I know I have been paranoid, but I need some input please

[mzha]

I have been in this country for the last 15 year, on various visas. Got green card through employment sponsorship at the beginning of this year. Has been with the same position with the same employer since 2002.

I have to admit that as time goes by, it has become more and more a pain in the *** to work at this position that I do not enjoy at all. Well, the hope of green card was one of the most important things to keep me here for all these years.

Now I have green card, I've been feeling even worse. I kept asking myself, why am I still here with a green card. I really want to quit and move on with my life, while my attorney advised me to stay for at least one year.

As the situation becoming more and more unbearable, I'm thinking about go ahead and quit now, at 10 months after green card. Yet, I worry about possible problem at the time of applying for citizenship. Anybody can give me some suggestions, please. Just to gain some courage to say goodbye to my boss.

BTW, is there any real court cases that people got into trouble because quitting sponsoring employer too soon?

Thanks

 

[mzha]

You have to demonstrate some intent of staying with the employer. I am not sure what a reasonable time frame is but if there are layoffs within your group or division that can be a valid argument.

thanks for your reply.

No, there is no layoffs nor there is going to have one in the forseeable future.

Basically the only way out is to quit by myself.

 

[WBH]

I can only say nothing is risk-free but as long as the risk is minimal you can treat it like risk-free. In my opinion, quiting after 10 month is risk-free as long
as you quit without enraging yoru employer. On yoru way to yotu citizenship inetrview, you should be more worried about a car accident happening to you
rather than GC being revoked becase the interview office think your GC is a fraud.

In this forum, there has been no reported case that anyone got into trouble
because he left the sponsor too soon after the getting the GC. Jackolantern
posted a similar case but that is about leaving the sponsor before getting the GC.

There is another case that the wife who got the GC as derivative of her husband employment based GC
went to the interview first. The IO even advised her about how her hussband should prepare for the interview
since her husband leaving teh sponsor before the GC

 

[mzha]

I can only say nothing is risk-free but as long as the risk is minimal you can treat it like risk-free. In my opinion, quiting after 10 month is risk-free as long
as you quit without enraging yoru employer. On yoru way to yotu citizenship inetrview, you should be more worried about a car accident happening to you
rather than GC being revoked becase the interview office think your GC is a fraud.

In this forum, there has been no reported case that anyone got into trouble
because he left the sponsor too soon after the getting the GC. Jackolantern
posted a similar case but that is about leaving the sponsor before getting the GC.

Thanks WBH for your words. I'll search the case you mentioned. The IO was really nice in that case.

Yes, I have been in good work relationship with the employer so far, and I will definitely leave in good terms.

They did not pay me at the wage as promised, I'm thinking about using that as a reason to leave just in case.

Maybe I worry too much, too much stress on various visas make me a little bit paranoid. I think I'm still in the process of "adjusting" to a normal life.

 

[WBH]

They did not pay me at the wage as promised, I'm thinking about using that as a reason to leave just in case.

I am not sure about this.

If their wage promise is part of GC deal, then do not use that
as a reason to quit. A GC can be consider fishby if you do not keep your promise
but it is also fishy if the sponosr does not keep their promise.

Find some other reasons, like family matters etc.

 

[wong561hb]

Personally I think 10 months is a very reasonable amount of time - HOWEVER, your lawyer suggests 1 year and you're already 10 mths into it, why not suck it up for 2 more months - think of it as your Xmas gift to yourself

 

[WBH]

Personally I think 10 months is a very reasonable amount of time - HOWEVER, your lawyer suggests 1 year and you're already 10 mths into it, why not suck it up for 2 more months - think of it as your Xmas gift to yourself

Yes. and unless you have an offer rigth now, it may even take 2-3 month to get another job

 

[Jackolantern]

BTW, is there any real court cases that people got into trouble because quitting sponsoring employer too soon?

No court cases. Only people getting harassed in the interview, but they still got approved. Your 10 months is waaaay longer than their cases.

Personally, I quit after 10 months and I am more worried about getting into a car accident when I drive to the post office to mail the application, than getting denied for leaving when I did.

 

[mzha]

Jackolantern, WBH, wong561hb,

Thanks all for your reply.

No, there is no GC deal. It was just business was doing bad. The company had a surplus for many years, as shown in their annual audit reports, and starting this year, they has a big loss, as shown in the financial statements. I never asked for prevailing wage after green card, known they has a big loss this year. Actually I never asked for a raise in the past either, though I got a couple of raises in the past due to my positive performances.

wong561hb, you are right. Maybe it is better I stick for another 2 months just for peace of mind. At the same time, I'll look for another job.

 

[richmondva]

I don't really see much risk but if you are that kind who likes to very cautious and carry an umbrella when it is sunny and 80 degrees outside with forecast for a 10% chance of precipitation then it is a different argument . No one can really give you a level or degree of risk; so its entirely for you to decide. Personally, at the interview my IO could care less about what I was doing. All he wanted to know was the occupation so he could put something in the field on the computer screen.

I would equate it to the following statement: "Even if the speed limit is 65 I will drive at a max of 64 mph for the next 5 years so that I do not get a ticket that could cause issues with my citizenship ". In my opinion that is the degree of risk you are talking about. For me I would still drive at my usual 70 to 75 and consider it "fairly" risk free. I hope it made sense although some guys here might still discourage you.

 

[Jackolantern]

wong561hb, you are right. Maybe it is better I stick for another 2 months just for peace of mind. At the same time, I'll look for another job.

If you just started your job search and you find an equivalent or better job in this economy in less than 2 months, you're very good or very lucky or both.

 

[guju]

Right after I got my I485 approved, I called up my lawyer and asked him what would be a reasonable amount of time to continue working for the employer who sponsored my I140, and he said that I can quit whenever I want. I am not sure if this helps you since I stayed with him for 3 years.

 

[Huracan]

After AC-21 things changed (not that before that I had any indication that things were much different). Anyway if you have stayed 8 years with your current sponsoring employer and you have ten months since you got your GC approved you are pretty much safe to look for another job. If it is in the same job category it might be safer, but I would doubt it would matter. Anyway, I think in the past people would say 6 months to be safe, not 1 year, but I never saw any case in which it made a difference. As Jackolantern has said it might still take you a couple of months between job search, interviews and quitting your current job, so I don't see much problem at all with changing jobs at any time you can/want from now on. Of course this is just my personal opinion.