USCIS has changed the direct filing addresses for where to file certain forms for beneficiaries who will be working or training in Florida, Georgia, or North Carolina. The changes are as follows:
FAQ: Changing back to F-1 student status after filing for green card; I-94 given for duration shorter than entitled; H-1B amendment when change of cities; Impact of traveling while H-1 extension is pending; Birth certificate non-availability, affidavit; Changing jobs after I-140 approval; STEM OPT extension for consulting or staffing companies; Effect of divorce on an employment-based case and cross-chargeability; Transferring H-1 subject to cap, cap-gap extension; Remedy for denial of I-485 AOS; Sued by employer.
Other: Effect on relative petition if petitioner loses their green card; Revocation of I-140; Porting priority date; Changing jobs H-1 or EAD, converting from EAD to H-1; F-2 out of status converting to H-4; H-4 family traveling while H-1 extension is pending; CAP-GAP extension and drivers license; Effect of relocation to India during green card processing; Visa stamping for H-4 out of status, etc.
Topics for Discussion:
FAQ: J-2 or J-1 with 212(e) HRR converting to F-1 student; FAQ: For PERM is formal certificate required or completion of degree is enough; Correcting dates on I-94; Travel while H-1 extension pending – change in I-94#; Changing employers - what immigration documents should I keep; FAQ: Maternity leave on H-1, FMLA and status.
Other: Multiple I-140 approvals; I-140 denial; Cap-gap extension; Effect of change in citizenship on H-1; PERM/AC21 and multiple I-485 filing; Family-based green card change in category; Child turning 21 – CSPA and derivative non-immigrant status loss; L-1A visa and EB-1C filing; Filing I-485 for spouse; PERM more than 50% different job; Cross chargeability; I-130 fraud by spouse; Maternity leave on H-1; AOS filing; F-2 COS; H-1quota, etc.
Discussed: FAQ - H-1B Employee, telecommuting/working from home, Applying for H-4 EAD while H-4 is pending.
Also: TN working as independent contractor, unlawful presence proof of legal entry I-94, H-1B quota, physicians’ H-1, converting EB-3 to EB-2, I-130, H-1 extension, MSA and area of intended employment, changing consulate location for visa interview, naturalization, OPT and F-2, etc.
Discussed: CSPA for EB-3 to EB-2; H-1B amendments; Marriage on B-2 visa/H-4; Consequences of travel without advance parole; Following to join process; H-1B liquidated damages contracts; Moving temporarily abroad while I-485 is pending; Relocation while green card is pending; Checking which MSA we are in; What is an H-1 amendment? Getting student visa while green card pending; L-2 EAD, etc.
Topics for Discussion, Thursday, 25 February 2016:
FAQ: Can I travel during the pendency of my (B-1, B-2 extension, H-1, H-4, H-4 EAD, L-1, L-2, I-130, I-140, I-485, I-485, Advance Parole, Reentry Permit etc.) case? When should I join my future green card employer, also recapturing time on L-1B; Can a denied H-1B petition make you cap exempt; Special immigration options for UK citizens; How to correct errors on a submitted Form DS-260.
Other: Effect of abandoned change of status from F-2 to F-1; Time for non-premium processing of H-1B employer transfer and process for H-4; Green card or status for autistic son; CSPA for family-based children and disclosing pending immigration application when applying for a student visa; Changing employers after I-140; OCI; The new I-140 regulations; Status when H-1 is denied; Options for addressing H-1 processing delays; Affidavit of support from a person domiciled outside the USA; H-1B extensions based upon old employer’s I-140; Cross chargeability; H-1B quota exemption, etc.
This article was submitted to and published in The Economic Times.
Link to Rajiv's Author Page in The Economic Times.
I have a P1 visa. Is there anyway to change this to a green card?
You may be able to apply for a green card if you meet the requirements of EB-1, aliens with extraordinary ability or based upon a job offer, and of course, if a family-based possibility exists
USCIS issued a memo to provide guidance for processing and adjudicating Form I-129, filed on behalf of P-2 nonimmigrants. In particular, this memo amends the policy guidance that the Service Centers must contact Headquarters prior to adjudication of reciprocal exchange agreements which have not been previously approved.
I am a traditional artist, visited US in 2005 with P3 visa and later I have visited with 10 years B-1/B-2 visa two more times. And on fourth time the immigration officer, deported me from NY airport, saying that you have not paid tax $6000- of my sold paintings in the US. and if you agree to volunteerily withdraw applicatition then we will allow you to come back with right working visa.And the problem is my wife is in US and has applied for asylum, so do you recommend me to reapply for working visa or wait untill my wife gets the green card and I am deported on may 2009.
If you withdrew your application, you were not deported. You could apply for a work visa.
On April 12, 2010, Director Mayorkas introduced the Request for Evidence (RFE) Project, an initiative that engages stakeholders in the review and revision of RFE templates used at the Service Centers to ensure they are:
An Australian Musician that is wanting to come to US for a few weeks to travel and play at approx 15-20 venues across the US. I am willing to sponsor him via my DJ entertainment service, and he will be paid for the shows. He is a professional musician in his country, has been for 15 yrs.
Which visa would be required in this case?
A "B" visa is appropriate if the artist will not be paid in USA, other than for travel and incidental expense.
Please check the link to know more about the O and P visa Reissuance in London embassy.
As part of the credit card payment pilot program, the Vermont Service Center is now accepting credit card payments using Form G-1450, Authorization for Credit Card Transactions, for petitioners filing Form I-129, Petition for a Nonimmigrant Worker, for O and P nonimmigrants.
The P-Visa category covers entertainers and athletes who cannot qualify under the extraordinary ability standard for the O-category. The P-1 category is set aside for:
1. Alien athletes who compete individually or as part of a team at an internationally recognized level; and
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) issued guidance on October 7, 2009 to clarify for performing arts associations and their members the regulatory requirements for agents who file as petitioners for the O and P visa classification.
O and P visas apply to non-immigrants with extraordinary ability in the sciences, arts, education, business or athletics, or in the motion picture and television field. O and P petitions may only be filed by a U.S. employer, a U.S. agent, or a foreign employer through a U.S. agent.
I am on F-2 visa and it is valid up to 1 July 2012. My wife already filed H-1B in Apr 1st week.I am also planning to file my H-1B. So can I directly apply H-1B or fist apply H-4 and then after apply H-1B. How will it work?
If you are subject to H-1 quota, to get status within USA, you must maintain status till September 30. So, it appears you may have to apply for H-4 as well as H-1. Your lawyers can help you figure out the timing. Applying for H-4 now should not be an issue. But move quickly. You can file for H-4 online. Fairly easy.
Issuance Based on 2009 Petition by Los Angeles-based Skirball Cultural Center
Released May 15, 2012
WASHINGTON—U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services’ (USCIS) Administrative Appeals Office (AAO) today issued a binding precedent decision addressing the term “culturally unique” and its significance in the adjudication of petitions for performing artists and entertainers.