DOL Publishes FAQs On H-1B, H-1B1 And E-3 Programs
The Department has posted new Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) for the H-1B, H-1B1 and E-3 Programs.
The Department has posted new Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) for the H-1B, H-1B1 and E-3 Programs.
Situation:
Resigned company A already and Got offer from employer B and applied H1B transfer(premium processing) but received RFE. But I have another offer from Employer C as well who is yet to file my h1b transfer
Question:<br>
1. If RFE is denied for employer B Can i join employer C with the receipt notice as Employer C has started H1B transfer by that time ?<br>
2. How long one can stay in US without job/payroll having H1B ?
Note: 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 wife currently working on H4 EAD which is valid till October 2020. Her company filed for H1B this year and she got approval for 3 years starting 10/01/2019.
However, She would like to stay on H4 EAD. Does law permits her to work on H4EAD even after her H1B approved? or naturally her work visa status will convert to H1B effecting 10/01/2019?
Watch the Video on this FAQ: Effect of H-1B approval on H-4 EAD
Video Transcript:
Note: 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 am currently on H1B visa (3rd year) and a few days back I got my I-140 approved in EB-2 category. I want to know if I can change my employer and retain my priority date.
So once again the priority date is yours the moment the I-140 is approved whether it is revoked the very next day, but if it stays unrevoked for 180 days whether or not you're with the same employer you also carry forward the right to extend your H-1B
Note: 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.
FAQs: Green card and other options for parents of US citizens || H-1B converting to H-4 and back to H-1B issues and options || H-1B and compelling circumstances EAD || How many years can I wait to file I-485 after priority date becomes current
OTHER: Two green cards processed simultaneously || Cap exempt H-1B || Impact of pay cut on H-1B and green card || Impact on priority of withdrawn I-140 || Travel to the USA during Covid-19 times || I-944 || School fee reimbursement from employer || Filing extension and change of status at the same time, etc.
I am currently working for a Non-profit org on a cap-exempt H-1B. and my company initiated my GC processing. Below are the few questions:<br>
1. Is the GC processing any different thru a non-profit from a for-profit organization? meaning, is it any advantageous to process my GC thru a non-profit?<br>
2. Can my I-140 from a non-profit be transferred to a for-profit org, if I was able to move to a for-profit org?<br>
3. What are the possible ways that I could move to work for a for -profit organizations? From your previous calls and thru my research I found out below few ways that I could to that. Please give your inputs<br>
a. Finding a profit employer to file my cap-subject H1 (Can I start working for my new employer as soon as my H1b is picked in the lottery or approved, instead of waiting till Oct 1st?)<br>
b. If a new employer sponsor my cap-subject H1 and if I dont move to the new employer, will my current cap-exempt H1 be still active and should I have to go under the cap next time I file a Cap-subject H1<br>
c.applying for concurrent H1b<br>
d. Moving on to H4EAD and filing a H1b next April<br>
e.Joining a Masters CPT college and filing a Cap-subject H-1B next year
Video Transcript
1. The answer is No. There is no advantage in going through for-profit or non-profit that's just irrelevant.
Note: 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.
FAQs: - Effect of I-140 revocation on priority date - H-1B extensions through any employer - Is there any law to provide legal stay to the parent of US citizen child with disability? - Status of off-site placed STEM OPT extension students - how does one change status while within the United States?
I am on H-1 Visa and my son is on H-4 visa. He is 17 years(studying 11th grade). I wanted to know whether i need to change the visa status at the age of 21. If so, the green card processed by my employer for him will still be valid or not. Also, if he goes to India for studying his degree for like 4 or 5 years, will the green card processing for him will be valid.
Note: 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 am currently working on L1B with company A and I received my H1B I-797 last year from same company A, but didn’t do the conversion to it yet.
I want to change to company B in regards to which I have the below questions:<br>
1- What is the process of switching the visa, and does it need me to setup an interview appointment?<br>
2- If yes, does this have to be out of USA and in my home country?<br>
3- Do I need to get the stamping for H1B with company A before moving to company B? Or can I switch to company B without going for H1B stamping for company A?
FAQ: How does one change status while within the United States?
Video Transcript
Note: 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 had my H1 visa extension stamping appointment on Feb 21, 2018. Initially it was put under Administrative Processing and later on May 23rd my petition was send back for revocation. As per the inquiry with embassy they told me that "Based on the documents you submitted and the information elicited in your interview with a consular officer, you were determined ineligible for an H1B work visa. Your petition was returned to the Kentucky Consular Center (KCC) on May 24. Currently H1 status website shows KCC received the application on June 8. Once KCC receives a petition, it is returned to the approving USCIS office for review and possible revocation. At this point, USCIS can either reaffirm the petition or issue a notice of intent to revoke it. What are the options available with me now?
Note: 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.
Spoken to the current employer's attorney on Tourist visa , they replied its not a correct path moreover it takes much proofs to tell USCIS i was on H1b working for employer and then changing to visitors and then after certain period of time when i find a project, changing it back (i.e applying) to h1 makes this case more complex.
Note: 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.
1. My son is currently a student studying engineering at a 4 year public college in Illinois. I am working in the US on H1B, and my son is on H4. The issue is that he turns 21 next year before he would finish his final year in college, and since would age out of the H4 So what are the options he has left to continue his study Can he change to F1?<br>
2. What are the caveats to this? Can he do the adjustment of status in the US, or does he need to travel out of the country? I've heard that F1 visa processing takes a long time to process, and there is no determinate time - he has about 14 months for him to become 21 years as of now. When inquired the college said they are not processing the I-20s for Fall 2021 now, only for Spring 2021, and have asked him to wait, what are the consequences of this ?
Note: 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 employer ended my employment due to COVID reasons on May 31, 2020 but I never received an official termination letter. Calculating the grace period depending on the assumed termination date mentioned above, I have till July 30 to find a new job. Should my new employer give me an offer or start the H1B transfer application before July 30? What happens if they fail to do so in time? Can I extend the grace period on the basis of having an offer in hand or maybe because of the pandemic? My final interviews with potential employers are being withdrawn because of the time restriction.
Watch the Video on this FAQ:
H-1B no notification of termination, 60 days grace period, etc.
Video Transcript
File a complaint against the employer with the Wage and Hour Division of the U.S. Department of Labor by filling up the form WH-4. You can also call them.
Note: 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 came to US on H-4, so I have only H-4 stamping in my passport. Got my H1b picked up in lottery two years back, and did COS to h1, and have approved i797A with I-94 and working with my current employer.
Got an offer from another company, and they filed my H1b transfer, and got the i-797A approval with I-94.
So my question here is, can I join the new company using the H1b transfer approval, even though I don’t have H1b stamp at all in my passport? Will this be a valid H1b transfer?, or should I go back to India to get my H1b stamping to join the new employer?
Watch the Video on this FAQ: H-1B portability without a visa stamp
Video Transcript
Note: 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 I-94 expired on Dec 13th last year. Company filed for extension but RFE....now i will be laid off on Feb 9th and my company will not file for RFE response. How many days do i have to leave the country? Do i need to leave immediately on Feb 9th or can i leave by Feb 13th or 14th ? Will 5 days of out of status impact my future applications ? Also another company has offered me a job. If they file for H1B do they have to do it after I leave the country or can they start it and i can leave in between and do Counselor processing?
Watch the Video on this FAQ: H-1B or other status denied - what is my status?
Video Transcript
Basic Concepts to be in Status
Note: 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.
H1 to H4 COS pending from Jul 14 2017. I94 expired Nov 2nd. H4 to B2 applied on Oct 31 2017 as per our attorneys suggestion due to some delay with spouses visa. Spouse's H1 is now approved. I would like to get my H4 as soon as possible and apply for H4 EAD. Can I go to Canada/ any close by country and get my H4 stamping done while the petitions are pending or wait till H4 is approved? or going to India is my only option
Video Transcript:
Note: 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 question is about switching from an H-1 to F-1 visa. My six years of H-1 expires in March 2018. I have received an offer for a Phd. at Stanford (starting Aug. 2018) that happens to be one of my dream universities. My employer applied for a PERM back in August 2017, it has not been approved yet. Does the filing of PERM interfere with getting an F-1 visa. I know you’ve answered this question in the past regarding an I-140 and I understand that my chances with just a PERM are slightly better ?
Watch the Video on this FAQ: Change of status to student F-1 while green card is in process
Video Transcript
Note: 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.
The E-3 visa allows for the admission of an alien who is a national of the Commonwealth of Australia and who is entering the U.S. to perform services in a “specialty occupation.” The E-3 visa has many advantages over the other types of working visas, including the ability for spouses of E-3 recipients to apply for work authorization.
The Department has posted new Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) for the H-1B, H-1B1 and E-3 Programs.
To view FAQ please check the attachment.
I had a conference call with Mr. Rajiv Khanna. My question was regarding time lines for Green Card processing. I am in my 6th year of H1-B and was planning to change my Job with 9 Months left on my Visa. I have not started my Green Card Processing yet. The call was quick and to the point. He detailed me of the options available. He didn't promise me that everything will be done but the call gave me the required confidence in my decision making. He is a [i]walking encyclopedia of immigration[/i]. Note: The call was a free call and he was there on call even before I dialed in. On the whole it was a good experience.
H-1B, H-1B1, E-3 Helpful Resources:
The Department has posted a contact list for the H-1B, H-1B1 and E-3 Programs to assist employers with their applications. To view or download a PDF copy of the Helpful Resources for the H-1B, H-1B1 and E-3 Programs, please click the attachment below.
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) will transition from a paper-based model to a secure, electronic environment. This new user-friendly system is called the USCIS Electronic Immigration System (USCIS ELIS).
USCIS ELIS is an easy-to-use system designed to modernize the application process for immigration benefits. It will also provide more accurate, convenient, and secure customer service and allow USCIS to process cases with greater efficiency and consistency.
Substantial transcription:
7th July 2012 at 05:16 PM
9.59 Minutes
What do we do when our visa gets denied under section 214(b) of the Immigration and Nationality Act? Basically, this means that if the consulate doesn’t believe you are going to come back, they deny the visa, saying that you have an immigrant intent which you have not been able to rebut. So the idea is whenever somebody goes for a visa stamping, they actually are presumed to have immigrant intent unless they prove otherwise. Of all the visas A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H all the way to V, some visas are immune to this problem.
What are the visas that are immune?
H-1 as well as H-4, L-1 as well as L-2, and O-1 and O-1 derivative visas are immune by law almost. H and L are clearly immune by law and O by implication. With these visas, if you have a green card going, the consulate is not going to deny your visa for that reason.
On the other hand, there are notorious visas that are very susceptible to this problem:
B-1, B-2, F-1 as well as F-2 (which are for students), and J-1 as well as J-2 are susceptible. A lot of physicians on J-1’s have had a visa denial on 214(b).
TN visa holders strictly not going for visa stamping but can be stopped at the border if their green card has been filed. So bear in mind that when TN holders apply for a green card, they should be careful about this particular factor.
The biggest problem with 214(b) is it is extremely difficult to fight it. I have recently taken a case in which an F visa was denied on 214(b), and I think we have a fighting chance because the visa applicant has come to the U.S. many times and she has left within her time permitted. So she’s been a frequent traveler on a B visa. Her F visa denial is extremely unjustified, in my opinion.
Let me just very quickly go through the visa alphabets.
A visa (diplomats) will have no problem. They have no issues of a green card being denied.
B visa will have a problem.
C, D, and E visas will usually not have a problem.
The only thing you have to establish for E-3, especially for Australians (E-3 is kind of equivalent of H-1), is that you do have an intention to come back but not to the same degree. In other words, if you have a home in Australia, the degree of proof is not very high so it is very easy to meet that degree of proof.
G visa is ok.
H visa is ok.
By the way, H-2B visas can have a major problem with immigrant intent. These are people who are coming to U.S. for to perform skilled labor.
I, which is international journalists/media representatives, may or may not be ok.
J visa will definitely be a problem.
K -1 and K-3 are no problem because they are fiancés or spouses of U.S. citizens and are obviously meant to go into green card.
L visa is no problem.
M, which is folks who are doing vocational training, can have this problem.
P visa (performers, athletes, etc.) can have a problem but usually won’t.
Q visa (exchange visitors) can have a problem.
R visa usually won’t.
S, T, and U visas won’t usually have a problem because they are done within the USA and are usually either victims of crime or people who are assisting in criminal investigations.
So what do you do if you get a 214(b) denial?
Normally there isn’t much we can do but, if you have been to USA before or else there is something unique in your case, we can ask the consulate to reconsider and if they are not willing and able, then we can ask the visa office in Washington, D.C. to intervene. You can also contact your family or employer in the U.S. to contact the local Congressmen to seek their intervention. This typically is not helpful but you can try. If anybody from the bar or a lawyer tells you he or she can fix it, be mindful because they may not be able to. Especially be careful when you talk with lawyers in your own country. This makes me very nervous because we have had some cases where local lawyers in other countries did some strange stuff. They had some hook ups with consulates and ultimately got caught.
The biggest problem is with fraud or misrepresentation. If you make a misrepresentation in attempting to get any immigration benefit, you can be barred from entering USA forever.
Going back to 214(b) denials, you can ask the consulate to reconsider. Reapply if you have a case that begs for a special consideration, like you’ve been to the U.S. many times. For example, one of my friends asked me that, if his girlfriend is refused a B visa, is it okay to bring the lady in on a K-1 (fiancé visa)? My take is do not use the fiancé visa in lieu of B-1 or B-2 visa, because if you do not have the intention to get married, the government can consider it to be fraud. So make sure you want to get married within 90 days after they enter the U.S.
One more point -- there is a legal fiction created in U.S. immigration law about ties to your home country that says you can overcome 214(b) denial if you have ties to your home country. That in my mind is a legal fiction. To demonstrate ties is very difficult. Of course, if you have family in your home country, that’s a good example of ties but to say you have property, but property can be sold, so I don’t think that’s really ties. Having business is also not really a tie as a business can be sold. Hence demonstrating ties to your home country is usually a difficult thing to do.
This issue has come up several times recently. Feel free to ask me specific questions on the website, in a forum, or on a community conference call.
I AM A US CITIZEN AND I APPLIED FOR FAMILY BASED GREEN CARD FOR MY WIFE. THE WHOLE PROCESS STARTED IN FIRST WEEK OF JANUARY 2009. INITIALLY WE HAD APPLIED ON OUR OWN AND DID NOT CONSULT ANY ATTORNEY. THEN WE GOT AN RFE ON MY WIFE'S BIRTH CERTIFICATE, AND WE WERE HELPLESS AND DID NOT KNOW HOW TO PROCEED. THAT IS WHEN WE APPROACHED, RAJIV KHANNA. HIS ATTORNEY'S MATHEW CHACKO AND BHARATHI GUIDED US FOR SUBMITTING THE RFE DOCUMENTS AND GUIDED US IN EACH AND EVERY STEP AFTER THAT. THEIR GUIDANCE WAS OF GREAT HELP TO US. AND FINALLY MY WIFE GOT HER GC ON 24TH APRIL 2009.