MS degree + H1 visa question

P

pk2001

Registered Users (C)
People,
I am in a situation right now. I will complete my MS degree coursework as of june 30th. I have a job offer and will join in the middle of July. But my graduatation at my University in only in August. However, I would like to apply for my H1 immediately because I have to go to India for my sister\'s wedding in october. Would I be able to apply for H1 immediately? My only doubt is that H1 requires a MS diploma certificate, which I don\'t have. So how do I work around that problem? Any ideas would be greatly appreciated.

Prince Kumar
 
No Title

PK:

i am in the same boat as you are, well sort of. I will be done with my course work and thesis defense in August but won\'t receive my MSEE diploma till december.

I had accepted my job offer in January and started my H1-B process in March and received an approval on May 5\'0, circumventing the EAD process. My employer (fortune 500 corp.) is not worried about my diploma: they want to make sure that I have completed all the requirements to graduate i.e. completed coursework and thesis defense. I am planning to get a official letter from my department and the graduate school indicating the same before i start working full-time.

you may want to talk to your HR/hiring manager, corporate attorney and your international counsellor at school and see if they are okay with this arrangement!!!

let\'s keep in touch and see if we can help each other out.

regards,
vishal
 
No Title

Yes, you better wait until you have your degree certificate in hand. It is very important. Do not go with a letter from school that mentions that you have completed your course work but your degree certificate will be given in August. It may create problems resulting in they denying you visa. When you go to any consulate in Canada, make sure you have all papers from day you entered in this country. That\'s what I did. Why give a chance where you can be questioned for no reason.Also do not talk unless necessary. Just hand over your papers and keep quite. Believe me it works and worked for me. Take all your I-120, EAD (Parctical Training card), bank statement, pay stubs,employment letter (make a copy for yourself because consulate will keep the original copy), copy of I-94, notirized copies of you degree certificates from India.
-Fellow Greencarder
 
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You may use your foreign bachelor degree with evaluation by an INS certified degree-evaluation service. Unless the job description asks for Master or higher. You still may receive an RFE asking for what happens to your US master because you are an F-1, but then it\'s about August.
Another way is apply for the OPT now. Before that, if your F-1 visa
is about to expire, go to Mexico/Canada to get a new F-1 stamp first before your I-20 be noted OPT application filed.
 
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If every thing else is OK then you will easily get an H1 without having your Masters degree completed. There is no question of an RFE.
 
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