If USCIS conducts an on-site inspection as a condition of approving an R-1 Visa application, what will this involve?
The on-site inspection may include the following:
1. A tour of the organization’s facilities and, if appropriate, the organization’s headquarters or satellite location;
2. An interview with the organization’s officials;
3. A review of the organization’s records related to compliance with immigration laws and regulations; and
I am currently in the U.S. on an R-1 visa. Can I file my immigrant petition and my petition to adjust status to that of permanent resident at the same time?
No. Religious workers are not permitted to file Form I-360 (immigrant petition) concurrently with Form I-485 (petition to adjust status to permanent resident). You must wait until your I-360 is approved before you can file you Form I-485.
After an onsite inspection of our facility was conducted, we received a “Notice of Intent to Deny” for our R-1 petition. Is this an actual denial of the petition, or is there any other action that we can take to try to still have the petition approved?
If an onsite inspection yields derogatory information not known to the petitioner, USCIS will issue a “Notice of Intent to Deny” the petition. The petitioner may submit additional documentation to rebut the derogatory evidence. If the petition is then denied, the denial may be appealed to the USCIS Administrative Appeals Office.
I am currently in R-1 status. This is my first 30-month extension. Is it true that I will not be able to get another extension when this R-1 extension expires?
An alien who has spent five years in the United States in R-1 status may not be readmitted to or receive an extension of stay in the United States under the R visa classification, unless the alien has resided abroad and has been physically present outside the United States for the immediate prior year. However, if you were outside
I came to U.S by J-1 visa and now I am married to a U.S citizen.I got married in the first month here and my DS form will expire after 2 months. What will be my status?
Two concerns:
1. Your J-1 visa must not be subject to the two-year HRR; and
2) You must not have had a pre-conceived intention to get married when you entered the USA.
Both are serious issues. Consult a lawyer please.
Effective immediately, all K visa applicants are required to complete the DS-160 Online Nonimmigrant Visa Application. The DS-160 replaces forms DS-156, DS-156K, and DS-230.
For K visa cases already in process at a U.S.
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) advises the public that Public Law 112-176, signed by the President on Sept. 28, 2012, extends the following USCIS programs until Sept. 30, 2015:
Program Details
Will I be able to file my R-1 petition using premium processing?
Premium Processing will be permitted only for those petitioners who have previously completed a successful on-site inspection at the location where the beneficiary will be employed.
My current R-1 visa is valid for only 30 months. Will I be able to renew this visa?
An extension of an R-1 status may be granted for up to an additional 30 months. The total stay in the United States in an R-1 status cannot exceed 60 months (5 years).
I want to obtain a position in the U.S. as a religious worker. Can I file for an R-1 visa for myself?
Every petition for a nonimmigrant religious worker (R-1) classification must be initiated by a prospective or existing employer.
I am trying to obtain an R-visa, and I read that a copy of a religious worker’s certificate of ordination must be included with a petition for an R-visa. The religious denomination that I belong to does not require any special theological education. What can my prospective employer include with my petition to satisfy this requirement?
If the denomination does not require a prescribed theological education, provide the religious denomination’s requirements for ordination to minister, a list of duties performed by virtue of ordination, the denomination’s levels of ordination, if any, and evidence of the religious worker’s completion of the denomination’s requirements for ordination.
My R-1, my family’s R-2 petitions, and the I-360 for my EB-4 were filed with USCIS in April and we have not heard anything except for receiving Receipt Notices. How much longer will it be before we have a decision from USCIS?
The USCIS website shows that processing times for both the R-1/R-2
If USCIS issues a Notice of Intent to Deny after the onsite inspection, is there any way that an R-1 petition can still be approved?
If an onsite inspection yields derogatory information not known to the petitioner, USCIS will issue a Notice of Intent to Deny the petition. The petitioner may submit additional documentation to rebut the derogatory evidence. In addition, if the petition is denied, the denial may be appealed to the USCIS Administrative Appeals Office.
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
We assisted our client, a nonprofit religious organization, in filing a nonimmigrant religious worker (R-1) petition for a new pastor. We received a Request for Evidence (RFE) in which USCIS questioned the petitioner's ability to compensate the beneficiary. We responded with additional documentation supporting Petitioner’s ability to pay and its nonprofit status, such as bank statements and a final determination letter granting tax-exempt status as issued by the IRS. The case was approved.
Release Date
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is issuing policy guidance in the USCIS Policy Manual to reorganize and expand on existing guidance related to special immigrant and nonimmigrant religious workers.
FAQ: Entering the U.S. on a visitor visa while green card is pending |Qualifying for Visa Waiver Program (VWP) | Spouse visa through H-1, L-1, or O-1 | Any special visas for UK, EU, Singapore, Dubai or Australia || Qualifying for EB-1C green card by working abroad for a year | Expected processing times for EB-1C for an L-1A visa holder from India || Consequences of employer withdrawing I-485 Supplement J || Layoff while on an H-1B visa - what if I cannot find a job in 60 days?
Discussion Topics:
FAQs: Job loss situation - Alternatives and return options for H-1B visa holders with approved I-140 || Remote work for a U.S. startup: Starting off on managerial duties from India before L-1 visa filing
1. | Legal fees (for our Office) | $2,600 payable at the commencement of the case |
2. | Filing fees (to the USCIS) for Form I-129 |
$1,015 (for companies with 26 or more employees) |
I would like to express my great appreciation to the Law Offices of Rajiv S. Khanna, P.C. for their excellence in assisting us in the visa process for our Pastor of Spanish Ministries. We have received the type of quality care that one might expect as if they were obtaining these visas for their own family. They have been meticulously careful in "crossing every T and dotting every I." I wholeheartedly recommend their qulaity team for any immigration need. Over the processs, I have worked with multiple team members, including Mr. Khanna, and have always been treated with the warm, friendly, expertise that was needed in all circumstances. Kudos to all of those on this team!