Discussion Topics, Thursday, September 30, 2021:
FAQ: Obtaining student or visitor's visa while a green card is pending || Continuing to use H-1B when I return on Advance Parole || Nuances of changing employers during the green card process || Green card holder working on multiple jobs - Is it legal? || How long can green card holders stay outside the U.S.? || Effect of a career change on naturalization process and timing.
Discussion Topics, Thursday, October 14, 2021:
FAQ: Reentering the U.S.A. on a Visitor’s/Tourist Visa Soon After Leaving || Can GC-EAD holder start business and what impact on the pending I-485? || FAQ: Can GC-EAD holders start a business and what impact on the pending I-485? || Is there a problem listing one location in a PERM application while living and working remotely in a different location? || EB-2/EB-3 Options in PERM Filing and EB-2 to EB-3 downgrade and upgrade
Processing Queue | Priority Date |
---|---|
Analyst Review | May 2021 |
Audit Review | November 2020 |
Reconsideration Request to the CO | May 2021 |
Was just wondering if there could be any issues with my prospective PERM application if I am living and working remotely in Minneapolis (consistent with my H-1Blocation) and my employer in Dallas files the PERM application using Dallas as the work location. I am open to eventually relocating to Dallas, so just wondering if this could cause any delays or RFEs for the PERM. Do you think it would be a better option to file an H-1B amendment with Dallas as the work location, and then go through with the PERM or it doesn't matter?
It is not a problem as long as these two scenarios are followed. First of all you could be working in location X and the PERM is filed for location Y as long as you have the intention to join the location Y you can file even though you are currently working at location X.
The interesting thing is once the I-485 is filed and the I-140 is approved after 180 days of the I-485 you can choose to be wherever you want to be because you are allowed to port your green card. The only requirement is when you start the PERM. File the I-140 and the I- 485. Your intention throughout was to work at location Y but after 180 days if the intention changes it is absolutely no problem.
The second scenario which is very common is when you have consulting jobs and you could be moving from a month to a year with no predictability where you are going to be, it is normally recommended and legally allowed to file the PERM application as though your job is located in the corporate headquarters or principal place of business. More...
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.
Q: 1. If the Priority date is current in EB-3 then my I-140 and I-485 can be filed EB3 (Lower it) but you said that after EB-3 will come then I should file I-140 in EB-2. Not sure about the whole concept, if possible can you elaborate in more detail?
2. Can I-140 be filed in EB-2 and EB-3 together? Or I-140 can be filed in EB-3 first once it gets approval in EB-3 and then need to file in EB-2 or vice versa.
3. My company attorney told me that once I downgrade to EB3 then I can't upgrade to EB2.
A: 1. You can always downgrade if you start your case in a higher category, but if you file your case in the lower category it's not possible to upgrade without refiling.
2. The answer is yes, although I like to do it separately for several reasons, most of all to avoid confusion, but now the government is well aware of these downgrades and I think you could file both of them together as two separate filings.
3. They must be saying something different as that is not true. If your PERM was filed as an EB-2 and I-140 was approved as an EB-3 you can always go back to EB-2 by filing another I-140 under EB-2. More...
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.
Discussion Topics, Thursday, October 28, 2021:
FAQ: Change of jobs with an approved I-140 from employer A and Reapplying PERM through B || Impact of reportees outside the U.S. or in third countries on L-1A and EB-1 petitions || Are L-1B visa holders eligible to work remotely? || Approved EB-2/EB-3: Interfiling/upgrading to EB-2 with employers A and B || Working outside the U.S. for four months with a recently issued green card || Documents needed by and anticipated questions for green card holders at the port of entry
I have an approved I-140 from my old employer 'A' with a priority date from 2017. Now I am working for employer 'B'. I have a couple of questions about this:
i) Is it worth doing my PERM here through employer 'B' again if I plan to change jobs soon (maybe in a year or so)?
ii) Are there any benefits of doing the PERM now through employer 'B'?
iii) Or would you suggest doing the PERM with my next employer and not bother with the PERM through employer 'B'?
If you are likely to keep moving employers, you could hold off until you know where you will be working long term. You already have a priority date. The date is not likely to become current soon, although freak fluctuations do occur. It makes sense to wait to file PERM again once you are in a long-term position. More...
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.
Discussion Topics:
Processing Queue | Priority Date |
---|---|
Analyst Review | June 2021 |
Audit Review | January 2021 |
Reconsideration Request to the CO | June 2021 |
We assisted a client company in filing an EB-2-based PERM. The submitted ETA Form 9089 was selected for an audit by DOL. They requested evidence/explanation as to why only the specified combination of a higher degree and significant years of experience were required, beyond the normal requirements defined by O*Net, a source of occupational data often cited by the government.
I am in a situation where my current employer has filed PERM and as per the timelines there are high chances that it will be approved till January. And as per immigration team in the current company says it could take a week or two to file for I-140. I am going to pay for premium processing. But at the same time, I have accepted an offer from another company and the start date is 31st January. I am sure that I-140 would not get approved till then. Can I pay for premium processing, leave after they file the I-140 and before it gets approved? Will it go through?
PS: As per company's policies they don't revoke I-140 of the employees if they leave before 6 months.
Theoretically, an I-140 does not require you to be continued to be employed by the petitioning employer. You could leave after applying, but if there is an RFE, the employer would not be motivated to respond to it. As a practical matter, there is a second difficulty as well.
Note: Unless the context shows otherwise, all answers here were provided by Rajiv and were compiled and reported by our editorial team from comments and blog on immigration.com
I contacted immigration.com., and got an email back the next day, and phone consult set up with Rajiv Khanna two days later. He was extremely helpful, explaining to me the weaknesses and opportunities of my case, and actually gave me some reference point to talk to my employer. I am grateful to Rajiv and his staff for their assistance, and would wholeheartedly recommend them to anyone looking for quality legal opinion on their immigration cases.
Hi i am from Greece i had a telephone conversation with Mr Khanna about EB1 and EB2 and NIW he was very helpful explaining to me that applications for the above are quite difficult for sb that has only a masters degree hence under his guidance i decided to do an MBA and later with his help to get H1B and apply for the green card. thanks , sotiris
What happens if your H-1 expires before the PERM audit is cleared by DOL. Are we supposed to leave country. I have 20 months of H-1 life left to reach 6 years and my LABOR is in AUDIT status I am just wondering if I get an extension or will I be checked out of USA.
While a PERM audit or even an appeal against a denial after the audit is pending, you would still be entitled to H-1 extensions beyond six years.
After a PERM DOL certification petition has been filed for an EB-2 application for someone currently on H1-B, at what stage is it safe to change employers without affecting the application process? In other words, will change in employer mean starting the process anew?
I had a conference call with Mr. Khanna. I from India and have done my PhD. I was interested in filing for Green card through EB1 or NIW category. However, after looking at my CV he advised me that my case is not strong enough for either of the two. He said that whether I get the green card or not the lawyer will get paid, so I should be careful in selecting a category to file my green card under. This honesty really impressed me about him. I will take more legal advise before reaching a conclusion but at least Mr. Khanna was honest enough to give me his frank opinion and not take me for a ride as I have read about other attorneys / law firms. Thank you Mr. Khanna for your time !
Thanks Sushila. You did a wonderful job in filing the labor.
I appreciate Mr. Rajiv Khanna & his team for their honest & sincere effort to handle my GC case. Before I came to know about Mr. Khanna I worked with several other immigration lawyers. Converting my status from F1 to H1 to GC was a long & complicated process & sometimes was quite frustrating. When Mr. Khanna & his team started handling my case, immediately I realized that he could handle my situation better than any other lawyers I met before. Sound knowledge, great team, honesty & excellent customer support are the strong points of his team. It was always easy to communicate & work with his team. I will always strongly recommend his name to everyone who needs help about immigration.
My labor certification just got approved today.We applied for it on June 26th so it took exactly 75 days.I just want to thank Law offices of Rajiv Khanna for their professional services.They have been very efficient and I am looking forward for the rest of the process with them.
I had a very good experience. I hopped to a 10 minute conversation with Rajiv Khanna where he answered my questions around GC maintenance, adoption, etc. This first call was at no charge.
CIS Ombudsman recommends USCIS to strengthen the Special Immigrant Juveniles (SIJ) program by standardizing practices, stop RFEs on state court determinations of dependency, and issue guidance regarding adequate evidence.
Please check the attachment to see the CIS Ombudsman Recommendation.
My ETA form 9089 (PERM) has been certified in the record time of just 5(!) business days after it was filed by your office. Special credit goes to my case manager Ms. Richa Narang and also to Mr. Rajiv Khanna for their restless dedication, diligence, and hard work. You guys have shined by meticulously closing any possible gap there could have been in executing the filing documents. Your advise has been prompt and refreshing. it was always in plain English and right on point on the law without overcomplicating things. Your patience is unmatched. This overall impression echoes the experience I have made when we filed the h-1b for my wife who received her visa in less than a month after filing. I look forward to tackling the next stage (I-140) knowing that things will almost run on auto-pilot. Best wishes to your entire team for 2011. Thanks, Chris Alberti
Green Card Through the Help Haiti Act of 2010 |
On December 9, 2010, President Obama signed into law the Help Haitian Adoptees Immediately to Integrate Act of 2010 (Help HAITI Act of 2010). This new law will make it possible for certain Haitian orphans paroled into the United States to become lawful permanent residents (LPR) of the United States and get green cards. Applications to get a green card under this law may be filed at any time on or before December 9, 2013.
I was really excited when I heard from Amrita that my labor certification has been approved so quickly. I would like to thank Mr. Khanna and his staff for their dedicated support in this regards. I am expecting the same level of support from you for the rest of green card process.