Starting May 26, 2015, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) will temporarily suspend premium processing for all H-1B Extension of Stay petitions until July 27, 2015. During this time frame, petitioners will not be able to file Form I-907, Request for Premium Processing Service, for a Form I-129, Petition for a Nonimmigrant Worker, requesting an extension of the stay for an H-1B nonimmigrant. USCIS will continue to premium process H-1B Extension of Stay petitions filed with Form I-907 premium requests prior to May 26, 2015.
FAQ H-4 EAD Issues:
Travel while EAD is pending; filing I-539 with I-765; I-140 withdrawal
Below are questions I have on the H-1B Amendment and H-1B transfer being filed almost at the same time with little gap with USCIS for the same person. The H-1B Amendment is in light of the new H-1B regulation that has been mandated by USCIS when there is a significant change in the Job Location of the beneficiary from the address mentioned in the initial Petition from the employer which was approved initially.<p>
1. Does the USCIS Last action rule apply in case of the below 2 being applied almost at the same time for the same beneficiary?<br>
a) H-1B Amendment with Current Employer<br>
b) H-1B Transfer to New employer while H1B Amendment is pending with Current Employer.<br>
2. If the answer for the above is 'Yes', then incase the H-1B Amendment Approval comes after the H-1B Transfer would the H-1B transfer to the new employer that was approved earlier be automatically nullified?<br>
3. If the answer for #2 above is 'Yes' Is there any way to request USCIS to consider the H-1B Transfer approval to new employer as the primary incase that get approved earlier and avoid the H-1B amendment to dictate the latest H-1B for a given employer? (I believe we can request USCIS to withdraw/cancel the Amendment but is this something that the new employer/employee can do or only the existing employer who was filed for H-1B amendment has the authority to request any cancellation/withdrawal of the H-1B amendment?)<br>
4. Also does the current suspension of H-1B premium processing apply even for the H-1B transfers (with a new extension for 3 Years) or is it only for new H-1B extensions of Petitions from the current employer?
See clip from Attorney Rajiv S. Khanna's conference call video that addresses this question.
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.
Discussion Topics, Thursday, 11 February 2016:
FAQ: Traveling on EAD, Advance Parole, H-4; Does changing jobs require restarting green card; Returning to H-1 after I-485 EAD; Birth certificates and affidavits of birth, non-availability certificate, secondary evidence; E-3 visa change of employers and filing green card; Options after 6 years of H-1 are completed; Extending B-2 visa and status for dependent parent; Effect of change in project on EB-1C (International Managers/Executives) green card.
Other: H-4 for autistic son over 21; H-1 amendment location has changed; Using B-1 B-2 visa after Advance Parole expire, I-485 is abandoned; H-1 reuse and quota; I-140 priority date transfer and returning to old employer; H-1 quota if no visa was stamped; I-485 RFE; Correcting errors on Form I-130; Starting green card with new employer, porting (transfer of) priority date; AC21 changing jobs while RFE is pending; Denial of Form I-751, conditional permanent residence (green card); Resetting the clock on H-1B and L-1B; H-4 EAD issues; Applying for change of status from H-3 to F-1.
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.
On April 1, 2016, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) will begin accepting H-1B petitions subject to the fiscal year (FY) 2017 cap. U.S. businesses use the H-1B program to employ foreign workers in occupations that require highly specialized knowledge in fields such as science, engineering and computer programming.
The congressionally mandated cap on H-1B visas for FY 2017 is 65,000. The first 20,000 H-1B petitions filed for individuals with a U.S. master’s degree or higher are exempt from the 65,000 cap.
USCIS has received a sufficient number of petitions to reach the congressionally mandated H-2B cap for the
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has reached the congressionally mandated H-1B cap for fiscal year (FY) 2017. USCIS has also received more than the limit of 20,000 H-1B petitions filed under the U.S. advanced degree exemption.
USCIS will use a computer-generated process, also known as the lottery, to randomly select the petitions needed to meet the caps of 65,000 visas for the general category and 20,000 for the advanced degree exemption.
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced on April 7, 2016, that it has received enough H-1B petitions to reach the statutory cap of 65,000 visas for fiscal year (FY) 2017. USCIS has also received more than the limit of 20,000 H-1B petitions filed under the advanced degree exemption, also known as the master’s cap.
On May 12, 2016, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) will begin premium processing for cap-subject H-1B petitions requesting premium processing, including petitions seeking an exemption for individuals with a U.S. master’s degree or higher.
The Analyst Review and Audit dates posted on iCERT reflect the month and year in which cases were filed that are now being adjudicated at the Atlanta National Processing Center. The Reconsideration Request to the CO dates posted on iCERT reflect the month and year in which cases that are now being reviewed at the Atlanta National Processing Center were appealed.
USCIS and the U.S. Department of State (DOS) announced the launch of USCIS/DOS e-Approval for Form I-129, Petition for a Nonimmigrant Worker, for the H-2A (temporary agricultural worker) classification. Beginning Wednesday, May 11, 2016, this new electronic process will allow USCIS to send approval information for H-2A petitions to DOS by the end of the next business day.
My dependents visa stamp on passport expires on Sept 1st 2017 and have valid I-94 till Sept 1st 2017 and this was with the previous employer A I worked for. I moved to a different employer B a year back and haven't filed H4 for dependents with employer B as it was not necessary. Now if my dependents travel to India prior to Sept 1st 2017, do I still need to file for H4 extension or is it good if they attend the interview at consulate in India and get visa stamped on passport without H4 extension using my approved I-797 (till 2019) with employer B.
Watch Video on this FAQ: Does H-4 require a prior USCIS approval for visa stamping?
Video Transcription
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 went to the US in May 2014 on H1-B working for Employer A. In Feb 2016, I moved to work for Employer B (small US based company, on other offices) with H1-B transfer receipt.
The new job was remote work, so I started working from home for Employer B. I received RFE in April 2016 and I went to India the same month. While I was in India, the transfer got approved in June 2016 and I came back to the US with the approval notice as proof. My visa was getting expired in Sep 2016, so extension was filed with Employer B. The extension also got approved after RFE and extended till Sep 2019. <br>
Current Situation:<br>
Now, I came to India in Jan 2017 for my marriage. I went for visa stamping in Delhi with my wife (for H4) in Feb 2017. The visa officer asked me about my Role, client, and other common questions which I answered correctly. VO then collected my documents (I-129, client letter etc) and handed me 221(g) letter saying that he needs some time to review the documents. We left the embassy and the wait started.
In March 2017, I received an email from embassy asking for the latest LCA which I promptly provided.
After that there was no response for a few months, and I started working from India in US hours. Since my employer is a small company, they did not hire any attorney and did the processing themselves. They also did not seem to put any effort to expedite or help the process.
In July 2017 (after 5 months), I received a call to collect the passport. On collecting the passport, the stamping was not done and I received a letter stating that my stamping is being refused and visa is sent to consulate for revocation.
This came as a shock. I notified my employer, they were disappointed and did not know what can be done about this case. When I enquired, they said they don't want to spend more resources on this case and are fine with me continue working from India (reduced salary).
<br>1. Is it possible to have the case reconsidered and to know the exact reason for refusal? If yes, how would I go about it without the support of my employer?<br>
2. If this is only for stamping, how long will my extended visa be valid? Can I try the stamping again with this employer or find a new employer from India and use the same visa with them?<br>
3. What happens to my assets (personal stuff, bank accounts, etc) in US?<br>
4. If I can legally work for the same employer, how does it affect my taxes? Do I now pay taxes in India and in US both? Since when I can be considered liable to pay tax in India (when I came to India or stamping refusal date etc)?
Video Transcript
1. Not until a notice of intent to revoke is sent.
2. This case is going back to USCIS.
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.
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) resumed premium processing today for all H-1B visa petitions subject to the Fiscal Year year (FY) 2018 cap. The FY 2018 cap has been set at 65,000 visas. Premium processing has also resumed for the annual 20,000 additional petitions that are set aside to hire workers with a U.S. master’s degree or higher educational degree.
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is no longer accepting petitions from U. S. employers seeking to hire temporary nonagricultural workers under the one-time increase to the Fiscal Year (FY) 2017 H-2B cap announced in July.
For the first time, in May, Congress delegated its authority to the Secretary of Homeland Security to increase the number of temporary nonagricultural work visas available to U.S. employers through FY 2017.
Its has been always pleasure to follow the guidance of Mr Rajiv Khanna and his team. They bring immense knowledge in immigration process and they have helped a lot in getting me through the phase of GC. From my non-immigrant visa to LPR, it has been a wonderful journey with Rajiv Khanna and his team. He is always reachable for any kind of discussions or clarification required. His team members especially Heather and Diane Lombardo are really outstanding. They are always on their tip of toes in providing the information and proactive in any process or information follow ups. I heartily recommend Rajiv Kanna's office for any immigration related process and there is no question of regretting.
Thank you very much Rajiv Ji and team!! God bless all!
Regards,
Gautam
FAQ: Is interview required for compelling circumstances EAD? || Can we open a company while on EAD? What kind of questions/documents will be needed in the I-185 AOS interview? || Does H-1B extension denial invalidate an existing H-1B? || What can be done if an H-1B is denied while in the USA? ||Impact of taking a long break while on H-1B.
Other: Traveling while an H-1B is pending || Impact on naturalization of an incorrect name in the past ||Working from home on and H-1B ||Name updated on form I-140||Applying for L-2 EAD and change of status to H-1B ||Erroneous name on passport, visiting on a tourist visa ||Applying for H-4 EAD, I 140 withdrawn before 2017 ||H-1B issued without an I 94||I 485 delay, etc.
In case of H1 transfer denied what other options one can have ? [provide that has 140 approved since many years]<br>
1. Can new H1 transfer with new employer can be initiated ? 2. Can one can apply for B1 [Visitor Visa] and remain in USA for valid period ?
Watch the Video on this FAQ: What can be done if an H-1B is denied while in the USA?
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'm an Indian citizen on an H1B Visa. I'm an engineer. My Green Card is being processed and my I-140 . Being an EB-2 category I"m assuming that it is going to take anywhere between 5-8 years before I get my green card. The Situation: I'm planning on taking a work break for about 6 months to 1 year and do a few things that I've wanted to do but have been pushing indefinitely (like volunteering with a non-profit, spending time with my family, exploring options to start my own startup etc). I'm assuming there are 2 scenarios here - 1. My company gives me a sabbatical leave - I can leave the country for a year and come back and rejoin them. 2. My company refuses a sabbatical and I have to quit - In this scenario, I'm not sure what I should do in order to be able to come back after my break and still be able to work for any company? I would really appreciate your insights on this situation and would be glad to accept any pointers from you to research this further.
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.
Rajiv Ji, Glad to inform you that we got our GCs couple weeks ago. It has been a pleasure working with your office for almost 11 years now. I sincerely thank Rajiv Khanna and Prerna Mehta for their excellent support and prompt turnaround with the queries and process related documentation for getting our Green Cards.