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March 03, 2022 Free US Immigration Community Conference Call with Rajiv (Every Other Thursday)
Immigration.com
Nonimmigrant Visas
Discussion Topics, Thursday, March 03, 2022:
FAQ: Abandonment; can I leave the USA while a change of status is pending?/Stamping requirements || Relation between F-1 status and I-485 AOS (child covered under Child Status Protection Act (CSPA)) || Relation between F-1 OPT and H-1B lottery change of status and changing employers || Is doing an unpaid U.S. externship/observership with F-2 visa unauthorized employment? || Can parents of U.S. citizens travel to the U.S. on an existing B-2 visa while their GC is pending?
USCIS Updates Guidance on Employment Authorization for E and L Nonimmigrant Spouses
Release Date
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services is updating guidance in the USCIS Policy Manual to address the documentation that certain E and L nonimmigrant spouses may use as evidence of employment authorization based on their nonimmigrant status.
Abandonment; can I leave the USA while a change of status is pending?/Stamping requirements
Background: I am currently on L-2 VISA and is going to expire in May. My company is going to file my Canada visa in a month. My spouse's (currently on L1A) employer is going to file her GC soon and she wants to stay with our kids until a decision is made (stay as a visitor or on the basis of GC filing). We decided that I will go to Canada and if the GC processing won't happen or the outcome is negative, she will join me in Canada at a later time.
Now:
I want to apply for the change of status from L-2 visa to visitor visa while I am still in the US, and leave for India while my Canadian visa is in process and travel to Canada directly from India. (I am going to see my parents as it's been years and can't travel to India if I join my company back in Canada anytime soon).
Questions:
1) Is it okay to leave the US while my change of status from L-2 to Visitor visa is in the process?
2) If yes, will USCIS continue to process and intimate me once they approve?
In this case it should be fine, but remember to go through the Section 222 (g;) of the Immigration and Nationality Act. Another thing you need to remember is in order for you to get a B-2 visa stamp or a B-1 visa stamp at the consulate you do not need any kind of approval from the USCIS.
Note: Where transcribed from audio/video, 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.
Can parents of U.S. citizens travel to the U.S. on an existing B-2 visa while their GC is pending?
I got my USA citizenship this Jan, and I want to start the green card process for my parents. They are currently with me in the USA on a visitor visa, however, they would like to go back to India in March after the 6 months of allowed stay in the USA.
So I want to know when I start the green card process for my parents when they are in India, can they still travel to the USA on their existing B-2 visitor visa (valid till 2026), or should they be in India until the consular processing for their green card is complete?
The Customs and Border Protection (CBP) people do not hassle the parents or spouses of the U.S citizens too much as long as they are not entering to adjust to green card status within the United States. But if a CBP officer is either ill-informed or particularly unnecessarily harsh they could stop you and ask you to go back (which is unlikely).
A practical solution I would recommend to people is to do an immigration pre-clearance in Abu Dhabi (if you are traveling from India) that way if they are denied entry they just return from Abu Dhabi they don't have to come all the way to the United States.
Note: Where transcribed from audio/video, 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.
FY 2023 H-1B Cap Season Updates
Release Date
H-1B Initial Electronic Registration Selection Process Completed
March 17, 2022, Free US Immigration Community Conference Call with Rajiv (Every Other Thursday)
Immigration.com
Green Card
FAQs: - From F-1 OPT directly applying for a green card - STEM OPT employment parameters, volunteering, part ownership, etc. - Can two employers file H-1B for the same employee using an existing I-140?
H-1B to EB-2 process
I would like to know If I have an advanced Degree (Masters Engineering Management) and my employer filed my H-1B and if the lottery is picked can I initiate the Green Card Process? I also heard that there is a Minimum salary Cap for EB-2 Advanced degree.
The employer can start the green card process at any time, even before you join. To see the salary figures by county and profession, you can review this link - https://www.flcdatacenter.com/
Note: Unless the context shows otherwise, all answers here were provided by Rajiv and were compiled and reported by our editorial team from comments and blog on immigration.com
Travel to the U.S on H-4 visa for a non-minor
My H-1B Visa is valid till Sep 2023. My son who is currently in India had also stamped his H-4 visa. However, he is now over 21 years of age. Can he travel to US to visit us on the same visa or he has to apply for a B-2.
I do not see how an aged-out child can travel on a derivative visa.
Note: Unless the context shows otherwise, all answers here were provided by Rajiv and were compiled and reported by our editorial team from comments and blog on immigration.com
Relation between F-1 OPT and H-1B lottery change of status and changing employers
I am a student on F-1 and will be graduating by December 2022. Company A is willing to apply for an H-1B for me this year. I am interviewing with other companies, and I am planning to drop company A as soon as I graduate
1. If I am selected in the lottery and haven't done a change of status, can I continue on F-1 OPT with the other company (not Company A), after graduation?
2. Can Company A retract my H-1B if I leave them?
3. Being on F-1 can Company A start my green card if I win the H-1B lottery?
1. If you file it as a consular processing you can continue working on F-1OPT for that company or another company.
2. Absolutely.
3. That depends upon which country you were born in. If you were born in India that's not such a great deal.
Note: Where transcribed from audio/video, 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.