Recording available for download for May 19 Conference Call

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monica1

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Recording for May 19 call is available at http://www.immigration.com/free-community-conference-calls


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NEXT CALL DATE: June 2, 2011
Conference Dial-in: 1-712-432-3066
Conference Code: 531023
Topic: General Immigration Related Questions
Start Time: 1:55PM, EST
End Time: 3:20 PM, EST

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NOTE: This call does not mean that we have agreed to represent you or that there is an attorney-client relationship between us. This is merely a community service. You should discuss the specifics of your case with the attorney representing you.
 
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Visitor's Visa Expired But I94 Valid
Hi,
We wanted to enquire if it is ok/advisable for my mom to visit US when the visa is expiring shortly after entry to US.

1. Mom’s 10 year visa expires Dec 10 2011. She has regularly been visiting every year for 6 months. One year (2003), she had requested for 6 month extension to her stay, which was approved, and so she stayed in US for almost a year on that basis.

2. This year my mom has the following visits planned. The total duration for the year is less than 182 days:

a. From Dec 2010 till March 2011

b. From June 2011 till August 2011

c. From Nov 2011 till May 2012 (alluded to below in #3)

3. She plans to visit US from Nov 24 2011 for 6 months. Is it ok for her to plan this visit, given that her 10 year visa is expiring on Dec 10 2011? OR should we apply for a new visa before travelling in Nov?

Also, if she stays with a valid i-94 but an expired visa and then re-applies for her visitor's visa next year, do you think she may run a risk of her visa request getting denied? My sister and I (only kids for my mom) are both living in US and are green card holders.

Thanks,
SC
 
H1-h4-h1

Hello Rajeev,

Appreciate your wonderful service

Here is my situation...
My 6 years(including recapture) on H1 expired on Jan 2011 and i filed for COS to H-4 based on my wife's H1. My COS is still pending and recieved a RFE today (do not know the reason yet). On June 1st i am eligible for H1 extension based NIW i140 pending for 365 days and my employer(famous university) is eagerly waiting for me to get back to work and are ready to support me with any immigration matters

Here are my concerns:
1) while the H4 RFE is pending can i apply for H1 under premium processing and start working once H1 is approved without having to leave the country
2) should i reply for the RFE right away or should i prolong for 30 days and meanwhile apply for H1
3) After my H1 is approved can i withdraw i-539
4) in this entire process how will my i94 be affected


I will be very greatful if you can answer all my questions
 
Previous Employer sued me for breaking contract

Hello Rajiv,

Thank you for great service.

I was working with client c. And in between there two layer A and B. B was desi consultancy. after one year client C offered me full time position so i moved to client C.Now two days back i got letter from court that i broke their agreement.As I am not in condition to spend so much money and go for court so I want out of the court settlement so should i talk directly to B company or i need to hire lawyer and how much money they can ask?

Any other suggestion if they will not agree to out of court settlement.

Your help would be great.

Thank You
 
Posting this on behalf of a friend in need.

Hello Mr.Khanna,

Greetings! I would like to present the case of an accomplished research scholar who is in desperate need for some legal help. Following are his details:

My friend is a very bright young scientist with an M.Sc from Central University, Hyderabad and a Ph.D. from the prestigeous All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi. He came to this country in August 2006 on a J1 visa to pursue his research interests at National Institue of Health (NIH) in Maryland. After a 2 year stint with them, he moved to Albert Einstein College of Medicine (New York) in September 2008 and worked there (on another J1) until August 2010. Since Sept 2010 he has been doing research at Boston University. His current J1 with Boston University is ending on 19th August, 2011. Earlier this year, he was planning to move to H-1B and has been preparing ground for that. He got his Waivers from the Indian government and as of March 2011, he was preparing the paperwork to submit to USCIS for obtaining required waiver(s) to transfer his status to H-1B. In a very unfortunate and rather shocking way to his family and friends, he suffered a major stroke on March 16th while at work. A big clot on the right side of his brain caused this massive stroke that left him fighting for life for the next several days. For someone who barely entered his 30s with no prior health issues whatsoever, this was simply unimaginable. Luckily he was attended by some of the Doctors who are the best in business and gradually got out of danger. However, he is still in a partially paralyzed state with his left side of the body not functioning. He also had a Craniectomy (Check wikipedia or Google for details on this procedure) done and still has his skull open. Undergoing intense therapy sessions to get him back to as much normalcy as possible, he is looking at a long road to recovery before he can indepndently take care of himself. However, his chances of fully recovery are very bright if he gets continued therapy and treatment.

As if all this chaos is not enough, he has a huge legal and financial hurdles awaiting to hit him. His employer provided him with full salary until May 13th, after which he was put in "Leave of absence" status. That means, he would still be employed but wouldn't be paid any salary. As a result, he is entitled to his health benefits...provided he bears his part of the insurance premiums from out of his pocket (which were otherwise deducted from his pay check). However, his employment (read J1) ends on 19th August, 2011. His employer expressed inability to further extend his J1 visa for lack of funding. As of now, his only option seems to be going to India by mid August. But he is not likely to recover by that time to be able to travel as he is currently can't even sit upright by himself. Additionally, he needs to have another surgery to put his skull back in place once he recovers. This legal situation has become an additional conundrum for him and his wife while fighting the health and financial situation they are already faced with.

His wife, who is currently on J2, is an M.Sc, M.Phil in Mathematics from Andhra University in India. She worked in the software industry in India for a very brief period before she got married and came to the US. She has never worked in the US so far, though. Even if she can find a job and have her H-1B sponsored, she can't start working until October, 2011. They have 2 months (August-October) where they will likely be out of status.

Here are some of my questions...

Questions

1) Once the current visa/employment expires on 19th August 2011, what are his chances of getting a legal extension on Medical grounds?

2) As per our understanding, once he applies to USCIS for a waiver (of his J status), it takes about 2 months to have it approved. If that happens, what are the negatives resulting in that in terms of losing J status. Would that jeopardise his chances of extending his stay in the US legally?

3) As a part of processing the waiver, if USCIS contacts his current employer and the employer lets USCIS know that he is employed but on a leave of absence on medical grounds, would it affect anything negatively?

4) As and when the waiver is approved by USCIS, would it result in them losing their J status? In other words, since they don't have any other offers for a different category visa, how much time would they have in hand to legally stay in the US?

5) Is there any expedited process to get the waiver from USCIS?

6) His employer has expressed inability to extend his J visa past Aug 2011. Even if they get additional funding, they mentioned that they won't be able to sponsor for his H1 (should he get the waivers), unless he physically and mentally recovers enough to be able to perform his duties. Given his current health condition, this is highly unlikely to happen in the next few months. Are there any other possible avenues through which he can approach his current employer for help...on humanitarian grounds, perhaps?

7) His wife is an M.Sc M.Phil in Mathematics and has worked in Software industry in India for a brief period. She has some prospective offers for getting an H-1B sponsored. Since she will have to wait until October to start working, what are their possibilities between August and October to maintain their legal status? Should she get an approval for H-1B, do they need to go back to India to get their visas stamped?

8) If his wife gets an H-1B and he goes to H4, would there be any issue with getting Health Insurance through his wife's employer because of his pre-existing condition?

9) Are there any Indian (or any other service) organizations that can help him in terms of health coverage costs once he loses his current insurance in August, 2011?

10) Are there any other possible avenues (that were not discussed above and that we are not aware of) to enable them to legally stay here in the US until he fully recovers? As friends, our only wish is to let him have a 100% chance to recover and be able to do what he immensely enjoys and loves to do - which is to continue his research in the field of Bilogical & Medical Sciences.

It would be of great help if you can be kind enough to take up this case and with your expertise help my friend in anywhichway you can.

Sincerely,
Ravi
 
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Who determines eligibility to File I-485

Hi Rajiv,
My PERM and I-140 have been approved with Priority Date current as per the latest visa availability.
But when I got the notice of Approval of I-140 (Avanced Degree / Excptional Ability) it had the following words

" The information submitted with the pettition shows that the person for whom you are petitioning is not eligible to file an adjustment of status application at this time"

I asked my attorney and they said that the adjudicating officer was approved the I-140 is not the person to decide if a beneficiary is eligible to adjust the status or not.

I dont know why the above statement is there. I know that the the eligibility to adjust depends on the priority date. My date is current since I was born in the ROW. Could the USCIS have a mix up in my country of Birth and Citrizenship ? I dont see any other reason as I was never Out of Status during my stay... do you ?

Thanks
 
Questions Regarding I-140 EB3 (appeal and refile pending), I-140 (EB2 Approved recently) and pending I-485:

Hello Rajiv, Thank you for hosting this conference calls and I am a regular visitor/attender. I have couple questions as mentioned below.

My I-140 EB3 labor substitution was denied and appeal was filed. It has been pending for 2 years and 3 months now. The Priority date is 2003. My Lawyer is saying that it will be approved because its Successor in Interest case and it has been denied in error. He also refiled another I-140 for the same and it has been pending for 1 year now with NSC. I-485 was concurrently filed in Jul 2007 which was not denied and its still pending and I am getting EADs (every two year) and APs (every year).

Recently, the company also sponsored me for EB2 and the PERM was approved and I-140 got approved as well. I spoke to the Lawyer and he mentioned that once the appeal/refile I-140 is approved, then I will be able to get the Green Card as the Priority Date of 2003 is current in EB2. I have the following questions:

1. If the I-140 appeal pending for a long time now and the current online status shows the following message. What does it mean? What are my chances of getting the approval as the appeal is pending for almost 27 months now.

"The I290B NOTICE OF APPEAL TO THE COMMISSIONER was transferred and is now being processed at a USCIS office. You will be notified by mail when a decision is made, or if the office needs something from you. If you move while this case is pending, please use our Change of Address online tool to update your case with your new address or call our customer service center at 1-800-375-5283."

2. Can I connect my I-485 pending to my current EB2 I-140 or I have to wait till the appeal/refiled I-140 is approved? I have heard that some people have done this before.

3. If they can approve EB2 I-140 which has higher position and salary requirements, then why cannot they approve my EB3 I-140 which has less job requirements and less salary requirements? EB2 I-140 was approved for NSC and refiled EB3 I-140 is pending with NSC. Also, appeal is pending as well.

I am currently maintaining my H1 as well.

Also, if my I-485 can be connected with current approved EB2 I-140, then I would like to get your representation for the same and get the process going.

Please advice. Thank you.
 
Job Related Travel

Hi Rajiv,

I am a GC holder since June 2010. The company that sponsored my GC has branch offices in Mumbai & Sydney, Australia. They have asked me to travel to these branches and update the staff there about our workings.

1) How can I leave US for an extended period of time without jeopardizing my GC?

2) What is the maximum time period that I can be out of US? Is the period extended if it is job related?

3) If I also apply for permanent residency there (in Australia), regardless of it getting approved or not, will that jeopardize my GC? The US will still be my primary place of residence once this stint is over.

4) Will any of the above affect naturalization?

Thank you for all your help,
Bob
 
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I filed for Niw-i140 on June 15th 2010 and my 6 years on H1 expired on jan 2011 and now i am on pending COS to H4

I am tensed because i filed my niw-140 in the 6th year of H1 and
Some are scaring me that Niw-i140 should have been filed 365 days before the h1 expired, is that true?


My question is:
1) can i file for H1 extension on June 15th since i would have reached 365 days
2) is it pissible to file for h1 extension before june 15th and work from june 15th after the h1 approval
 
F1 to H1 to F1 again

Hi

I was a student on F1 visa. I got a job for which I used 4 months of OPT and switched to H1 (without defending my thesis ie without completing my degree). I lost my job after 6 months and switched back to F1 to complete my degree. My degree is complete now. There is a company wiling to sponsor my H1.
-Can I join the company and use the remaining OPT until H1 comes into effect?
-How long can I stay after the end date on the I-20 for my second F1(grace period)?
-If I go back to my country and reapply for F1 or H1 through the consulate, is there a high chance that it will be rejected?
 
H1 to F1 with approved I-140

I am a 27 year old single Indian male Working in the US on H1-B visa since 2007. Current H1-B Visa stamped on the passport Expires in July 2013. Employer filed PERM in 2009 . I-140 approved in early 2010. Category EB3. Recently been admitted to a top B-School in the US. Need F1 Visa to pursue further studies.


Problem : I would need a F1-Visa to pursue my dreams and I am afraid that F1 being a non-immigrant visa , my 140 petition might pose a problem. My school starts on the 8th of August 2011.


Research : I have listened through all the relevant conference calls available on this topic on the immigration forums. Specifically two calls in 2010 Dated March 4 and 18 , where Rajiv advices user krmanid , a lady who shared my predicament.

1. It is my understanding that filing I-539 is risky;that being said, my question was how can I mitigate this risk in any way possible, in the explanation for the question " Has anybody filed an immigration petition on your behalf " Can i further elaborate by pointing out the property that my parents own back in India, state my intent to return to India and point out that the 140 was just a promise of employment made by my employer for the crucial services/work I was providing. Can your law office help me in reviewing my application and provide me guidance for the same.

2. Another option that was discussed in the calls was going to Ottawa for stamping, since I do not plan to withdraw my 140 application and would like to continue working in case my F1 does not work out , I have sidelined this option as extremely risky.

3. I would like to know What your law office considers the least risky of options and how your office can help me in any way. Pursuing an MBA from a top school has long been my dream and I did not want to give this up at this stage after having put so much efforts.

4. In the conversations Rajiv mentions Part time H1B as the solution he would adopt. Since internships are an integral part of the MBA experience, how could one pursue internship with a different company while working part time for my current employer. typically international students file for OPT and work on internships. If working on an internship requires the new employer to file a concurrent H1B, it might be a problem for the employer. My intention to pursue an MBA was to enable me to switch careers and the only way to do this is by participating in an internship program in your desired field of interest. Will having a part time H1b be an impediment as I will not be able to work for another employer.

I am not sure how supportive my employer will be about supporting me for the duration of the course (20 Months) on part time H1 B, also I would be worried sick about being laid-off which would put me in a predicament in the middle of my school year.


I am very distressed and agonized with my current situation, I would appreciate any and all help from your end.

Please let me know the best recourse (other than part time H1B ) . Any pointers as to what happened to people in the same situation last year would be helpful. I understand that the year before 8 folks got their stamping done from Ottawa.
 
I485 pending, baby born abroad

Hello Rajiv,

First of all let me thank you for this awesome service you are providing.

I am currently in US, my wife is in India. We are expecting a baby in Aug 2011.
We are both pending applicants for adjustment of status and have been working on EAD for the past 2 years.

What are the visa options for return travel to the US for the baby, If 485 is pending at the time of birth and pending when we come back?

What Visa can we bring the new born in? I understand that we cannot add the baby to our I-485 application as a dependent from India.

Thanks in Advance

Regards

PT
 
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close friend's f1 out of status/expired passport issues

my friend completed 4yr bachelors on f1 visa in 08. was planning to change from f1 to m1 for 1yr vocational training program but didnt go ahead with it last minute.

i-94 card sent to uscis for change of status from f1 to m1 has been with uscis since. dont think the change from f1 to m1 was ever made, not exactly sure for now. he plans to request i-94 back in next couple of weeks. general lackadaisical attitude shown over last couple years was due to several reasons of not being in a good frame of mind as well as lack of info. but friend is now back in a good state of mind, being proactive and would like to resolve the situation.

friend has been living in states since july 08 to now. he hasnt been working with any company, just been supplementing lifestyle thru online game winnings.

1. is there a smooth way to get back in status?
2. he wouldnt mind going back to India and continue w online gaming/business there. if he left the usa to go back to India, would that trigger the ban or can they visit usa for couple months in near future on travel visa?
3. a good way to proceed? good to pursue getting back in status? or good to voluntarily depart?
4. Indian passport also expired in late 2010. if he sent it for renewal to cg-ny, one of the requirements to send is 'proof of status.' can he send passport in for renewal with no documents positively showing proof of status or will the consulate revoke passport on grounds of him being out of status?
5. according to friend, a good way out for him would be being able to travel to India to see grandmom and be able to come back to usa on tourist visa/reapply for student visa for further studies? is this scenario possible?
 
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Incorrect Information on Approved I-140

Hello Rajiv,

I just wanted to clarify this with you – my I-140 was approved in March 2010 and I got my GC in July of 2010. Recently, I contacted the company’s attorney who had done all the filing and asked him for copies of the paperwork to keep for my records.

I noticed an error on the I-140 application: in Part 5 “Additional Information About the Petitioner” section, the “Date Established” was entered wrong. The company was established on “4/1/2008”, but the attorney had it written down as “4/1/2001”.

Is this a problem? Should this be rectified now? What would be the procedure for correcting it? Or is it irrelevant because both the I-140 and the associated I-485 have already been approved? Can this be a problem in the future?

Really appreciate the help.
Andrew
 
Hi Rajiv -

Thanks for your excellent service.

I have a EB3 case with a priority date of Jan 2005, I-140 approved, I-485 filed in summer of 2007, 2 EADs/APs approved.

Left the employer who initially filed I-140 after 180 days of filing I-485 (almost 2 years back). Invoked AC-21 and been working with the new employer since then. Didn't file any AC-21 forms with USCIS, just gave a copy of my EAD to the new employer. Is it a requirement to file AC-21 formally? If so can you please point us to some resources online?

I'm not sure if my old employer revoked I-140 or not. Is there a way to find out? If, let's say, they have revoked after 180 days of my pending I-485 should I have to do anything specific for my AC-21? Should I have to formally inform USCIS about AC-21 in that case?

The new job is of the same nature as my I-140 but it has a bit more added responsibilities (assume a Software Engineer/Programmer to a Senior Software Architect, both has to do the programming work but the Architect wouldn't need any guidance from the superiors and can design and do things on their own) and the pay is almost DOUBLE than what was mentioned in the I-140. The reason for this change is that I was employed on a salary with benefits. It was a nominal salary but not great. With this new offer I went with an hourly employee model where there are NO benefits and everything I have to pay from my pocket. If we consider this fact and along with the fact that this process has been going on for more than 6 years now (inflation, family growth/necessities and such adds up to the bottom line) the increase in total $$$$ make sense. Will this be acceptable to the USCIS officer? Will it cause any issues at the time of adjudication? Can I do something to remedy this, either going down to a salaried job or get paid less?

I would truly appreciate your comment/opinion on these questions.

Thanks again Rajiv.
Ashu
 
i-539 RFE

Hi Rajiv,

Sorry posting another question as i recieved the RFE today

I have applied for niw 140 and applied for COS to H4 since my h1 expired

I recieved a RFE for my COS to H4. In the i539 application i checked yes for "an applicant for an immigrant visa?" and yes for "has an immigration petition ever been filed for you?" since i have filed for Niw i140 .....Did i answer the questions right?

i539 RFE says that "You indicate that an immigrant visa petition has been filed on your behalf. submit the evidence of visa petiotion that enlists you as beneficiery"

since my i-140 is not approved yet, i just have the i140 reciept notice

How do i reply the RFE?
what are the documents i need to send them?

Please let me know

your service is a great relief for many of us here
 
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Citizenship Question

I am applying to my citizenship base on 3 years marriage to USC. I have already sent my application this past Friday. My question is that i got a daughter during my marriage, and find out later that my husband was not the father, we have changed my daugther's last name to the biological father's last name, of course with my husband consent. Also my husband wants to go with to the interview. This will be a denial of my citizenship.
 
Dear Rajiv,

I just learned (from June bulletin) that my priority date is current!!! When I moved to a new job one year ago I lost the attorneys from my old employer so I would like to know the next steps... Here are some additional details...

Priority date is 09/07/2006
Petition: EB2
AC21 letter sent two months after I changed the job
My wife and I are both working using EAD (and AP)
Never been asked to appear for Biometrics (for I-485)

Questions:
1. Is there anything I should do to expedite my I485 while my priority date is current? Find myself lost now...
2. How long does it normally take for USCIS to approve I-485s once the priority date is current? The reason I am asking is because my wife's AP is expiring (will also have to renew my EAD/AP within the next few months) and wondering if it is worth renewing now (I have to pay close to $1000).

Thank You!

Madhan
 
I140 denied

Hi,

I came to US in June-2006. In Nov-2010 my employer filed an I140 and H1B extension in Dec-2010. This is my third extension in US. I got my three year H1B extension in Feb-2011 where I got valid I94 till 2014.

H1B dates:

2005-2008, I came US in 2006
2008-2011, extension
2011-2014, current extension.


I140 got denied in April-2011 due to Degree issue. My employer is refiling the I140 now.

The question is:

1. How I got my three year H1B extension while my I140 was pending?. I supposed to get only one year extension as I filed the I140 before 365 days of my 6th year H1B completion. My 6th year H1B maximum limit is ending by June-2012. But, now I have valid I94 till 2014. I am totally confused here, how USCIS issues H1B beyond 6 years to a person where I140 was not approved.

2. Can I stay until current I94 expired (2014) even if my refiled I140 denied? If yes, then I will be staying in US around 8 years without I140 approved. If not, do we need to inform to USCIS about their error?

Thanks,
Reddy
 
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