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nathan_1972 wrote:
| Hi,
| I am currently on L1A first issued in Dec 2001 and has been extended 2
| timess and valid till end of 2006.
|
| My friend is offering me a job now and is ready to apply for H1B
| through his company. I need advise on the following:(please bear with
| me as some of the questions might be rudimentary as I am totally
| ignorant on the visa processing/rules eventhough I have lived in the US
| for more than 3 years).
|
| 1. First of all, is it legal to apply for H1B for a company X when I am
| working for a company Y on L1A.(I cannot reveal this to my current
| employer as I have aggrements to go back to work back home and not to
| apply for Visa/immigration when I am in US).
~From an immigration law standpoint, no problem. I can't tell you
anything about contractual restrictions, of course.
| 2. Another worry I have is on the documentation and reference to my
| current employer while filing for H1B-
| a.Does USCIS check with my current employer when the H1B is applied by
| the new employer.
No. They do verify that you are employed there, but they do that by
having you submit pay stubs.
| b. Does any of the application documentation would refer to my current
| employer and my current Visa documents?
Yes, the forms ask about your immigration history and current status,
and you also need to include pay stubs from the old job. Note that none
of that will inform the old employer. But the new employer would likely
see this piece of information.
| 3. I have Master's degree in engineering and I have around 10 years of
| IT experience after my graduation. I read in the forum that the
| qualification and the job must match? Is this true?
Yes, it's true. With your qualification, you would likely not be
accepted for a position as social worker or as nurse. But you would be
qualified for many technical types of job.
Note that for H-1B sponsorship, it matters what the job requires, not
what you actually have. For instance, if the job requires that you had
two years of computer technician school, then your Master's wouldn't
help you.
| Do I have to
| produce any work experience docs/pay stubs etc for filing H1B
application-
| I won't be able to get the most recent work experience letter from my
| current employer though I have hike,promotion and other letters on
| company letter head,pay stub. Is this ok?
Likely should be fine. Of course, only an attorney can give you a
competent answer.
| 4. I have been in US on B1 once and L1 A all other times and I have
| been on and off since early 2001. Is it really advisable to go for
| H1B now as I would have only two years with the assumption I can
| start in Jan 2006.
That indeed is a problem. He should also start filing the Green Card
paperwork right away (no need to wait for your H-1B). That will put you
earlier in the line, plus it will allow you to extend the H-1B beyond
the usual six year limit.
| 5. If H1B gets approved (with the hope I do not have to tell anything
| about my current employer and USCIS does not bother my current L1
| VISA and employer), I would like to go back to India and complete my
| commitments. It might take may be 4-6 months (though I am not sure
| whether the new company would really wait that long!!). After this,
| when I apply for Visa in India would there be any issues to get
| stamping on H1B (as there would be delay on visa appyling date say by
| 6 months from October'05)when my L1 would still be valid.
I don't see any problem here.
| 6. Also, please share if there are any other facts/rules I should be
| aware of for this L1A - H1B scenario.
Keep in mind the quota. Right now, it would be impossible to apply for
an H-1B. The earliest the employer could (probably) file for you is
April 1, requesting a start date of October 1.
Also keep in mind that applying for the visa stamp in India can
potentially take many months, although it is usually pretty quick. So my
suggested strategy would be to apply for the H-1B on April 1 with a
start date of October 1. Remain on L-1A until October 1. Then go to
India, immediately apply at the US consulate for an H-1B visa, and then
fulfill your commitment. That way, if there is a delay in issuing the
visa, it won't hurt you because you'd be in India anyway.
| 7. Is there a website/link detailing the list of docs. to be submitted
| for H1B application.
I have some information on my Web site at
http://www.kkeane.com
| 8. Also, would there be any issues if a immigration (let's say canada)
| application is pending when H1B is being process?
No problem. Of course, if you actually leave the US while the H-1B is
pending, there could be issues.
| I understand I have asked too many questions with lots of contraints. I
| wanted to get expert advise before I decide to proceed on this.
If you really want expert advice, my recommendation is to hire a
competent attorney for a consultation. While I assure you that most
responders here will give you reasonable advice based on their best
knowledge, you have no way of knowing even who anybody here really is.
Plus, most posters here, including myself, are amateurs.
| All your inputs will be of great help. Thanks very much in advance.
- --
Remember, I am strictly a layperson without any legal training. I
encourage everybody to seek competent legal counsel rather than
relying on usenet newsgroups.
Please visit my new FAQ at
http://www.kkeane.com (always under
construction)
My email address in usenet posts is now invalid for Spam protection.
See my Web site for information on how to contact me.
Please feel free to enjoy some of my photographs at my Web site
http://www.ingopakleppa.com ! Comments are welcome.
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