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24 Aug 2015

Can my employer start my green card processing while I am on OPT?

Answer Yes, a company can start a GC for someone on F-1/OPT. This does not disrupt the F-1/OPT status. But, for people from India, it is normally going to be necessary to change into H1B or some other work authorized status at some point to bridge...

15:21 / Employment Based / FAQs / Resident / Student / Worker
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24 Aug 2015

Is O-1 status a good option for a finance executive with 20 years of relevant experience?

Answer The O-1 category requires demonstration of extraordinary ability. This is a high standard, and has to be proven by extensive documentation of the qualifications, etc. It is not enough to simply be very experienced or good at one's profession. There would have to be some...

15:19 / FAQs / Worker
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24 Aug 2015

I am in my 7th year in H1B status and have an approved I-140, but my company is about to lay me off. Will this impact my green card process, and can I retain my H1B?

Answer The GC case is company-specific and job-specific. So, if the case is only at the I-140 stage, the case will end when the job and/or job offer ends. The H1B can be extended via a new employer based upon the I-140 / no visa number...

15:18 / Employment Based / FAQs / Resident / Worker
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24 Aug 2015

Can I file change of status to F-1 on my first entry with B-1 visa? Or, is it better to leave and apply for F-1 after my second entry on B-1?

Answer This isn't a simple question. The change of status from B-1 to F-1 is disfavored. That is why people cannot attend school while that request is pending - unlike other COS to F-1 requests. Further, one cannot enter the U.S. on B-1 with the intention...

15:16 / FAQs / Student / Visitor
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24 Aug 2015

I have been working on cap-gap OPT, after my EAD expired, based on my employer’s H1B petition that they filed for the start date of October first. …

... My H1B petition has just been approved with an I-94 for H1B status. I would like to travel back home for a short vacation in the last week of August and come back to continue working on OPT before my status changes to H1B...

13:43 / FAQs / H1B / Student / Travel / Worker
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17 Aug 2015

How long does the process take for a green card holder to sponsor a new spouse who is in India?

Answer A GC holder generally can file an I-130 petition in the family-based, second preference "A" category for a spouse. The timing of this process depends upon the priority date movement. The case cannot be finalized until the PD is current. If the category wasn't backlogged,...

15:09 / Family Based / FAQs / Resident
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17 Aug 2015

If there is a three-month gap between paystubs when one is on H1B status, will one encounter any problems?

Answer This potentially is a serious issue. H1B status is generally proven by proof of wage payments. If there is no work, there may be an employer "benching" violation. If there is work and the employer is not paying, there would be status and an employer...

15:08 / FAQs / Worker
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17 Aug 2015

Can I add my wife as a beneficiary to my I-140 while she is in F-1, or does she need to change to H-4 status first?

Answer The spouse is automatically eligible as a derivative in an employment-based GC case, without regard to the spouse's status. The spouse doesn't have to be "added" to the I-140 or I-485. It is an automatic eligibility, and the spouse just needs to file the...

14:40 / Employment Based / FAQs / Resident / Worker
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14 Aug 2015

I initially came to the U.S. in H-4 status as a dependent of my husband on H1B. After I was admitted to a U.S. university, I changed my status to F-1. …

... I always maintained my nonimmigrant status in the U.S., including H-4 initially and F-1 currently, and I have another year to complete my degree. This summer, my husband and I would like to take a one week vacation and travel to Canada by car....

14:40 / FAQs / Student
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10 Aug 2015

I was terminated from my H1B job 4 weeks ago and am still in the U.S. Is it still possible to initiate H1B transfer?

Answer Yes, the H1B can be filed by the new employer even after 4 weeks of unemployment. The issue is how to regain H1B status. This normally cannot be done from within the U.S. when there has been a status lapse. It usually is necessary to...

21:35 / FAQs / Worker
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