Immigration.com

Search

Recording for October 24, 2024 Conference Call with Rajiv S. Khanna

1 year ago By Chief Editor

Nonimmigrant Visas

Green Card

FAQs: GC approval before AC21 Supplement J could be filed || H-1B grace period eligibility after second layoff and B-1/B-2 visa options for job search



Increased Denials & Delays in some US Visa Categories, Rajiv in QnA, Feb 12, 2025

9 months ago By Chief Editor

Nonimmigrant Visas

Green Card

SUBSCRIBE to Immigration.com YouTube Channel for further updates.

mmigration.com, Law Offices of Rajiv S. Khanna PC, US Immigration Attorney

Can I volunteer with a Non-Profit while on any temporary visa (for example, F-1 OPT)?

9 months ago By Chief Editor
Question details

I am on F1 OPT and working for a company. I have a few questions:

1. Am I eligible to volunteer with a nonprofit organization related to my field if the work involves event organization (webinar or In-person training)?

2. If I volunteer to review research papers or articles in my field, would that be considered permissible, or would it be classified as work?

 

FAQ Transcript

Yes, you can volunteer while on a temporary visa as long as you are not compensated in cash or kind.

For F-1 OPT, if the volunteer work is meant to count toward your OPT compliance, it must be at least 20 hours per week and related to your field of study. If it’s purely additional volunteer work (e.g., helping at events, reviewing research papers) and not counted for OPT compliance, there’s no issue, but check with your DSO.

However, you cannot volunteer for a for-profit company, as that could violate labor laws, though the violation would be on the company’s part, not yours.

 

Recording for November 07, 2024 Conference Call with Rajiv S. Khanna

1 year ago By Chief Editor

Nonimmigrant Visas

Green Card

FAQ: H-1B layoffs: 60-day grace period, visa options, and transitioning to study || Employer and agency verification requirements on the most recent I-94: Is this new note typical? || H-1B stamping delay and administrative processing in India: Payroll gaps, re-entry concerns, and expediting Options



H-1B layoffs: 60-day grace period, visa options, and transitioning to study

1 year ago By Chief Editor
Question details

- H1B 60-day grace period starts on the date of getting notice of layoff from the employer, on the date of the severance paycheck, or on the last date of the regular paycheck?

- During H1B 60-day grace period, what is the best time to apply for B1/B2? When 30 days are left, 15 days are left, etc.?

- H1B is for 6-years of work, or 6-years total? I mean does unemployment time or B1/B2 time etc. also counts in 6-years of H1B?

- After layoff on H1B, if decided to go to school, then how to stay in US until getting admission decision and until school starts, that could take many months.

- After layoff on H1B, what is the better option to choose between B1/B2 and F-1?

 

FAQ Transcript

The H-1B 60-day grace period starts the day after your last pay period or working day, whichever is later. It's best to apply for a B1/B2 visa around the 50th–55th day (depending on how you apply online or by email) if transitioning and an F-1 visa if planning to study. The grace period counts toward the H-1B six-year cap, but B-1/-B2 time does not. For detailed scenarios and advice, refer to the video.

Proposed Changes to F-1, J-1, (students) and I Nonimmigrant Classifications

3 months ago By Rajiv S. Khanna

The Fundamental Shift: End of Duration of Status

The proposed regulation represents the most significant change to student and exchange visitor immigration in over 40 years. As stated in the preamble:

"DHS proposes to amend its regulations by changing the admission period in the F, J, and I classifications from duration of status to an admission for a fixed time period." (Page 1)

Rajiv's Comments in The Times of India - DHS regulation seeks to tighten stay for international students and removes flexibility in pursuing educational courses

3 months ago By Chief Editor

Published by: The Times of India -  August 29, 2025

https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/nri/dhs-regulation-seeks-to-tighten…

Quotes and Excerpts from Rajiv in the article:

Rajiv's Comments in The Daily Californian - Trump administration proposes four-year limit on international student visas | National Open Primary tabs configuration options Primary tabs

3 months ago By Chief Editor

Published by: The Daily Californian -  September 04, 2025
https://shorturl.at/jquuv

Quotes and Excerpts from Rajiv in the article:

Approximately 2.1 million foreign students are enrolled in an F, J, or I program, with an estimated 414,000 individuals requesting extensions annually, as reported by the Law Offices of Rajiv S. Khanna.

For more information on this news, please see the attachment.

Rajiv's Comments in the News - H1B, green card nightmare,’ Indian lawyer exposes US job market’s hiring freeze, racism

8 months ago By Chief Editor

Published by: The Financial Express - April 06, 2025

https://shorturl.at/dkbWQ

Quotes and Excerpts from Rajiv in the article:

Rajiv S Khanna, an Arlington-based immigration attorney disclosed that F-1 and H-1B visa holders often turned to the recently shot down office “when they hit bureaucratic roadblocks within US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) that threatened their legal status and livelihoods.”

For more information on this news, please see the attachment.

F-1 Student Status

12 years ago By Chief Editor

Our client, a former Tri-Valley University of California (TVU) student who was left out of status due to unexpected closure of TVU, applied for reinstatement to student status.  He retained us to respond to the Request for Evidence (RFE) he received on his reinstatement application.  There were several serious issues raised by USCIS in the RFE.  One of them was that the USCIS alleged that the online classes our client took at TVUdisqualified him from full-time F-1 student status.  We prepared a comprehensive response and documented our client’s entire case history

Nonimmigrant Visas

Rajiv's Article - Enhanced social media vetting for student and exchange visas - What you need to know

8 months ago By Chief Editor

Published by: The Economic Times - Date: April 04, 2025

https://shorturl.at/xyEtn

Synopsis

The State Department's new social media screening measures affect F-1, M-1, and J-1 visa applicants, requiring mandatory reviews under certain conditions. These include broad interpretations of terrorist support and criteria for hostile attitudes toward U.S. institutions, potentially leading to visa revocations.

For more information on this article, please see the attachment below.

Law Offices of Rajiv S. Khanna, PC



5225 Wilson Blvd, Arlington, VA 22205

110 W. Johnson St, Suite 213, Staunton, VA 24401

Ph: (202) 909-1110

Copyright ©1993-2025, Law Offices of Rajiv S. Khanna, PC. All rights reserved.

IMMIGRATION.COM is a registered trademark of Law Offices of Rajiv S. Khanna, P.C.