H-1B Visa

H-1B visa is reserved for "specialty occupations." Those that require a at least a bachelor's degree in a specific subject or closely related subjects.

Oct 28, 2021 Free US Immigration Community Conference Call with Rajiv (Every Other Thursday)

Discussion Topics, Thursday, October 28, 2021:

FAQ: Change of jobs with an approved I-140 from employer A and Reapplying PERM through B || Impact of reportees outside the U.S. or in third countries on L-1A and EB-1 petitions || Are L-1B visa holders eligible to work remotely? || Approved EB-2/EB-3: Interfiling/upgrading to EB-2 with employers A and B || Working outside the U.S. for four months with a recently issued green card || Documents needed by and anticipated questions for green card holders at the port of entry

Oct 14, 2021 Free US Immigration Community Conference Call with Rajiv (Every Other Thursday)

Immigration.com

Discussion Topics, Thursday, October 14, 2021:

FAQ: Reentering the U.S.A. on a Visitor’s/Tourist Visa Soon After Leaving || Can GC-EAD holder start business and what impact on the pending I-485? || FAQ: Can GC-EAD holders start a business and what impact on the pending I-485? || Is there a problem listing one location in a PERM application while living and working remotely in a different location? || EB-2/EB-3 Options in PERM Filing and EB-2 to EB-3 downgrade and upgrade

Nuances of changing employers during the green card process

Question details

My question is related to green card filing. My green card was filed with Employer A. I have an approved I-140. I moved to Employer B, working on an H-1B valid until April 2023. They have not filed the labor for me yet. My priority date is February 2012. As per the latest visa bulletin I can file for EAD but the final date is September 2011. Currently I am not in the U.S. so I can't file for EAD. I hope to be in the U.S. in the next 4-5 months. Do I need to join Employer A for processing my green card? What would be the best option for me to get the green card without wasting time when I reach the U.S?

Video URL
FAQ Transcript

First of all you have to be in the United States to apply for your Adjustment of Status. Secondly in your case, because no new green card was started, your old employer must offer you the same job which you have to go and join eventually in good faith.
You can actually have I-485 filed through a job offer from employer A, the same job which was the basis of your green card. If you don't have that, you cannot file I-485. You can only file for I-485 /Adjustment of Status when your priority date is current and the job that is the basis of the green card is available to you right then. After 180 days of the I-485 pendency, you may never have to join the old employer because you can take a same or similar job anywhere. Just make sure that you have the good faith, honest intention of joining the old employer when you file the I-485. More...

 

 

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.

Continuing to use H-1B when I return on Advance Parole

Question details

I have an approved EAD/AP with my current employer. I also have an H-1B approved until 2024 with the same employer. I have plans to visit India, my home country, in the near future. I am planning to utilize AP to come back to the U.S. and would like to work on the H-1B with the same employer. Is that possible? Also if I do not receive my green card until 2024, can I  extend my H-1B with the same employer.

Video URL
FAQ Transcript

It is great if you have the time and you can actually get the H-1B visa. If that is not possible what you can do is return on the advance parole. If you are coming to take up the same job which you had when you left and that job was an H-1B on a continuing H-1B, the Government will still consider you to be on H-1B. So returning on advance parole to take up the same job which you left on H-1B is considered to be a continuation of that H-1B. You can do H-1B extensions, transfers, etc., once you are in the U.S. More...

 

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.

Successful lawsuit for H-1B extension of stay

We filed an H-1B extension petition for a software consulting and professional services firm on behalf of a software architect requesting status and work authorization for a duration of three years. The extension was, however, approved for a duration much shorter than requested and the approval notice was both dated and received after the shorter validity period had already expired, thereby destroying the legal status of the employee and causing him to accrue unlawful presence.

Immigration.com

Successful lawsuit regarding a delayed H-1B approval notice

We filed an H-1B petition for a company that provides IT related services, on behalf of the beneficiary, a  software developer. An RFE was subsequently issued, responded to and then denied as failing to prove that petitioner established that sufficient speciality occupation work was available and that the position qualified as a specialty occupation. We filed an appeal with the Administrative Appeals Office, the appeal was sustained and the petition was remanded back for issuance of an approval notice.

Immigration Law

Immigration.com

Successful lawsuit for H-1B extension of stay

We filed an H-1B extension petition for a small software company that offers customer software and technology solutions to the local clientele. USCIS approved the classification portion of the petition, but denied the portion of the petition requesting an extension of stay. USCIS stated that beneficiary had failed to maintain his nonimmigrant status because his H-1B status had expired prior to the filing of the H-1B extension petition and he was only  in an authorized period of stay because of a pending extension request from the previous employer.

Immigration.com

Sept 30, 2021, Free US Immigration Community Conference Call with Rajiv (Every Other Thursday)

Discussion Topics, Thursday, September 30, 2021:

FAQ: Obtaining student or visitor's visa while a green card is pending || Continuing to use H-1B when I return on Advance Parole || Nuances of changing employers during the green card process || Green card holder working on multiple jobs - Is it legal? || How long can green card holders stay outside the U.S.? || Effect of a career change on naturalization process and timing.

Intermittent H-1B employment

Question details

I recently transferred from the U.S. to the UAE office since I was not selected in the H-1B lottery in March. I was then selected in the second lottery and my company has started the H-1B process. Can I do short-term 1-2 week visits on H-1B every few months instead of B-1? Do I need to be employed to enter the U.S. using H-1b?

While intermittent H-1B employment is permitted, it is only for the job for which you have an H-1B approval. You cannot use an H-1B visa to travel to the US intermittently without that job.

 

FAQ Transcript

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.