LPY Law Group

Unlike other non-immigrant visas such as F and J that do not allow immigrant intent, H-1B visa has dual intent, which among other things, allows filing of immigrant applications without affecting their non- immigrant status.

According to the H-1B portability rule, you can start to work for the new employer after your new employer properly files the H-1B petition in your behalf. You do not need to wait till the new H-1B approval to change your employment. For more information about H-1B portability, please read our special section on H-1B Portability Issues Related to Change of Employer.

Yes, H-1B workers may work for more than one U.S. employer, but each employer involved must file an H-1B petition and the petition must be approved.

Yes, you may change H-1B employers and at the same time keep you H-1B status, but the new H-1B employer must file a new H-1B petition for you properly before you begin working for the new employer.

You will be able to extend H-1B status in one-year increments beyond the six-year limit if your Labor Certification application (Form ETA-9089) or your employment-based immigrant petition (Form I-140) has been pending for 365 days or more. Therefore, to be eligible for the one-year extension at a time, a Labor Certification application or I-140 petition must be filed before the H-1B reaches the 6th year.

You will be eligible to extend H-1B status in three-year increments beyond the six-year limit if your I-140 petition has been approved but you are unable to obtain green card due to the retrogression of priority date.

A foreign worker can obtain an extension of H-1B status beyond the 6-year maximum period if he or she meets one of the following conditions:

1. 365 days or more have passed since the filing of a Labor Certification (Form ETA-9089), or an employment-based immigrant petition (Form I-140) if Labor Certification is not required; or
2. An employment-based immigrant petition (Form I-140) has been approved but due to the retrogression of priority date, the foreign worker is unable to obtain green card.

H-1B petitioning employer is required to file a Labor Condition Application (LCA) with the Department of Labor (DOL) attesting to a number of items, including payment of prevailing wages for the position, and the working conditions offered. The LCA must be certified by DOL before the H-1B petition is filed with USCIS.

Under current law, a foreign worker can be in H-1B status for a maximum period of six (6) years at a time. After being on H-1B for six years, the foreign worker must remain outside the United States for at least one year before another H-1B petition can be approved. There are, however, a few exceptions to the six-year limit, which allow a foreign worker to extend their H-1B status beyond six years.

No, a foreign worker is not subject to the annual cap if he/she used the H-1B quota in the past 6 years.

H-1B petition must be filed by a U.S. employer. The U.S. branch or subsidiary of a foreign company is considered as a “U.S. employer” for H-1B purposes if its U.S. entity meets the following requirements: 1) it engages a person to work within the U.S.; 2) it has the authority to hire, pay, fire, and supervise employees; and 3) it has an IRS Tax ID Number, also known as Employer ID Number (EIN).

No, current H-1B workers who have used the H-1B quota are not subject to the annual cap.

Yes. As long as you have obtained an advanced degree in the U.S., you can use the additional 20,000 H-1B visas for advanced degree professionals.

The earliest date for U.S. employers to file new H-1B petitions under the 2010 FY cap is April 1, 2009.

No. The additional 20,000 H-1B visas are only granted to foreign workers who obtained advanced degree in the U.S.

The new H-1B visas available for FY 2010 are 65,000. In addition, 20,000 foreign workers who obtained advanced degree in the U.S. are exempted from the 65,000 cap.

It is not enough that an employer requires bachelor’s degree for a specific position. Pertinent laws set some objective standards for determining whether a specific occupation requires a bachelor’s degree for entry into the occupation. For more information regarding the standards to determine the requirement of bachelor’s degree, please read our special section on Standards to Determine Specialty Occupation.

While some occupations are clearly “specialty occupations” as defined by laws and regulations, others are not so clear and the USCIS will make a decision on a case-by-case basis. For some professions such as computer programmer, general manager, librarian, consultant, designer, etc., determination of “specialty occupation” is an extremely complicated process and many factors should be considered. We suggest that H-1B petitioners or beneficiaries consult with an experienced immigration attorney regarding their specific cases.

When determining whether a specific position is a “specialty occupation”, the USCIS will look into the job title, the job duties to be performed by the foreign worker, and the complexity of the business, etc. For more information regarding the standards to determine specialty occupation, please read our special section on Standards to Determine Specialty Occupation.

A specialty occupation requires theoretical and practical application of a body of specialized knowledge and at least a bachelor’s degree or its equivalent for entry into the occupation in the U.S. Examples of specialty occupation include, but are not limited to, architecture, engineering, mathematics, physical sciences, social sciences, medicine and health, education, business specialties, accounting, law, theology, and the arts, etc.

The H-1B is a nonimmigrant classification granted to a foreign worker who is employed temporarily in a specialty occupation, or a fashion model of distinguished merit and ability. For a Step by Step H-1B Processing Flowchart, please click Here.