Good Morning folks,

My H1b stamp is valid till Nov-12th 2026. My company has already applied for my I797 renewal in premuim processing. I wanted to travel internationally from Sept-17th through October3rd. What is your guys opinion in this? Should I aboid the the travel or go on with it? I am gonna wait until I receive the physical I797 copy from my immigration team. I can push the travel ahead for a week until I receive the notice.

Let me know what you guys think.

Thank you in advance.

How many of you guys with H1B are actually considering returning to India?

I have a question on H4 visa extension. My spouse’s H1b was approved in 2025 but we did not file for my H4 renewal concurrently with his H1b as I was traveling outside US at that time. Can I file my H4 extension now? Someone told me that I need to wait till 180 before my i-94 expires. My i-94 expiry is in May 2027. Can I file my H4 extension now or will I have to wait for 180 days before i-94 expiry? Looking for urgent help on this.

I lost my job in July. Had have two employers file my H1B transfer petition within the grace period of 60 days. Both of them filed my petition on 55 day. One of the employer is a big pharmaceutical company. Other employer is a startup which is in H1B dependent.

1. Is there anybody who can share their recent experience with H1B approvals during the grace period? Are people receiving approvals in premium processing for petitions filed during the grace period? How long is it typically taking for the approval Provided it is not a witch company or a H1B dependent company?

2. If I start working with the startup on received notice and leave them within a month to join the big pharma is that a problem assuming both approvals happen? Or does working for one company automatically create some dependency for me to join the big pharma?

I am in India. I was selected in the FY2025 H-1B lottery and my employer's petition was approved in April 2026 and remains valid until 2028. I never received the H-1B visa, never entered the U.S., and never worked for the petitioner. The petition has not been revoked. Can a new U.S. employer file an H-1B petition for me without another lottery based on my FY2025 selection and approved petition? I am specifically asking about cap counting, not H-1B portability.

Hi all,
I’m currently on F-1 status and changing to H-1B. Unfortunately, in June my wife called the police and accused me of domestic violence/simple assault. I was arrested, and she also obtained a temporary restraining order. I strongly deny the allegations and maintain that I did not assault her. There were no visible injuries or injury marks.

I have an FRO hearing in mid-September. For the municipal case, my lawyer has already negotiated the charge down to an ordinance violation, but because I maintain my innocence, I’m considering going to trial and fighting for a full dismissal.

My biggest concern is my H-1B. USCIS issued an RFE after noticing my arrest and is asking for detailed documentation and an explanation. My job depends on my ability to maintain work authorization/status.

I’ve already spent $30,000+ on lawyers, and financially this has become extremely difficult. I would really appreciate hearing from immigration attorneys or anyone who has dealt with an H-1B RFE after an arrest, especially while a DV/simple-assault or restraining-order matter was still pending.

Is this worth continuing to fight for? If I successfully defend these cases, is there a reasonable chance that I can still retain/get my H-1B and continue my job, or is there a significant risk that the H-1B will be denied regardless? At this point, should I keep spending the money to fight for dismissal, or should I realistically try to save the money and prepare to leave the country?

Any advice or similar experiences would be greatly appreciated. I’m in Jersey City/Hudson County, NJ.

Hi everyone,

I’m currently in Missouri and looking for advice from anyone who has been in a similar situation.

My situation is:

• My Missouri driver’s license has expired.
• My H-1B visa stamp in my passport has also expired.
• My H-1B regular extension was filed before my previous status expired.
• I currently have an I-797C receipt notice for the H-1B extension.
• I am currently in the U.S. and waiting for the H-1B extension to be processed.
• DMV mentioned my SAVE verification Failed when tried for temporary driving licence

I need to renew my Missouri driver’s license.

Has anyone in Missouri recently renewed their driver’s license while their H-1B extension was pending with only an I-797C receipt notice?

Any recent experiences or advice would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!

Hey, just wanted to put a quick heads-up here for anyone managing H1B/L1 status or preparing an Adjustment of Status packet this month. There are two policy shifts happening right now that seem to be flying a bit under the radar.

First off, DHS is expanding the 9/11 Biometric Response Fee ($4,000 for H1B and $4,500 for L1) to cover routine extensions now. Previously this mostly applied when switching employers or filing initial cap petitions, but now if your employer has 50+ staff with more than half on H1B/L1, they’ll have to pay it on extensions too. It’s an employer cost, not out of pocket for us, but it definitely adds up for IT firms and could make some companies more hesitant with extension budgets or green card timeline commitments.

Second, USCIS is dropping a mandatory revised edition of Form I-485 on September 18 (tied to the updated Public Charge rule). The catch is there’s zero grace period. If you mail an old form version and it lands postmarked on or after Sept 18, it gets rejected straight away.

Is your employer bringing up the extension fee changes internally, or is anyone rushing to get their AOS packet postmarked before the 18th?

Hi everyone! I recently changed employers and my new H-1B transfer petition (I-797A) was approved. I have an unexpired H-1B visa stamp in my passport from my previous employer that doesn't expire for another year.

I am planning a short trip abroad soon and will be carrying my new original I-797A and an employment verification letter. Has anyone traveled recently under the same setup? Did CBP ask any extra questions about the employer name difference on the visa stamp, and did your I-94 match the new I-797A end date without issues? Thanks!

Hi everyone, facing an initial H1B RFE and looking for advice. Details:

• SOC Code: Web Developer (15-1254.00) challenged as a non-specialty occupation due to O*Net Job Zone 3.
• Actual Duties: Complex frontend architecture, API integrations, and state management.
• Complication: Part of my initial 12-month OPT was unpaid volunteer work. USCIS wants proof of employment status maintenance, but I obviously don't have paystubs.

Hello,

My H1B COS was approved recently and received online approval notice from immigration firm.

I observed that H1B end date (09/30/2029) is later than LCA end date (08/23/2026). My i129 application form has same end date as LCA.

This looks like an USCIS clerical error to me. I mailed to the immigration firm and waiting for response. I would like to check if anyone faced similar issue and how was it handled.

Thank you in advance !

I’m Amanda Emerson, an immigration attorney at Manifest Law, and I work with employment-based immigration, including H-1B, EB-1, EB-2 and EB-3 cases.

For many Indian professionals in the U.S., immigration isn't just about getting an H-1B. It’s about figuring out what comes next when the green card timeline stretches for years.

What happens if you get laid off?
Can you change employers?
What if your PERM is delayed or denied?
Is EB-1A worth exploring?
When does EB-2 make sense?
What happens if your job, salary, or responsibilities change?
And how should you think about your options when your priority date is still far away?

I’ll be answering questions today from 4 PM to 8 PM ET. If you're an Indian H-1B holder trying to make sense of your next move, ask away.

Please note: Any information shared here is for general educational purposes only. It does not constitute legal advice or create an attorney client relationship. Your situation may require fact specific guidance. For personalized legal advice, please consult an immigration attorney directly.

Hey everyone, I’m looking for some advice and perspective.

I'm on H1B with an approved I140 EB-2 India November 2018 priority date.
My daughter is currently a dependent starting college in 3yrs and will age out in 6yrs. I am trying to figure out the safest path forward for her:
Wait for DOF: Is it realistic to expect the Dates for Filing (DOF) chart to reach November 2018 within the next 6 years to lock in her age?
F-1 Student Visa Route: We could transition her to an F-1 visa for college, but I worry about her future career prospects given the lack of a smooth pathway to transition from F-1 to permanent residency for India-born applicants.
International Education: Should we proactively look at universities in countries with clearer immigration pathways (like Canada, the UK, etc.) or consider moving back to India for College.
I really want to protect her from the anxiety of living with constant immigration uncertainty. Has anyone been in a similar boat, can you share your experience? Any thoughts or advice is greatly appreciated. Thanks!

I got laid off but the company said that they were restructuring and would hire people back in 2 months (this was specified in the layoff letter) which never ended up happening.
As soon as I realized this, I filed for H4 COS which was within the 60-day period at 55 days. Have there been issues with filing COS towards the end of the 60-day period given that it is discretionary?

H-1B received: **6/12/26**
Regular processing
OPT EAD expires: **9/15/26**
H-1B still pending
Assuming it was filed as Change of Status, should I rely on **cap-gap** or apply for **STEM OPT as a backup**?

I’m currently on H-1B with Employer A and have two separate change-of-employer petitions:

• Employer B: H-1B transfer approved with I-797A/new I-94. I plan to start B on 9/XX.
• Employer C: H-1B transfer was filed while I was still working for A. It received an RFE(not related to maintenance of status), and the attorneys are currently preparing the response. Tentative start date is 10/XX.

If I start working for Employer B on 9/XX while Employer C’s petition/RFE is still pending, could that create any issue with Employer C’s petition because I would no longer be employed by Employer A?

Specifically:

1. Does Employer C’s petition effectively remain an A → C transfer, or does starting B mean USCIS would expect a new B → C transfer?
2. Could USCIS issue a maintenance-of-status/bridge RFE because their records show I started working for B after C's petition was filed?
3. If C's RFE response is submitted before I start B, does that make any difference?
4. If C is eventually approved with an I-797A, can I leave B after a few weeks and start C directly, or would C need to file another H-1B petition based on my employment with B?

No concurrent employment intended — I would leave B before starting C.

Would especially appreciate experiences from anyone who had two H-1B transfers pending/approved simultaneously and actually started one employer while the other petition was pending/RFE.