USCIS Announces Citizenship and Assimilation Grant Opportunities
Fee-funded grants will support citizenship preparation services for lawful permanent residents
Fee-funded grants will support citizenship preparation services for lawful permanent residents
On July 24, 2018, President Trump signed the Northern Mariana Islands U.S. Workforce Act of 2018 (the Workforce Act), extending the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI)-Only Transitional Worker program (the CW-1 program) through 2029 and increasing the CW-1 cap for fiscal year (FY) 2019.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) announced Tuesday the results of a two-phase nationwide operation in which I-9 audit notices were served to more than 5,200 businesses around the country since January.
I had my H1 visa extension stamping appointment on Feb 21, 2018. Initially it was put under Administrative Processing and later on May 23rd my petition was send back for revocation. As per the inquiry with embassy they told me that "Based on the documents you submitted and the information elicited in your interview with a consular officer, you were determined ineligible for an H1B work visa. Your petition was returned to the Kentucky Consular Center (KCC) on May 24. Currently H1 status website shows KCC received the application on June 8. Once KCC receives a petition, it is returned to the approving USCIS office for review and possible revocation. At this point, USCIS can either reaffirm the petition or issue a notice of intent to revoke it. What are the options available with me now?
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 announced on July 30, 2018, that it has returned all fiscal year 2019 H-1B cap-subject petitions that were not selected in the computer-generated random selection process.
Policy Memorandum 602-0050.1, Updated Guidance for the Referral of Cases and Issuances of Notices to Appear (NTAs) in Cases Involving Inadmissible and Deportable Aliens, was issued on June 28, 2018 and instructed USCIS components to create or update operational guidance on NTAs and Referrals to ICE (RTIs), to be issued within 30 days of the Policy Memorandum. Issuance of the operational guidance is pending; therefore the implementation of PM 602-0050.1 is postponed until the operation
I have I-140 and I-485 pending. H-1B ended on May 2018 and applied for extension which is pending.
Spouse entered US under parole status and is valid till December 2018, H4 visa has expired in May 2018
Can spouse apply for H-4 extension after approval of H-1B extension? If so can it be done from USA or have to travel abroad for H-4 visa stamping?
Watch the Video on this FAQ: Applying for H-4 status while on parole
Video Transcript
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.
I have contacted you in the month of June, 05 regarding my F1-H1 Issue. My H1-B visa was approved by the American Consulate in Mumbai with out any problems and I am in the US right now. I would like to genuinely thank you for all your help and advise and I am glad that I took your services as I tried a number of lawyers before you and everyone gave me conflicting advises. I am writing to you my whole experience in detail so that you can put this in forum as other people may get help from this.
At last it is over - the wait and agony of many years!
First, I want to thank this spectacular group and everyone who have shared their views and ideas... this forum has been a great asset for everyone appearing for CP.
Last stage of my Green Card experience went through a tough ride and we saw a lots of tipsy turvy roads.
Here is my journey of the GC:
Mar 2003 - Applied for labour.
May 2006 - Applied for I-140.
June 2006 - I-140 got approved.
November 2006 - Applied for CP
Release Date
On Aug. 19, the U.S. Department of Education (ED) announced that it no longer recognizes the Accrediting Council for Independent Colleges and Schools (ACICS) as an accrediting agency. This determination immediately affects two immigration-related student programs:
My parents who are green card holders applied for the i-131 travel document in Sept 2021. They finished their biometrics in Oct 2021 and left the USA on Nov,14th 2021.
There has not been an update to the case after the biometrics. Do they need to return to the US by Nov 14th, 2022? Or can they wait till the I-131 application is processed before returning to the US?
If they can come back before November I think that would be a good idea just to be safe.There is no guarantee that the reentry permit will be approved, although it is very rare for reentry permits to be denied at least for the first two years.
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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 am currently on STEM Extension and my visa expires in July 2023. I also have a masters degree here in the states. I wanted to know what my options are..
If the suggestion is Day-1 CPT, I wanted to know how safe/legit it is! I have heard that going on Day-1 CPT can cause some issues when your H1 gets picked and may lead to RFE?
It is legal and so far it has been safe. You know that the rule for Day 1 CPT requires that when you join, you are associating with a graduate program otherwise you cannot get a Day 1 CPT. The Curricular Practical Training is an integral part of your degree. You cannot finish the degree without the practical training. The other thing is the employer signs the cooperative agreement with the university. The only additional suggestion I have is if you are going to do Curricular Practical Training make it as an adjunct to your profession.
For more information please check my blog.
https://immigration.com/blogs/curricular-practical-training-cpt
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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 have worked in the U.S. under L-1\H-1B from June-2015 to March-2020. I have been in India since the last 2 and half years (Not working for any US based company). Now I have got Job offer from a US company and the H-1B I-797 petition is approved. I have a previous employer's H-1B Visa stamp (which expired last month) in my current passport, and B1/B2 Visa stamp(got in 2013 and valid till Sep-2023) in my older passport. I also have approved I-140 (EB2) from my previous employer.
My Question is due to the high wait time for Visa appointments, in worst case, if I can not secure a visa appointment anywhere close to joining date, can I travel to the US with a valid B-1/B-2 Visa and approved I-797 and later change status to H-1B and join the job? If yes, would it impact the GC process in future?
I would strongly recommend against it. I think you would do a lot better trying to get an H-1B Visa stamping in a third country. People are going to places like Singapore, Hong Kong and Maldives. Look around India and you might be able to make an appointment.
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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.
1. My I-485 was filed in August 2022. Priority Date: 2014. Lost a job. H-1B withdrawn and offer is canceled. Current H-1B remaining till January 2023. If I-485 is denied do I have to leave the country? Can I work for the remaining 5 months?
2. After retrogression, can I transfer H-1B?
1. You can finish your H-1B term.
2. I don't see why not.
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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 am in the 1st year of my 2-year STEM OPT after completing Bachelors Degree. Can I do another set of OPT + 2 year STEM OPT if I complete my Masters Degree? Does the Masters also have to be in STEM field to utilize the post Masters OPT+2 year STEM OPT?
You can get a STEM OPT extension twice in one academic life cycle. Even if you did a STEM degree and never used stem opt extension you should be able to reuse 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.
I would highly appreciate it if you could share any insights for my case. I hold H-1B working for MNC in Seattle, USA. I applied for Canada PR and it was confirmed. I will travel by car to Vancouver Canada and work in Canada remotely with a Canadian house address. At the same time I want to maintain my H1B visa. Is that possible and how? I got to know H1B is valid as long as we work on US soil.
Sure, but maintaining an H-1B simply means that your H-1B is not destroyed just because you are not working here all the time. Also remember that you can recapture the time spent outside.
For more on this topic please visit my author page.
https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/etreporter/author-rajiv-khanna-479254772.cms
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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.
Would there be any issues with parents reentering the country after filing for GC application? Say the parents entered the US on a B1/B2 visa but applied for GC while they were visiting (not for the first time). They were going to file for it once they were back in the home country anyway, but decided to submit the application now than at a later date due to some health situation that came up during the visit.
Are there chances of the application being denied/or will the parents not be allowed to reenter the country because there have been some medical emergency that happened during the visit? Should those factors need to be addressed before exiting the country before the 6 months stay time is up? And would it still be a problem if that has been addressed with the provider, given it will all be in the history file now? Would there be some state assistance that anyone can get some help with in terms of financial and patient well-being and all?
I have known many immediate relatives of the U.S citizens and they have never had a problem. However, theoretically the problem exists. It would be right to do an immigration pre-clearance somewhere close to home.
Regarding your query on medical emergencies, you could tell them that your parents took the medical treatment. As long as there was no government funding I do not see any 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.
My uncle has been a US Permanent Resident since Apr 2021, and recently he got into trouble with Shoplifting Theft (Misdemeanor B). The prosecutor is ready to lower the punishment to Misdemeanor class C theft along with 6 months of unsupervised deferred probation (fine of 99$) with NO CONVICTION. Also, after 2 years, he will have the option for the case to be expunged from the records.
Question: Will this create a legal problem with his current immigration status (LPR), and also, will he face issues after 4-5 years when he is ready to apply for his US citizenship considering the case has been expunged from the records?
These cases do not worry me much as it looks like a minor offense. Although I recommend you speak with a lawyer who practices deportation defense in the state in which the crime occurred. They would know the local criminal statutes. Also remember expungement has no meaning under immigration law. Even if your record gets expunged and if there is ever a question as to your arrest you have to say yes, because the expungement under immigration law has no meaning.
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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.
Can an H-1 VISA (Resident tax alien without a green card) Holder set up an LLC in the USA? If yes, can his spouse on H-4 VISA with EAD work in that LLC?
The problem with H-1Bs is that you cannot be working for any other company including your own. The smart thing would be to let your wife start her own business. She can manage, run and own the business. You could be a passive owner without any active participation.
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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'm on H-1B, can I work for a startup on a volunteering basis for a technical engineer role? The work is done remotely and the owner of the startup is based in Russia.
I do not see why not. Let the company look into the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), and under the Fair Labor Standards Act there are restrictions on free work being taken by for-profit companies. Non profit companies are a different matter. For-profit companies could have a violation of labor laws if they take free work. That of course is not your problem, that is the company's 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.
Release Date
WASHINGTON—U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services announced today that Form I-589, Application for Asylum and for Withholding of Removal, is available to file online for certain affirmative asylum applicants. USCIS continues to accept the latest paper version of this form by mail.
Processing Queue | Priority Date |
---|---|
Analyst Review | February 2022 |
Audit Review | December 2021 |
Reconsideration Request to the CO | May 2022 |
I had my green card filed through my employer and got the opportunity to work directly with Bharathi Gajjala, one of the attorneys/Case manager at the Rajiv S. Khanna law firm and I couldn't have asked for a better person to handle my case. She was always available to take my calls and answer any of the multiple questions I had in great detail, and never failed to return my calls and emails whenever I was not able to reach her. From EB2 case to having a green card in hand was super fast since Bharathi was always on top of my case. Mr. Rajiv was super accommodating with any queries that was routed thru Bharathi. My process went by really fast and I attribute that to the diligent work that Bharathi performed. I won't hesitate to recommend my friends and colleagues to this Rajiv S. Khanna law firm for any of the services they provide. NOW I HAVE A GC IN HAND :) Can't be more happy.