My Year 2004's Pakistan Visit Experience:
Applied for my H1B stamp
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1. I came to Pakistan in June 15, 2004 with I-797 H1B approval notice
2. Applied for US visa stamp within a week or two
3. Got my passport back with interview req. after 2 weeks of application
4. Went the following day and showed them the following documents
a. I-797 H1B approval notice
b. Job Letter
c. Two recent paystubs
5. I was asked briefly about my job duties and was told that I'll get my passport back after security clearance
I would like to share my latest H1B visa stamping experience Islambad. My brief background: I came to US first in Aug 2004 on F1 visa with my wife and kid on F2 visas. We visited Pakistan in Jun 2006 while on F1. My H1B status started in Oct 2007. We came to Pakistan in last week of December 2008 and needed to obtain H1B visas to return back to USA. We got our appointment for Jan 9, 2009. VO asked few general questions related to job etc. and examined my original educational documents, letter from my employer, my tax returns and my salary slips.
We filed an H-1 application for a Bonsai Nursery/Facility Manager. USCIS issued a Request for Evidence (RFE) challenging whether or not a specific Bachelor’s level education is required for this position. We filed a detailed response, with voluminous evidence the specialized nature of the job. We urged USCIS to consider the merits of the job description and what it would take to perform the job. We argued job titles alone are not dispositive of the nature of a job.
USCIS approved the application.
I encourage you to sign a petition I have drafted at the request of our community urging the Obama Administration to reinstate reissuance of nonimmigrant visas (including work visas like H-1, student visas like F-1, and family visas) within the USA, a practice that was discontinued in 2004. If the petition receives 100,000 on-line signatures by February 23, the Administration will review it, send it to the appropriate policy experts in the administration, and issue an official response. Signing the petition takes only a few minutes.
The current government shutdown presents unusual challenges for H-1B workers and their employers. Here's what you need to know immediately:
Release Date
10/20/2025
On September 19, 2025, the President issued a Proclamation, Restriction on Entry of Certain Nonimmigrant Workers, an important initial step to reform the H-1B nonimmigrant visa program. Under the Proclamation, new H-1B petitions filed at or after 12:01 a.m. eastern daylight time on September 21, 2025 must be accompanied by an additional $100,000 payment as a condition of eligibility.
Published by: The Times of India - October 21, 2025
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/us/uscis-exempts-f-1-to-h-1b-…
Quotes and Excerpts from Rajiv in the article:
Published by: Newsweek - October 30, 2025
Quotes and Excerpts from Rajiv in the article:
Rajiv S. Khanna, managing attorney at Immigration.com, said: “Status determinations are often complex and sometimes arbitrary. Months later, USCIS can find a status violation that was not anticipated, resulting in a $100,000 bill!”