
Form G-884, Request for the Return of Original Documents
11/09/2023 03:22 PM EST
Edition Date: 11/09/23. Starting Jan. 29, 2024, USCIS will only accept the 11/09/23 edition. Until then, you can also use the 12/02/21 edition. You can find the edition date at the bottom of the page on the form and instructions.
FAQs: H-1B visa transfer before arrival into the USA|| Employee paying for green card and H-1B premium costs || Using an old H-1B visa stamp of a different employer
This is regarding the H-1B transfer from India before working for Employer.
I have the H-1B visa stamped with employer A, but now I want to transfer the H-1B to Employer B. I have not yet entered the USA and I have not started working for employer A.
Can I transfer the H-1B visa to new Employer B, and what are the mandatory documents that are required?
Also, I wanted to know if the pay slips are mandatorily required for H-1B Transfer as I don't have any. Looking for more details about pay slip requirements.
If I can transfer my H-1B to Employer B, then should I travel to the USA and then start the process or should I do it from India?
Yes, you can transfer your H-1B visa from employer A to employer B even if you have the visa stamped with employer A and haven't entered the US. Pay stubs are not mandatory for this transfer, and you can travel on the old visa stamp with the new employer's H-1B approval. However, it's advisable to consult with H-1B lawyers before traveling. Ensure you obtain the H-1B approval from the new employer before entering the U.S.
Number 85
Volume X
Washington, D.C
A. STATUTORY NUMBERS FOR PREFERENCE IMMIGRANT VISAS
This bulletin summarizes the availability of immigrant numbers during January 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.
Release Date
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services will begin transitioning the filing location for Form I-907, Request for Premium Processing, when filed for a pending Form I-140, Immigrant Petition for Alien Workers, from the service centers to appropriate USCIS lockboxes on Dec. 15.
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) 2024.
USCIS will send non-selection notices to registrants through their online accounts over the next few days. When USCIS finishes sending these non-selection notifications, the status for properly submitted registrations that USCIS did not select for the FY 2024 H-1B numerical allocations will show:
Processing Queue | Priority Date |
---|---|
Analyst Review | December 2022 |
Audit Review | August 2022 |
Reconsideration Request to the CO | February 2023 |
FAQ: Converting from B visa to any other status such as H-1B, etc.
Question 1
1. Is it legal for an employee to pay all the expenses of a green card (eb2 / eb3), such as cost of attorney, pwd, recruitment, perm, I140 premium, I485, etc.?
2. Is it legal for employee to pay the cost of h1b premium transfer?
Question 2
My question is related to H1B stamping.
I have a stamped visa till April 2024 from my previous company.
I have a new I-797 from my current company.
Do I still have to go for Visa Stamping if I visit India in December 2023.
Answer 1: Employees cannot legally pay for green card expenses, H-1B fees, or premium processing associated with PERM. For the green card process, the employer must cover all costs. In the case of the I-140 stage, the employer should pay, especially if the employee is on H-1B. However, for the I-485 stage, the employee can pay.
Regarding H-1B, the employer should generally cover all expenses, except for premium processing. If premium processing is for the employee's benefit and the employer opts not to pay, the employee can choose to cover the cost. If premium processing is for the employer's convenience, the employer must pay.
In summary:
Green Card (PERM): Employer must pay; employee cannot.
I-140 stage: Employer should pay, especially for H-1B holders.
I-485 stage: Employee can pay.
H-1B expenses: Employer should pay, except for premium processing.
Premium processing: Employee can pay if for their benefit; otherwise, employer must pay.
Answer 2: Additionally, an employee with an old H-1B stamp from a previous employer can use it for a different employer. There's no need for new visa stamping if there's a new approval notice. Traveling on the old stamp with the new approval is permissible.
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is issuing policy guidance regarding the F and M student nonimmigrant classifications, including the agency’s role in adjudicating applications for employment authorization, change of status, extension of stay, and reinstatement of status for these students and their dependents in the United States.
I have a valid B-1 visa and have traveled to the US recently in April 2023. Now my H1B petition has been approved, and I am eligible for Dropbox. My employer is telling me that if my case does not get approved in Dropbox, he is asking me to travel on B1 and then get the status converted to H1B. In my I-129, it was mentioned as a change of status, as my I-94 was valid when my H1B was approved. I wanted to know if there will be any issues with coming to the US on B1 and changing the status if they call me for an interview in Dropbox. Also, I want to know if it is possible to switch employers with an approved H1B petition before getting my visa stamped. If I change the employer, will it have any issues?
I strongly recommend against attempting to convert B-1 status to H-1B without approval. Additionally, changing employers without visa stamping may pose challenges according to government guidelines. However, we have a successful track record of handling such cases in practice. Always consult a lawyer.
I received my permanent resident stamp in my passport on June 18, 2004, ending these significant and challenging 5 years of my life. I would like to thank to Rajiv S. Khanna and his staff for their outstanding work to help me in this important process.
I would like to mention that due to the immense I-485 backlog I had to have my EAD and AP renewed each 2 times. The Law offices didn't charge me for the unexpected extra amount of work.
I would like to show my special thanks to Leila Lehman, who was always there to answer instantly to all my questions and worries during the last 27 months of I-485 processing.
Also, I would like to thank to the entire staff especially to Diane Lombardo, Homa Naderi, Lakshmi Kompella, Mathew Chacko, Pooja Sama, Savita Krishnamurthy, Shivane Sharma, Subha Chennunhotta, Suman Bhasin and Vijay Durgam.
I have a couple of friends who went through the permanent residency adjustment of status process helped by the team from the Law Office of Rhajiv S. Khanna, and I witnessed their smooth processing.
I will always think about Mr. Khanna's team as great professionals and great people who helped me with, perhaps, my most important step in my life.