Can Student Visa Holders Apply for a Green Card?
This article was submitted to and published in The Economic Times.
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08 July 2021: Free US Immigration Community Conference Call with Rajiv (Every Other Thursday)
Nonimmigrant Visas
Green Card
Discussion Topics, Thursday, July 08, 2021:
FAQ: I-140 Employment Authorization (EAD) in Compelling Circumstances || Criminal Charges in Immigration - Domestic Violence Laws and Risk in Applying for I-485
Applicants for Change of Status to F-1 Student No Longer Need to Submit Subsequent Applications to ‘Bridge the Gap’
Release Date
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services today announced new policy guidance that eliminates the need for individuals who have applied for a change of status (COS) to F-1 student to apply to change or extend their nonimmigrant status while their initial F-1 COS application is pending.
22 July 2021: Free US Immigration Community Conference Call with Rajiv (Every Other Thursday)
Immigration.com
Green Card
Discussion Topics, Thursday, July 22, 2021:
Feb 3, 2022 Free US Immigration Community Conference Call with Rajiv (Every Other Thursday)
Citizenship and Naturalization
Green Card
Discussion topics:
Success in responding to a Request for Evidence after filing an E-3 Petition
We assisted in responding to an RFE questioning the employer’s educational requirements for an E-3 (Specialty Occupation Workers from Australia) Petition filed for a software developer position.
Success in filing an L-1A “new office” petition
We successfully assisted the client company, an online retail business, in filing an L-1A “new office” petition to enable the beneficiary to join the U.S. subsidiary temporarily as Chief Executive Officer to lead the development and formulation of the U.S. Entity’s short and long-term strategy. While in the U.S.
Nonimmigrant Visas
Agency
Feb 17, 2022, Free US Immigration Community Conference Call with Rajiv (Every Other Thursday)
Immigration.com
Nonimmigrant Visas
Green Card
Discussion Topics, February 17, 2022
FAQ's: Left while Extension pending. B-1/B-2 visa inspection at the airport by the CBP and repercussions || Interfiling || Interfiling and AC21 Portability || Interfiling, Returning to Old Employer
Left while Extension pending. B-1/B-2 visa inspection at the airport by the CBP and repercussions
Question details
We live in Delaware. We had extended my parent's B2 Visa twice in the past. Once in 2016 and it was approved. Second time in 2018, but they went back to India before the decision on extension. For the second extension, we got a letter from USCIS stating, "Since they left the country, USCIS is not approving the extension, However they can travel again"
Again in 2019, they came and left the US in 6 months.
This year, they came last week on Jan 31 2022, but CBP in Philadelphia airport took them for inspection at the port of entry. After a long wait time, CBP came back and told them that they had overstayed and they had canceled their B2 Visa. CBP gave a letter that they can stay for three months and leave the country before April 30.
Though we followed the process defined, we are really not sure why they canceled the visa.
With this situation, Can you please advise what is our option,
1. Can we appeal for visa reinstatement?
2. Can we go back to the country and apply for a B2 Visa again in May ? Or should we wait for some time before applying again?
FAQ Transcript
I think you should bring this up to your congressman's office. Maybe you can even tell them what you heard from me that this is an inappropriate application of 222(g), within the Department of State standard operating procedures that's called FAM (Foreign Affairs Manual) it clearly says if you leave while the application is pending you are not subject to 222(g).
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.
Interfiling - Job change after I-140 approval with priority date current and issues with H-1B transfer and H-1B extensions
Question details
I am on H-1B visa with employer A. Have approved I-140 with priority date as Oct 2015 under EB-2. Looks like EB-2 can hit 2015 by the end of this year. With that in mind, Below are my questions:
1) Suggestions on switching employers when PD is nearing anytime soon. If I switch to employer B, what if my PD becomes current before employer B I-140 is approved? How long can I wait after my priority date becomes current to file I-485 with employer B I-140?
2) Will there be any issues for H-1B transfer and further H-1B extensions with employer B when the new PERM/I-140 is still under process?
FAQ Transcript
If you have changed employers priority date with the old employer becomes current you could go back and join them, if you have a good explanation why you left them in the first place.
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.
USCIS will no longer accept a single combined payment on certain forms filed together with an H-1B or H-1B1 petition
For all H-1B and H-1B1 petitions received on or after April 1, 2022, USCIS will no longer accept a single, combined fee payment when Form I-539, Application to Extend/Change Nonimmigrant Status; Form I-765, Application for Employment Authorization; or Form I-824, Application for Action on an Approved Application or Petition, is filed together with an H-1B or H-1B1 petition (Form I-129, Petition for a Nonimmigrant Worker). Each of these forms received by USCIS on or after April 1 must have its own fee payment instrument or USCIS will reject the entire package.
USCIS Reaches Fiscal Year 2022 H-1B Cap
Release Date
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) 2022.
USCIS has completed sending non-selection notifications to registrants’ online accounts. The status for registrations properly submitted for the FY 2022 H-1B numerical allocations, but that were not selected, will now show: