AC21 H-1 Portability

AC21 is the name given to a law that provides for several matters including the ability to change jobs while an employment-based green card is pending (I-485 AC21 portability) and to start working for an H-1B employer as soon as transfer petition is filed with the USCIS.

Impact of alternate wage survey for H-1B LCA; the success rates of H-1B extensions; AC21 rule when the company is bought by a successor-in-interest

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Impact of alternate wage survey for H-1B LCA; the success rates of H-1B extensions; AC21 rule when the company is bought by a successor-in-interest
 

 

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FAQ Transcript

One cannot use  any wage survey to convince the government that one’s wage survey is as good as the government's own. I think there are about ten requirements that the wage  survey must meet. A few requirements are for example the survey must be conducted by a reliable third party, the survey must not be more than two years old, you should be using the most recent copy of the survey, it must  have a significant statistical pool from which the survey was conducted. These are a few requirements. 
 

 

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AC21 Job Portability

Question details

Previously I was on H1B when my I-140 was approved. Currently I am on H4 status, not employed and my priority date became current.
Previous employer has provided Supplement J and I have filed I-485, I-765, I-131 concurrently. The Supplement J indicates (#9 in Part 6) I am not currently employed with the sponsoring employer.

Q1) Upon receiving AOS EAD, can I directly join a new employer after 180 days of pending I-485 if sponsoring employer doesn't have any open position?

Q2) Can I start searching for new job before 180 days of pending I-485, but join after 180 days? Or, I must have to start searching and interviewing for new job, only after 180 days?

Q3) At the time of filing AOS, my Supplement J indicated that I am not currently employed with the sponsoring employer. If I join the sponsoring employer upon receiving EAD, then do I have to send USCIS new Supplement J indicating that I am now employed with the sponsoring employer, knowing that it might take a decade for my Final Action Date to become current and I may not be employed with the sponsoring employer at the time of GC interview?

Q4) What if I need to change my employer after GC interview, but before receiving GC?

Q5) I heard, after 180 days of pending I-485, even if I change my job couple of times, I can take the Supplement J only from the employer with whom I will be working at the time of GC interview. But can I still send new Supplement J to USCIS from each employers everytime I change my job? Is that legally allowed? or, is there any concern? Because, it might take a decade for my Final Action Date to become current and within that timeframe I might have to change job 2-3 times.

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FAQ Transcript

1. In my opinion you can.
2. Absolutely.
3. I think you should file a Supplement J. It gives you added protection.
4. As of now there is nothing definite about changing jobs after the interview but before the green card approval. I would suspect if the job is same or similar keep some record of it otherwise you can do it. But have your lawyers follow up the procedures that exist when you actually do this.
5. Absolutely.
 

 

Note: Where transcribed from audio/video, 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.

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