USCIS Modifies H-1B Selection Process to Prioritize Wages
Release Date 01/07/2021
Rule Expected to Protect the Economic Interests of American Workers
Release Date 01/07/2021
Rule Expected to Protect the Economic Interests of American Workers
Discussion Topics, Dec 17 Community Call
FAQs: Pending I-485 Petitions and 180 Day Portability Rule || Supplement J timing and joining previous Employer || Eligibility for and the process of EB-3 to EB-2 Porting || Job Change after I-140 Approval, Before I-485 Submission |||| Loss of H-1B Job and Opting for B-2 Visa || Delay litigation/Mandamus
Other Topics : CSPA (Child Status Protection Act) Age Calculation and Updating DS-260 Immigrant Visa Electronic Application || H-1B and Green Card Process with a Payroll Issue || Permits for Dependents with SOFA (Status Of Forces Agreements) Status || Moving from Canada to the USA with L-1 Visa || Advance Parole and EAD Renewal Applications || H-1B Petition was Approved, but the Extension of Stay Denied || Per-Country Quota Limitation for Employment-based Immigrant Act || H-4 Litigation and H-4 EAD Application Pending
Discussion Topics, Jan 7, 2021
FAQ: Visitor, Tourist, B-2 visa extensions and multiple extensions
Other Topics : 180 Day Portability Rule || Dependent Numbers Effects on Per-country Numerical Limitation for Employment-based Immigrant Visas || Advance Parole Impact on H-1B and H4 status || Consequences of Leaving U.S. with Expired L2 Visa and Expired L2 EAD while I-539 and I-765 Petitions are Pending ||Visitor Visa Extension for Parent with Expired 1-94 and at High Risk for COVID || Determining Whether H-1 Petition was Revoked by H-1 Sponsor || Starting a New Business After I-140 Approval While on H-1B Visa || Citizenship Process and Request for Diversity Files from 2001 || Impact of Advanced Parole on H-1B Parents/H4 Children While AOS Pending || Regarding Return Ticket for B2 Visiting Visa Extension || H-1B and I-94 Expired in Dec. H-1B Extension Pending. Impacts if a New Employer Files H-1B Premium Processing || Follow up: AOS, Consular Processing Delay: "Administrative Processing"
Following is an excerpt from a Radio Show with Rajiv S. Khanna:
"I think these regulations will get frozen and I think we will be able to revert to our last year's lottery system and we'll be able to make it through this year but I also think that it's going to be a comprehensive legal immigration reform".
Watch the complete video here:
FAQs:
I-485 AOS filed - Maintaining H-1B status after getting EAD/Changing jobs after I-485/Being unemployed/Start own business, etc. (Filed for I-485, EAD, AP along with EB-2 to EB-3 I-140 downgrade)
Other Topics :
Maintaining green card status outside the USA during the COVID-19 pandemic || Filed for I-485, EAD, AP along with EB-2 to EB-3 I-140 downgrade and maintaining H-1B status after getting EAD || Receiving green card in a few months on the EB-1C/L-1A route and consequences of changing jobs or leaving job immediately after green card approval || H-1 Visa Laid-Off repercussions, F-1 pending - 60 day grace period || Investing in real estate property, stocks and day trading in the USA with an LLC || Employer not willing to file I-824 to support filing Adjustment of Status (AoS) || Currently on J-1 visa and PERM application is in process: Type of waiver, if needed, to present for same-sex spouse who is on J-2 || H-4 to F-1 and biometrics appointment schedule || H-1B Cap exempt and spouse on H-4 EAD seeking a job || Unemployed on H-4, filed I-485 AOS as a Principal Applicant with Supplement J || How to ensure application in process and get A#. || Spouse currently studying on H-4, applying for her F-1 Visa. Both I-140s approved. Will not going on an H-4 EAD create issues? || Applying for citizenship for Parents with green card and continuous residence issues || F-1 visa expires while waiting for marriage-based green card.
Jan 27, 2021 Radio Show with Rajiv S. Khanna Topics of discussion:
Wage hike rule that raised required wages disproportionately has been delayed to May 14 (beyond this year's H-1B lottery). Future proposed changes for STEM graduates and pending green cards.
Subscribe to our YouTube channel for latest immigration updates in Biden AdministrationThe URL for the channel is:http://youtube.com/immigrationdotcom
On Jan. 8, 2025, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services issued guidance in the Policy Manual, Vol.
SUBSCRIBE to Immigration.com YouTube Channel for further updates.
mmigration.com, Law Offices of Rajiv S. Khanna PC, US Immigration Attorney
SUBSCRIBE to Immigration.com YouTube Channel for further updates.
mmigration.com, Law Offices of Rajiv S. Khanna PC, US Immigration Attorney
The Department of Homeland Security’s H-1B final rule and H-2 final rule take effect on Friday, Jan.
I am in the US with an approved COS from B2 to F1, so my F1 visa is yet to be stamped on my (Indian)Passport.
1. My STEM masters program is for 9 months, and my I20 has a start and end date of 2 years(2026). Do I have to stamp before the end of 2 years to avail myself of the OPT and STEM validity?
2.I might have to visit a family member in Canada sometime in mid-2025 after my master's program has started. Is it advisable to go to Canada since I do not have the F1 stamped on my Visa? If I can visit, then will I require a different visa?
3. Is it possible for me to schedule my F1 Visa stamping in Canada during the visit? Or would you advise something different here? Or is it better to get it stamped in Mexico?
If you are on an F-1 visa converted from B-2, your visa stamp is only necessary if you plan to travel outside the U.S. While in the U.S., your status is governed by your I-94, which typically says "DS" (duration of status) and remains valid as long as you maintain your student status.
If traveling briefly to Canada or Mexico for under 30 days, you can use Automatic Visa Revalidation (AVR) to return without a visa stamp, provided you haven’t applied for and been refused a visa during your visit. Scheduling visa stamping in Canada is risky—if denied, you lose AVR eligibility and must return to India to reapply.
I have accepted the first company’s offer, and it has filed for my H1B transfer. Now, I want to sign an offer from Company two and potentially join it. So, should I make the company speed up the process and delay joining the company in order not to get issues during the green card process? What if the company forces me to join?
You can file multiple H-1B transfers simultaneously, and it's legal. Approval of one transfer doesn’t obligate you to join that employer, nor does it affect your existing H-1B status with your current employer. You can choose to join any employer whose transfer gets approved, provided all transfers were filed while you were in valid status with your current employer.
However, if your H-1B validity is close to expiring (e.g., within 6 months), later-filed transfers may require "bridge petitions" to maintain continuity of status. Consult an immigration lawyer to ensure proper handling and avoid complications.
I worked in the US for the last 3 years on STEM OPT but did not get selected in the H1B lotteries. I returned to India in June 2024 and have been working with the same company since then. My employer plans to file my L1A visa petition after July 2025.
Can I also participate in the upcoming H1B lottery?
Would applying for the H1B affect my L1A petition?
Additionally, given that I have worked outside the U.S. for a year within the last five years with the same company, is it possible to transition from H1B to L1A status?
Yes, L-1A holders or applicants can also apply for the H-1B lottery. Filing for H-1B will not impact your L-1A application unless there’s a discrepancy in the job descriptions for the two applications.
Additionally, if you’ve worked outside the U.S. for at least one year in a managerial role, you can transition from H-1B to L-1A later.
My status: H1B + i140 approved (6 months completed)
Wife's status: H4 (applied for H4-EAD in July 2024)
My wife has a small business In India that she operates from here. She is currently in India (has been in India since Nov'24) and is traveling back to US (Jan'25) via Abu Dhabi.
1. Is she allowed to work for her India company in US? Everything she earns is in INR
2. If asked at port of entry, do you work in India, should she say yes or no?
An H-4 visa holder operating a small business in India from the U.S. could potentially violate their visa status, even if earnings are in Indian rupees. At the port of entry, honesty is essential—lying could lead to a permanent U.S. entry ban, which is hard to waive.
While it's unclear if this constitutes a status violation, it’s a borderline case. To avoid risks, it’s advisable not to engage in such activities while on H-4 status.
SUBSCRIBE to Immigration.com YouTube Channel for further updates.
mmigration.com, Law Offices of Rajiv S. Khanna PC, US Immigration Attorney