Mentol Blog's

Well, not quite.
They cannot demand reimbursement for official filing fee, it's about $1500.
But they can demand to compensate for other expenses - like, lawyer, paperwork, recruiting, relocation, accommodation etc etc. It's legal.
And pretty often such a provision is enforceable. That is, they can sue you, and demand you to pay _way_ more in case of lawsuit.

Hello,

I am in serious trouble. Sometime ago I tried to switch my I-140 from EB3 to EB2. Now I get NOID to deny 140. Something related to prevailing wage (lawyer has actual letter). In my LC the offered wage was OK for EB3 but low for EB2. Lawyer says he'll try to reinstate EB3, but not sure. Has any one of you been able to reinstate EB3 140? Please help...

Ask the lawyer to give you a copy of the RFE.

Tell your employer that you need a second opinion, consult with a reputed lawyer, and then choose your options.

Thanks for the responses.

I have the affidavits and the birth certificate with me. The problem is with the misspelled names on those when compared to my passport.

Get Affidavits in which u will specify the document(i.e Birth certificate ) has the parents names misspelt and the correct spelling (i.e as in passport) and plus other details you full name ,DOB and place of birth etc etc.Affidavits are required in case the information on the Birth Certificate is incomplete i.e no name or when there is incorrect information i.e place of birth missplet ,parents name not in expanded format etc etc.

We got FP notice today (Aug 30) , the appointment date is Sep 14th.

485 RD - July 2, 2007 (TSC)
485 ND - Aug 17, 2007

EAD approved - Aug 23, 2007

140 LUD - Aug 17, 2007
485 LUD - Aug 19, 2007

I think you will not be able to apply for Visa renewal. You will be applying for H1 stamp for the first time hence it is a new visa applicaiton. this is per my understanding, please check with your lawyer. You can also send an email to the consulate (email address on VFS website). They will answer withing 3 business days...Goodluck
VFS website for booking H1B stamping appointments in India seems to have added a new question when booking a H1B appointment.
The question is "Are you applying for same visa class that expired in the last 12 months?*" and they have defined the Visa renewal criteria (which I have pasted below) in order to answer this question. Yes- means you are seeking a appointment for visa renewal and No - means your appt is NOT for visa renewal.

Can somebody advice if me and my wife would fall under the visa renewal category. The last US visa on my passport is F1. My H1b status started in May 2004 and I am now in my 4rth year of H1B. In between I changed employer and my H1 is now valid upto October 2008. But I have NOT travelled outside the country after my H1B status began in May 2004. Hence I am going to get my H1B stamped for the first time. In my wife's case also her last stamp is F1 and she went from F1 to H4 this year so she is also going to get her H4 stamped for the first time. Do we answer YES (appt for visa renewal) or NO(appt not for visa renewal). We are booking a appointment at the Mumbai consulate.

The below is the visa renewal criteria as defined on the website:
Visa renewal appointments are available to visa applicants who:
have a U.S. visa that has expired less than 12 months ago.
wish to apply for the same category visa (work, business, tourist, etc.)
are Indian nationals (hold Indian passports)
are resident in the New Delhi, Chennai, or Mumbai consular districts (this category is not available to Kolkata based applicants).

The following applicants do NOT qualify for appointments in the visa renewal category:
Applicants who have never had a US visa.
Applicants who have a U.S. visa that expired more than 12 months ago.
Applicants applying for a different category visa (e.g. had a student visa, now applying for a work visa).
Non Indian passport holders
Applicants applying at the U.S. Consulate in Kolkata.
First time H4 or L2 applicants under 18 years of age. (If you have recently married a H1b or L1 visa holder but have never had a visa interview for a visa in the H/L category, you may not schedule in the renewal category.)
Applicants applying for more than one visa at the same time (e.g. F and B1/B2).
Applicants applying for entertainment/performance visas(P3 category).
Applicants applying for unskilled worker visas (H2b category).

All visa renewal applicants should bring the following documents to the Embassy/Consulate Consular Section on the day of their appointment:
Current, valid passport
Passports containing previously issued U.S. visas
As applicable, I-797 (H and L), I-20 (F & M students), DS-2019 (J visa applicants)

As per my understanding, due to the July 2, 2007 fiasco, Visa dates were unavailable for ALL chargeability areas between July 2nd - July 17th 2007 (i.e until USCIS temporarily made relaxation after protests from IV et al. )

So how can the processing date be July 11th !!

It implies that they are processing a case that was filed/receipted on July 11th !! Whereas as per the Visa bulletin no body should have been able to file a case when PDs were not current during that brief time slot (2nd - 17th of july). So are they processing cases out of thin air !! :) (just kidding...I know some people did contine to file after July 2nd despite dates not being current)

If indeed people did continue to file their papers even after July 2nd (and I think some did), then may be they are processing those (relatively) few applications. But would they allow such applications. I guess they are...they are atleast processing them :) , whether or not they will honor such filings I dont know....

Folks,
After more than an hour drive to a shitty town in northern mass Lawrence....no bottles please..cell phones be turned off...

Officer: Purpose
Me: Me approved my wife not
Officer: cases..
Me: Presented cases
Officer: Yes you are approved...your wife is pending
Me: Oh really that is a revelation....
Me: Why so?is she preadjudicated?
Officer: There could be many reasons...no she is not pre-adjudicated...
Me: What can we do to expedite as she is current
Officer: Nuthin ....I was loosing my temper now...
I said how long should one wait...I opened an SR I got a reply that they are doing additional review contact after 6 months..3 days later I get approval email...no one has a clue...the right hand does not know what the left is doing....my wife is kicking me on the foot asking in native language be happy with yours do u want to loose urs too...
Officer: gave a vague Monalisa smile...
Me: Well I guess that's it I didn;t know anything after driving 60 miles that I didn't know before...

On the way back got a mail from my attorney...he checked thru AILA and talked withan IO ...it seems her biometrics need to be redone...it is ordered and she shld get it in 2 weeks she will be current next month too...so keep fingers crossed...well my fingers are crooked and can't be straightened now...

Hope the info helps..

SoP

You do not need Biometrics uploaded for approval. My case was approved without it however they will only send cards after Biometrics are updated.

To Bindas74,

Did the e-file process ask you to pay the biometric fee? I ask because my attorney informed me this afternoon that I do not need to pay a biometric fee, or send in a G-325A form, when sending in my EAD/AP renewal. Do please let me know if this is not the case.

On the Advance Parole justification, I would put in a note stating that I maintain close ties with my family in <country here> and travel frequently to see them. Additionally, state that you wish to travel abroad on vacation on multiple occasions through the year, and request them to grant you an Advance Parole for these reasons. This document request seems to be in lieu of the covering letter that's usually sent with an AP request. I'm sure they don't need you to send them ticket receipts.

Thanks,

I got the same response about AP (same RD), approved Oct 17, not received yet.

Please let us know if you receive it. Good luck.

^^^^^^
Hello Folks,

We have an excellent opportunity to set-up an IV booth. Details are posted on So Cal yahoo group with the link in my signature.

Venue: Diwali Mela, San Diego.
Date: Saturday, November 10th.
Target: A whopping 5000 visitors for recruitment and educational purposes.

I am looking for at least 4 So Cal volunteers/shift to take responsibility for 2 hour shifts at the booth. If San Diego/Orange County/LA members take turns in the booth shifts that day, this goal is achievable!

PLEASE SIGN-UP on the yahoo groups spreadsheet.

Thank you in advance! :)

Thanks bond65

Immi_enthu,
I was talking about Traditional labor, and mines is not a case of substitution so i never signed anything .Infact at the time of applying labor i did sign some forms but nothing in 140 stage only signed g 28 at 485 stage.
From your signature your 140 is approved so u need not worry about that.

I applied for H1-B amendemnt with premium processing.

But i am unable to see any updates with my reciept number, i mean my current status still the same as before.

do you think, do they have my h1-b amendment petition with them? or not?

I am in my 6th year H1B and have an approved I-140 (EB3) with PD in 2005. I am seriously considering moving to another company in order to be able to file in EB2 because of current priority date in that category. You guessed it; I am from ROW and I will qualify for EB2.

I have had several interviews but some of the employers were worried about the fact that I am in my 6th year and whether there was enough time for me to be able to safely transfer everything over to the new company. From what I know, here are the steps involved:

* transfer H1B - 1 month
* New labor - 3 month (max)
* I-140 - 1 month (premium)

So within 5 months, I-140 could be approved and then I'll be able to extend my H1B.

1. Is the timeframe I am thinking realistic?
2. Since I only have about 7 months left in my current H1B, is it wise to take this risk?
3. What could be the greatest risk in transferring companies at this stage?

Thanks in advance for your help.

My friend's wife got a job. company didn't ask for ead card so far. she filed the employment applicaiton where they asked her if she is a citizen or green card, she filled everything correct, they made an offer and did the background check, she is supposed to start in 2 weeks.
Question, does she need to disclose about EAD now or wait until start give the information while filling I-9 Form. Does employeer right to not hire people on EAD?
Please clarify.

Being from ROW, porting PD is least of my worries because PD for EB2 ROW is current so I don't really have to port my PD. My only concern is if I have enough time to get my I-140 approved from the new employer so that I can continue to extend my H1B. From my calculation above, there is enough time but I am not sure if have missed any steps or miscalculated the processing times.

As for EB2 from the current company, that isn't working out well hence the drastic measure to move company.

I am not sure about the time frame, but your worst case scenario will be if your old company revoke your I-140, then you can't port your PD.

My suggestion is unless its giving u a great improvement(atleast 30-40% diff total compensation wise) over the current job and your current employer is not even acceptably reasonable Pl stick with your current employer since you waited so long why do u want to trash it now?your much needed freedom will come eventually(according to vdlrao and many other senior members
eb2 will move at great pace through out next year)and you are close to it than ever.

Hi,
I called up and spoke to the IO and asked him about the rejection of I-485 due to old fees and he defended that the application would be rejected without the new fee, I tried to explain him about the July bulletin 107 and that people who were on employment based category and whose dates were current should have used only the OLD FEES till August 17th, he did not agree about it and I did not force the issue!

If the IO officers don't agree about the right facts how would the people who just check the fee! I am sure that is why my application was rejected!

I am not sure what to do! Can somebody suggest anything!

How to let those people know that when we applied in August there was a bulletin which said that we can apply with old fee!

These are not "IO"s. These are called Customer Service Rep who are not hooked into the IO system. Their main purpose is to satisfy the mandate of servicing the Customer phone calls. There is no explicit mention of quality of service in the mandate. So go figure.

Folks,

I am in a similar situation..

I work for Company A on H1b which is valid till 2009 & expired Visa stamp, but I have filed a GC application thru company B and got EAD and Parole.

So if I leave the country, can I re-enter on company B's parole and still continue to work on Company A's H1b?

Thanks much for any insight

being in same boat sometimes rocks sometime scares.......

I have contributed $ 50.00 via paypal (Transaction Id - 1V177239G36459907)

As always, appreciate your efforts.