USCIS Forms Update Notice
USCIS recently updated the following USCIS form(s):
USCIS recently updated the following USCIS form(s):
I did my Dropbox on 17 nov17.
We went to US Consulate, Ottawa and got my wife's TD visa stamped in her passport.
In you previous Conference Calls you did mention that you did post videos on USCIS accredited Universities in USA. If a person is doing an MS or MBA in US he/she needs to do it from those accredited universities inorder for the educational evaluation to be done to achieve EB2 Status.Right now I have a 3 years of Bachelors degree from India and do not qualify for EB2 and I am in EB3. I wanted to do an MS or MBA in USA.
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 am on H1B visa in US from 2008 with employer A, and i have I-140 approved in 2011 from Employer A, Now in 2017 i am planning to change my employer to Employer B.
My question: Scenario 1 : If say Employer B doesn't sponsor/start my GC/I-140 in 3 years, can my employer B use Employer A's I-140 to renew n number of times ?
Scenario 2: If I didn't like employer B in future and they have not sponsored or started my GC/I-140, can i switch to Employer C ,using Employer A's I-140.
Scenario 3:If I didn't like employer B in future and they have not sponsored or started my GC/I-140, then I switch to Employer A ,using Employer A's I-140 .. now do employer A again has to restart GC/I-140 ?.
Scenario 4: How much of over lap of dates of employment can happen b/w Employer A and Employer B.
Watch the Video on this FAQ: Changing jobs after I 140 approval, returning to the old job, etc.
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 am on H1B visa and was charged with DUI(1st off, no injuries, no aggravating factors) on October 29th,2017 at 2:30 AM in Harrisburg,PA. Took breathalyzer test and also the eye test was taken. After that I was taken to the booking center for bio-metrics and blood test. After 3 hours I was allowed to go home.
I have been charged with the following:
Gen Imp/Inc of Driving Safely - 1st Off 10/24/2017
DUI: High Rte of Alc (Bac.10 - <.16) 1st Off 10/24/2017
Obedience to traffic control devices - hazardous condition 10/24/2017
What should be the next steps to be taken. Also how and what can be done to reduce the charges?
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.
Currently I am in India, my H1-B got denied and left US. My wife is in US on the basis of change of status from H4 to B2 on humanitarian grounds due my daughter's chronic medical condition. Her B2 is still under process and if approves then good till 24th Feb'18.
Since It is uncertain I will get another employer who can sponsor h1b immediately,
Is there any provision for US born, parent can stay due to her undergoing intensive treatment?
Can we apply for humanitarian 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.
Release Date: Jan. 31, 2018
Agency Will Focus on Processing Recently Filed Applications
“The law permits H-1B visa holders to be non-productive as long as they are paid. It is important to note that employers cannot bench employees without payment of their full salaries,” explains Rajiv S. Khanna, managing attorney at Immigration.com
For more information on this news please read the attached file.
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.
1. I am a dentist practicing in California, was working for FQHC ON H1 since 2017. I got temp layoff. As per HR they said placed on unpaid leave. My present status OK or am I on my 60 day grace period? 2. H1 Visa expires JULY, I was told they cant renew my visa until I return to work . How soon or late I have time to apply.
1. First of all the 60-day grace period only begins if you have been terminated from employment. More important for your purposes is that they have to tell you (doesn't have to be in writing) that they are terminating your employment. If they don't tell you they have failed to terminate your employment, so there's no question of a 60-day grace period. You can file a complaint with the Wage and Hour Division (WHD) - US Department of Labor. They will get the money for you.
2. In order to continue working and be in status your H-1B must be received by the USCIS before your current H-1B expires so your deadline is to get the physical filing over to the USCIS before your current status expires.
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 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 have known about Rajivji since last 25 years when his team had helped me with h1 and green card of mine and lots of my friends and relatives too. We were very happy and impressed then and I had always recommended his name when I came across any immigration help that others I knew had needed. I have been working for a start up as an HR for past few years and the employer needed help with filing H1 for one of his very crucial employee. The employer decided to hire a local attorney in CA and unfortunately, the H1 filed by them got denied. I then recommended Mr. Rajiv Khanna and his team as I knew only he could get the H1 approved for this employee. As expected, my employer and I both agreed Rajivji is the best immigration attorney we have ever dealt with.
Initially, the employer had hired an attorney who we felt that she did not do a thorough job of filing the employee's h1 and hence his visa got denied (the RFE response did not provide the details which were needed).
On my recommendation, my employer then decided to take Rajivji's help. Right from the first meeting, my employer, employee and I feel we have gotten an excellent service from the whole team. We are truly grateful for the detailed work that was done for the H1 which was approved once filed by the team - without any RFE. We thought the whole process was done with due diligence and very professionally - lot of efforts and time were put in and I could see all that in lot of back and forth that was done. The team made was always available to answer any questions (silly as well) and also was very punctual and prompt in doing so. The final file that was prepared was shared with us and we were very impressed with the contents and details of the file, how professionally it was put together. Rajivji would come on calls to ensure everything including even any grammatical mistakes etc. The overall experience we had was the BEST and we cannot be more grateful than this - I thank Rajivji and his team from the bottom of my heart for helping us out and for navigating us through in such crisis mode. We went back for the h1 extension recently and yes that got done smoothly too, it has been absolute pleasure to work with them, to be honest, I actually miss working with them, I even commented in my last meeting with them, that I hope my employer hires many more employees on H1 and that I get a chance to work with the team again and again, and I mean that.
We plan to go back to them for the GC soon because we know, there is no other better team than this, and we are very grateful to have known of them - Thank you Rajivji and the team - Looking forward to working with you soon!