Feb 22, 2018, Discussion Topics - 7th year H-1B extension - H-1B approval without I-94
I am working in USA with the J1 visa as Postdoctoral Fellow. In April 2017 my girlfriend tried to come to USA and she was refused under the section 212a, because she told to the TSA agent that they did not have a serious relationship with anybody in USA, and they found out that she had sentimental links to me checking her phone, we were in bad moment in our relationship by that time. She has double nationality Venezuelan/Italian and she was trying to get in USA with the Italian ESTA. They removed her ESTA for ever and they told her that If she wan to enter in USA she is going to need a visa. Then I got married with her trying to get a J2 visa for her but the consulate denied twice her application under the article 214b, one in August ( after got married in Venezuela, and the other one now in December (on December we went together because I had to renew mine, but not success for her one).
Anyone who attempts to gain any immigration benefits, including visas, through perceived fraud or misrepresentation is permanently barred from entering the USA. In cases like this, you can try to revisit these findings with the consulate, but these are long, drawn out battles and difficult to win. Temporary visits may be possible with something called a 212 (d) (3) waiver.
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Discussion Topics, Thursday 8 February 2018:
FAQ: H-1B or other status denied - what is my status?|| Can I get H4 visa stamping while the H1 to H4 change of status is still pending? ||AC 21 job portability, changing jobs before 180 days || AC 21 job portability, changing jobs before 180 days || National interest waiver (NIW) filing when priority date is not current || Other: Fixing I 20 problems ||L-1A amendment issues ||changing from H-1B to F1 ||Reentry permit and N-470 || multiple H-1B filings for the lottery/quota ||returning back to old H-1B employer if H-1B transfer is denied ||Impact of terminated deportation proceedings, logistics ||impact of revocation of I 140, EB-1C filing || Entering the United States on H-1B without a job || Client address change, DS160 filing || H-4 EAD and H-1 questions
FAQs: Traveled on Advance Parole - Maintaining H-1B status without going for stamping and filing multiple I-485 or Interfiling || Green card application for parents during tourist visa || How are PERM minimum job requirements determined? || Extending or Renewing F-1 student visa risks and requirements || Various Interfiling Issues ||
Discussion Topics:
As per I-94, parents are admitted until 8th August 2022 for their B2 visa. We just sent the I-130/I-485 documents to USCIS.
Q1. What happens if there is no receipt generated till 7th August? Do parents have to leave the country?
Q2. If receipt is generated after they have left the country, what happens to the GC process?
Q3. If receipt is generated in time then what is the process to extend their stay or are they automatically eligible to stay till the GC process is completed?
1. Your obligation is complete when the government physically receives your papers with the proper filing fees. After that, if they delay in creating the receipt it's really not your problem. As long as you can show that the papers were sent and received by the government.
2. The answer is No. Let's say that they did leave, then they’re I-130 would still go on but their I-485 would be abandoned and you would have to convert the case to consular processing.
3. They are automatically eligible to stay because once their I-485 is timely filed, they are considered to be an authorized period of stay. They cannot be illegal as long as the I-485 is pending.
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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 on an F-1 visa. I just need to know what are the consequences of working without authorization. I have a situation due to a hardship problem during the Covid times, I worked for one and a half months (approximately I don't remember exactly). I had a loan that paid my tuition but during the Covid times the bank from my hometown denied the transfer of funds. So, for that particular period I worked because I did not have a choice. All of my family members were fighting the worst covid situation at that time. There are five people in my family; four were in the hospital for weeks. I was not aware that working without authorization is a serious violation of my status.
In the future when I apply for H-1B or apply for OPT, what kind of consequences do I face? What are my options to get out of this situation? Can we get one pardon from the USCIS for this mistake?
The DSO could assist you in this matter and figure something out. But be prepared to leave the United States and secure a job if possible. Keep applying for an H-1B and if you ever get through the lottery and you get an H-1B approval make sure that you reveal in your visa papers that there was a violation. Be truthful about it. Remember this is not a ground for denying your H-1B. Therefore H-1B is definitely a possibility, but getting back the student status may be difficult.
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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 been in the U.S since 2017 and my F1 visa expires this month due to the 5 year validity period.
1. I graduate in December 2022, so is there any risk in renewing my visa this summer? Any chance of rejections?
2. What is the risk involved in renewing my F1 visa in another country besides my country of citizenship? I lived my whole life as a resident in another country without citizenship, but am no longer a resident there, so was wondering if renewing there is fine?
3. Is renewing an F1 visa necessary for OPT? I believe it's not necessary. Is renewing an F1 visa necessary to apply for H-1B and Green card?
1. First of all, unless you are traveling you do not have to renew your visa. If the visa expires while you're still completing your course, it's absolutely no problem.
2. Technically, once your F-1 has been granted, any country should be able to renew it.
3. It is not necessary for both your queries.
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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. Can I have multiple employers i.e. jobs in the first year of OPT and also after getting STEM OPT extension?
2. Can all my employers start my green process simultaneously?
3. If H-1B COS is approved through one employer i.e. switched from OPT to H-1B, can I still continue other jobs and GC process with them? If not, is there a way to continue all jobs?
4. Does it make a green card case stronger if the sponsoring employer is a big renowned company like Microsoft or Amazon? Also, what about if the company is small?
5. Does OPT, STEM, and H-1B allow you to do a job that allows remote work from within the U.S. regardless of the pandemic? Is such a job eligible for H-1B and green card sponsorship?
1. Yes. STEM OPT people can also have more than one concurrent job, but they have to work with their DSO's to make sure the paperwork is filed properly.
2. Yes, as long as there is a good faith intention to join any one of these employers who can get your green card.
3. Yes, you can. You can have multiple H-1B approvals living together in the same space.
4. It does not impact the speed of the green card. What is most important is the company's financial solvency.
5. Remote work is possible for both OPT STEM, H-1B and Green Card jobs.
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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. Is H-1B visa stamping required?
2. Can an H-1B visa be obtained while remaining in the US?
3. Can an H-1B visa be rejected?
1. The answer is No. It is only required if you travel outside.
2. It is a good idea to check with the consulate and they will respond through emails.
3. Absolutely.
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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 a staff in University of Pittsburgh and still have 3 more years to complete 6 yrs of my H1B. H1B sponsorship is an issue for me getting a new job.
1) When I apply for a NIW -EB2, can I simultaneously apply for I140, EAD, 485 simultaneously?
2) Although the green card date for Indians with EB2 is not current, can USCIS approve my EAD much earlier ( may be within a year) compared to approving 485 which might take several years?
3) Further can I use that approved EAD to change jobs by bypassing H1B sponsorship?
1. No because the dates are not current. If your country of birth is India you cannot file them together.
2. No because you can't get I-485 filed.
3. Remember NIW is not bound to a particular job except for physicians. Doctors are different, but NIW for non physician employment is not tied to a particular position you can change jobs as many times as you like as long as you are still working in the area of 'intrinsic merit' which is the basis of your filing.
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Is it considered a violation of F-1 status to be on "unpaid leaves of absence" instead of being unemployed while waiting for OPT approval?
In my opinion, if you go on leave without pay you are only entitled to benefits or not even benefits as long as you are not working. I do not consider this to be a violation of the student status.
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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.