My status: on H1, visa expiring in September 2007. Rajiv's team applied for my H1 extension and I had I797 approvals till 2010. I had an H4 extension approval done for my wife as well. There is no employer change from first 3 years on H1 to second approval.
Discussion Topics, Thursday, March 31, 2022:
FAQ: Impact of criminal misdemeanor case on an F-1 or any status || Protecting immigration status: Traveling with advance parole, divorce proceedings and an entrepreneur on H-1B visa
Question: I have a visitor visa for the USA for multiple visits up to June-2023. Can I apply for an extension of the visa before the expiry date? Also, advise procedure for extensions and where I can get the application form, so I can keep all details ready.
Answer: I am not aware if there is a procedure to apply for a visitor visa extension before expiration. You can send an email to the consulate to confirm. There is, however, a restriction under the consular standard operating procedures on holding concurrently valid visas of the same type.
Discussion Topics, Thursday, April 14, 2022:
FAQ: GC-EAD applicant holding multiple jobs and starting own business
What happens when a student works without authorization because they have no choice as they need the money to support their school or because they did it unintentionally?
If you work without authorization on purpose, it is important to understand the implications. One is your violation of status which is much easier to fix and the other one is if you lie about it in any immigration proceeding. The first one, lets say you are close to getting an H-1B and you have three months or six months or even a year of working without authorization. In a worst case scenario you will have to go outside for H-1 visa stamping. You will not get your change of status. Make sure there is no history of misrepresenting your work status to the government. The moment you prevaricate or you lie about your situation to gain an immigration benefit you have committed a felony which is punishable by five years and also it is a permanent bar from entering the US. Make sure you understand that lying about work authorization or working without authorization is much worse than actually doing it.
But what happens when you do it inadvertently?
For ten days you work without authorization not realizing you don't have the authorization, then it is a very small violation. The government might ignore it and let it go. It is called de minimis. It simply means it is a minimal problem. Hence the point is if you have violated the law inadvertently and unknowingly by mistake you have several options. First of all disclose it when you file the H-1B and if you have fallen out of status talk with your DSO and act upon their advice. They might tell you to apply for reinstatement which should be readily given.
---------------------------------------
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.
Discussion Topics, Thursday, April 28, 2022:
1. I-140 didn't get approved but received a GC-EAD card approved for 2-years along with advance parole. Is it fine to travel to India for 2 months or for how long staying from the US is valid while on EAD?
2. I didn't need to worry about having a valid visa while returning to the USA, just advance parole will suffice for return?
3. Prior to getting GC-EAD I was on H4-EAD, due to family issues I may seek a divorce. Now that I have GC-EAD will divorce affect my current status or upcoming Green Card? or should I wait until the Green card is through?
4. I have been an Owner of an Inc company while on H-1 and H-4 and H-4 EAD, but I haven't taken any profits or pay-stubs, except for signing on Company Tax returns. Does this situation restrict me from getting a Green Card? or since I have already received GC-EAD under the EB3 category, should I stay positive that I will receive GC in the near future?
1. Sure. EAD allows you to work, but advanced parole allows you to come back.
2. The law is if you return to the same job that you were doing on H-1B even though you used your advance parole you are still considered to be on H-1B.
3. I am assuming that the green card was filed by you and not your wife so the divorce has no effect on you.
4. I do not see any obvious violation of the law. I am just suspicious of that time you were on H-4/H-1 and had your own company. The only time you are completely free is when you were on H-4 EAD.
---------------------------------------
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 am an Indian national living in India now, working on H-1B from 2006-2011 for a small consulting company based in NY, US,. They have filed my EB2, I-140 and it got approved in 2009. I returned to India due to my personal situation in 2011. So I moved my case to Consular Processing in 2012. I got my date current during the last year 2021 and the Mumbai Embassy scheduled consular processing Interview was scheduled for last month. As soon as I received the interview call I found my sponsoring company in the US has their business. Hence, I have skipped my interview to avoid GC denial and retain the priority date.
1. They can both apply.
2. The answer is no you have to go through PERM I-140 again and you will keep the priority date from the old case.
---------------------------------------
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.
1. Currently, I am on STEM OPT, working with my DSO-approved employer. My uncle wants to start a company and asked me for my help. So, an I help him without being an employee of his company?
2. Is active professional volunteering to a family member's company a violation of the F-1 STEM OPT status? I hold a Professional Engineer's license. If I let him use my license for his company, will that be ok under my current immigration status?
3. Can I be a partner in the company and an employee of the company if my uncle hires me as an employee?
1.The volunteering issue is a complicated one. When you are volunteering for charitable affairs or religious matters, I don't think there is any problem. The moment it starts getting into the realm of commercial volunteering it could potentially become an issue. Under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) private companies cannot take free work.
2. I personally think it is not a violation of your status. As for using your license for his company that could become problematic because the implication is that you are working for that company now. Remember under STEM OPT you can work for multiple companies, but you have to get approval from school for that.
3.The answer is Yes. Under OPT as well as under H-1B. As long as you have a genuine employer, employee relationship.
---------------------------------------
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.
RFE In short:
1.Petitioner’s employee-employer relationship with the beneficiary which may include
- Contracts or letter from end-client.
- An itinerary with name, address and duration of work.
- Certified planning documents from County showing the Business is in Commercial Lot
- Documentary example of petitioner’s products or service.
- H1-B employees routinely met conditions of employment, including work
hours and invoices etc
-Petitioner works on Speciality Occupation mentioned in the labor
We received an RFE for evidences from end client. Anna and Rajiv submitted all the needed documents to USCIS and after a week, we got an email from Anna Baker saying that, USCIS approved my H-1 application with the I-94 attached to it, as well as the H-4's for his dependents.
On reading the message I was so excited as It has been a struggle for all 4 months with RFE for 8th year extension. Anna and Rajiv sincerely worked on the case to make it successful. Especially with complications in my cases, as there were vendor layers involved to the end client, atleast 30 to 40 people from my parent company, vendors and end client including Rajivs staff were directly or indirectly involved at each step of scrutiny on my documents and they all deserve my thanks too. Special Credits to Anna and Rajiv as they did a Great Job. Hurrah!!!!!!!!