General Nonimmigrant Visa

Extension of EAD for H-4 and EAD for L-2

Question details

I am on my H-1B and my wife is currently on her H-4. With the new bill does she still need to wait for my I-140 to be approved?

There is no new bill, just a policy clarification. And, yes, she will have to wait per the law.

FAQ Transcript

Note: Unless the context shows otherwise, all answers here were provided by Rajiv and were compiled and reported by our editorial team from comments and blog on immigration.com

Success in responding to an H-1B RFE questioning the beneficiary’s Curricular Practical Training (CPT)

We assisted a client company, who develops its own software products and provides related consulting services in filing an H-1B petition to employ a software developer. An RFE was issued requesting additional information regarding the employer, and additional documentation to show that the beneficiary was engaged in a valid curricular practical training (CPT) and was maintaining a full course study in a master’s degree program at a U.S. university at the time of filing.

Immigration Law

Success in responding to an H-1B specialty occupation RFE questioning the beneficiary’s education qualifications

We assisted an employer in successfully responding to a Request for Evidence (RFE) received subsequent to the filing of an H-1B (specialty occupation worker) extension petition. The RFE requested additional information regarding the employer and the beneficiary’s qualifications. More specifically, the RFE questioned the evidentiary value of an education evaluation that was provided with the petition, requesting additional evidence regarding the qualifications of the college official who authored the evaluation.

Nonimmigrant Visas

Immigration Law

Successful response to an RFE for a specialty occupation

We were approached by an employer in the health and wellness industry to respond to an RFE (Request for Evidence) for an Operations Research Analyst. The RFE indicated that the job duties were vague, and did not allow Service to ascertain the minimum requirements for the position, or determine whether it constituted a specialty occupation. We responded with considerable detail, elaborating on the job duties and providing considerable context about the employer and the strict FDA (Food and Drug Administration) regulations that they are required to operate under.

Immigration Law

Successful response to a physicians' H-1B extension RFE

We filed an H-1B extension for a specialized medical practice on behalf of a physician who had completed a fellowship in this specialty. We subsequently received a Request for Evidence questioning whether his position satisfied the requirements for a specialty occupation and questioning his current immigration status.

Profession/Occupation

Immigration Law

Successful response to an H-1B petition RFE for a Staff Accountant questioning specialty occupation and degree in a non-accounting field

We assisted petitioner, a public accounting firm, in filing an H-1B petition for beneficiary for the position of staff accountant. We received an RFE requesting additional evidence that the position qualified as a specialty occupation by satisfying at least one of the four qualifying criteria for a specialty occupation.  In our lengthy response, we argued that the job duties, as detailed in the petition, and as compared with OOH’s job description for staff accountant not only comports with but goes beyond OOH guidance in its uniqueness and complexity.

Profession/Occupation

Immigration Law

H-1B extension and change in employer filed while out of status

We successfully responded to an H-1B request for evidence (RFE), questioning the beneficiary’s maintenance of status. The beneficiary’s previous employer (Employer A) had submitted an H-1B extension. While the petition was pending the beneficiary’s nonimmigrant status expired. An RFE was subsequently received by Employer A, and following the filing of a comprehensive RFE response, the petition was denied.

Immigration Law

Extension of EAD for H-4 and EAD for L-2 - Not the Best Settlement

I have reviewed the recent lawsuit settlement where the USCIS has agreed to consider H-4 holders to be eligible to continue working while their timely filed EAD extension is pending. Unfortunately, the settlement seems to state that the right to work is only co-extensive with your I-94 duration. Therefore, you do not have the right to continue working for 180 days; only till your I-94 expires. While it is better than nothing, the settlement is not everything that we would like to see.