H Visa

USCIS Publishes QA on OPT and F-1 Status for Eligible Students under the H-1B Cap-Gap Regulations

Introduction

These Questions & Answers address the automatic extension of F-1 student status in the United States for certain students with pending or approved H-1B petitions (indicating a request for change of status from F-1 to H-1B) for an employment start date of October 1, 2011 under the Fiscal Year (FY) 2012 H-1B cap.

Business in the US, on H1B visa

Question details

Fact "H1Bs cannot do their own business in US". So checking the legal limit with below scenarios.
1. Can a H1b, while working for H1 employer, work for non US employer using options like work from home or other internet technologies and earn in their local currency without further documentation?
2. Does anything changes if the non US employer has clients in US and the person in above position actually work with those clients under the payroll of non US based organization?
3. Does it cross the legal H1B limit if we assume the H1b person in scenario 1 and 2 is also the owner of non US company and earns in local currency not USD?

1. In my view, no.
2. No. The critical thing is that the work is being performed on US soil.
3. I believe this too would be illegal under immigration laws.

USCIS Continues to Accept H-1B Nonimmigrant Petitions for FY 2012

WASHINGTON—U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) today announced it continues to accept H-1B nonimmigrant petitions that are subject to the fiscal year (FY) 2012 cap. The agency began accepting these petitions on April 1, 2011.

USCIS is monitoring the number of petitions received that count toward the congressionally mandated annual H-1B cap of 65,000 and the 20,000 U.S. master’s degree or higher cap exemption.

USCIS Announces That FY 2012 H-1B Cap Season Is Open

U.S. businesses use the H-1B program to employ foreign workers in specialty occupations that require theoretical or technical expertise in specialized fields, such as scientists, engineers, or computer programmers.

USCIS starts accepting H-1B petitions subject to the fiscal year (FY) 2012 cap on April 1, 2011. Cases will be considered accepted on the date USCIS receives a properly filed petition for which the correct fee has been submitted; not the date that the petition is postmarked.

Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) regarding the Temporary Non-agricultural Employment of H-2B Aliens in the United States

The Department has published today in the Federal Register a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) regarding the Temporary Non-agricultural Employment of H-2B Aliens in the United States (H-2B program).  The NPRM proposes to amend the H-2B regulations at 20 CFR Part 655, Subpart A which govern the process by which employers apply for a temporary labor certification from the Department of Labor (Department) to be able to hire foreign workers in H-2B status.  The Department is accepting comments on the proposed rulemaking until May 17, 2011.  To read the full text of the NPRM and learn how to

USCIS to Start Accepting H-1B Petitions for FY 2012 on April 1, 2011

WASHINGTON - U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced that it will start accepting H-1B petitions subject to the fiscal year (FY) 2012 cap on April 1, 2011. Cases will be considered accepted on the date USCIS receives a properly filed petition for which the correct fee has been submitted; not the date that the petition is postmarked.

USCIS Reminds Japanese Nationals Impacted by Recent Disaster of Available Immigration Benefits

WASHINGTON—In light of the recent earthquakes and tsunami in Japan, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) reminds Japanese nationals of certain U.S. immigration benefits available upon request.

USCIS understands that a natural disaster can affect an individual’s ability to establish or maintain lawful immigration status. Temporary relief measures available to eligible nationals of Japan may include:

USCIS Seeks Public Comments on New Prevailing Wage Rates for H-2B Construction Workers in Guam

—U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is seeking comments from the public on the proposed prevailing wage rates received from the Guam Department of Labor for construction workers in Guam employed under the H-2B temporary worker program, and the system the governor of Guam uses to determine the rates.