Not enough time on H1 left for residency

A

ajnj

Registered Users (C)
I am an IMG from India. I am in the US since October 2004 on a L2 visa. I am planning to start my residency in July 2007 on a H1 visa. If all goes well, i.e. I am accepted in a program and I get the visa, I will be left with just a few months over 3 years of the 6 year time limit on H1.
Though my husband is planning to file for GC via a company who is ready to sponsor his H1 next year, but if that doesn't work out what are the options that will allow me to extend my H1 visa for 2-3 more years? Can I file fro GC during my residency?
Any advice will be greatly appreciated.
Thanks
 
If feel for you.

This is such a common scenario that we have discussed it a number of times in the past. Check out the old threads. (in short, yes, you will have to file for a green-card during residency, but that is not easy)
 
Thanks a lot Hadron. I greatly appreciate your prompt reply.

I have looked at some old threads. I will be finishing my step 1 and 2 USMLE exams in June. I would like to know if I can stay in the US on F1 visa for Kaplan course for 5-6 months from June 2006 onwards and then spend the rest of time in India, i.e. after my interviews are over will my clock get reset. Also if I decide to go to India in June and then only come here for my interviews in December 2006 & Jan 2007 on B1/B2 visa and then come back next year in June, will my clock get reset.

Thanks.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
> I will be finishing my step 1 and 2 USMLE exams in June.

Good. Try to get step2cs done as well.

> I would like to know if I can stay in the US on F1 visa for Kaplan course
> for 5-6 months from June 2006 onwards

F1 just gives you an opportunity to stay in the country, it won't reset the H/L clock.

> then spend the rest of time in India, i.e. after my interviews are over
> will my clock get reset.

You have to be outside of the US (doesn't have to be india, can be canada), for 1 year before your clock resets.

> Also if I decide to go to India in June and then only come here for
> my interviews in December 2006 & Jan 2007 on B1/B2 visa and then
> come back next year in June, will my clock get reset.

Then, the time you need abroad to reset your clock will be
= 1 year + (time spent in US on B1/B2/F1)

(lets say you leave in july and return in september for a 1 month interview trip on B1/B2, the earliest you could start a residency on H1b would be august 07)
 
Thanks a lot again.
Going to Canada looks like a better option, also as my husband is looking for a job there it may work out.
 
If you have a graduate degree, about $1000 to spare and about 15 months of time, it is actually pretty easy to get canadian permanent residency (especially if you speak a couple of words of french). The country is very hostile to foreign trained physicians, but it can be a good place to hang out for a year if you need to reset your H/L clock.
 
hadron said:
If you have a graduate degree, about $1000 to spare and about 15 months of time, it is actually pretty easy to get canadian permanent residency (especially if you speak a couple of words of french). The country is very hostile to foreign trained physicians, but it can be a good place to hang out for a year if you need to reset your H/L clock.
Click to expand...

Hi Hadron,

Can you please throw some more light on cancadian PR for US physicians.
Any links ?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top