Feb 3, 2022 Free US Immigration Community Conference Call with Rajiv (Every Other Thursday)
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Discussion topics:
Discussion topics:
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
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?
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.
I have been on H-1B for the past 16 years. Recently received my I-485 EAD after downgrading from EB-2 to EB-3. Can I work full time for my own company now in the same field or Do I still need to have an employer, if I am ok to give up H-1 status?
Theoretically at least, the answer is “yes”. The government clearly allows that, but there are a lot of wrinkles. Talk with the lawyer and make sure you understand all the nuances, including employer-employee relationship, genuine job offer etc., and then you can do it. I do not see any reason why you cannot.
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.
My EB-2 was downgraded to EB-3 in Oct 2020 and the attorney marked the amended box ( "To amend a previously filed petition") as checked.
Timeline:
I received the EAD combo card in Dec 2021. Changed the Employer (though transferred H-1) using AC21 after way more than 180 days of pending 485
My PD is June 30, 2012 Now that EB3 is retrogressed and stuck in Jan 2012., I wanted to know
1. If I interfile EB2. Will it be rejected as the amended box was checked when downgraded?
2. If we interfile, will there be an impact on the EB-3, in case they reject it
3. What is the best way now to have both EB-2 and EB-3 run side by side. What is the fastest way to get to GC in my case?
1. First of all you cannot interfile because you are not with that employer who holds your EB-2 I-140. Regarding rejection, you are right.
2. It could be.
3.Have your new employer start a new case. Start from PERM upwards.
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.
What exactly is interfiling?
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.
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:
Discussion Topics:
FAQ: What is the meaning of a US “visa canceled without prejudice”? || I have an Approved I-140 from a previous job. My new employer has initiated the PERM. How can I make sure that the attorneys use the priority date from my old I-140? || What are the chances of an H-1B visa (STEM OPT) after completing Masters in the U.S? || H-1B visa holder travels abroad (Canada) for work sometimes; is an H-1B amendment required for change of address or location abroad?
I am currently on F-1 Stem OPT, and my H1B got approved this year a few days back. My current company is shutting down its operations and moving everything to Mexico.
1. They have given me the last date of employment as 31st October 2022. So my question is how soon can I change my employer and can I transfer my H1B to a new employer before 1st October 2022?
2. Also, if I can do my visa transfer only after October 1st 2022,?
3. Can I do that with 1 paystub, or will I require 2 paystubs?
1. You are fine because you are going into the fiscal year of the government, which begins on October 1st and that makes you exempt from the H-1B quota forever.
2. You can change your employer even now if your current employer won't revoke before October 1st. If you are nervous about that you can file for a transfer after October 1st.
3. You do not need any particular number of pay stubs.
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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.
Impact of alternate wage survey for H-1B LCA; the success rates of H-1B extensions; AC21 rule when the company is bought by a successor-in-interest
One cannot use any wage survey to convince the government that one’s wage survey is as good as the government's own. I think there are about ten requirements that the wage survey must meet. A few requirements are for example the survey must be conducted by a reliable third party, the survey must not be more than two years old, you should be using the most recent copy of the survey, it must have a significant statistical pool from which the survey was conducted. These are a few requirements.
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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.
H-1B visa holder travels abroad (Canada) for work sometimes; is an H-1B amendment required for change of address or location abroad?
The bottom line is there is no law that requires you to have an H-1B if you are working from a country other than the USA. Now if you go to Canada and you are a citizen of India and you do not have any work visa in Canada you will probably need a work visa in Canada. But sitting in Canada you could work for a U.S. company. Also the intermittent H-1B allows you to visit the U.S. for a few days as well as months. This is even allowed under the law. I therefore do not see any problem in working from abroad and coming to the USA intermittently.
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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.
What are the chances of an H-1B visa (STEM OPT) after completing Masters in the U.S?
One is not sure what the laws are going to be or what the procedures are going to be in another few years. Congress is keenly aware of the perceived shortcomings in the H-1B process. Things might change by that time. It appears to me that having three tries through STEM and having a Master's degree improves your chances.
Please see my blogs and articles for more information.
https://www.immigration.com/blogs
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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.
Discussion Topics:
FAQ: Was Green Card approved in error? Time taken by the USCIS to respond to an E request for correction, travel?|| Entry into the U.S. using the Advance Parole after green card approval during a trip abroad ||