
有关H-1B的情况
By: Beth Robertie, Esq.
在今年的5月26日,2007财政年度2007 65,000 H1B被用完,在26号当天USCIS所接收的申请将会进行电脑抽选程序,而在26号后提交的H-1B 申请则将会被退回。对于今年H-1B名额的使用情况,Vermont Service Center (VSC) 并没有在26号当天公布名额已用完,而是在6月1号才宣布,这很大程度上是由于VSC的系统问题以及其需要负责所有的H-1B案件接收而引起多大的工作量而导致的。以下为有关信息:
As we have previously noted, the 65,000 Regular H1B Cap Count was hit on Friday, May 26. Any petitions received on that date were entered into a random lottery for acceptance, and any petitions received after that date were rejected. Unfortunately, however, USCIS did not release notification that the cap had been hit until Thursday, June 1. Why did it take so long for USCIS to announce that the cap had been exhausted? Indeed, as of the last published cap count on May 25, 2006, there were as many as 12,000 H1B quota numbers available. How is it, then, that the cap was hit the very next day? Did USCIS really receive more than 12,000 H1B visa petitions in the 24 hours between May 25 and May 26?
It appears that the problem lies in the processing of filings by the USCIS at the Vermont Service Center (VSC). When the USCIS went to Bi-Specialization filing effective April 1, 2006, VSC was unable to handle the volume of cases it was receiving. Because of the Bi-Specialization procedure, all I-129 case types were to be sent to the VSC, leading to data-entry and receipting backlogs from early on. VSC data-entry and receipting remained backlogged, leading to the lag between delivery of a petition to VSC and its entry into the system. As USCIS updated its cap-count reports, the volume of cases sent to VSC increased, further contributing to the backlog in data-entry and receipting. The cap count reports posted by USCIS failed to mention that not all cases received had been input into the system, and that thus the counts did not include all cases received as of the report dates. Ultimately, the combination of the existing backlog in data entry and the volume of new cases delivered last week made it appear that 12,000 cases arrived overnight.
本文由范毅禹律师事务所提供
本律师事务所精办各类劳工应聘及专业移民申请 (包括H-1,L-1,EB-1,EB-2,NIW,劳工卡,绿卡等申请)。所有申请由多位美籍律师及拥有15年经验的范毅禹律师亲自处理,我所并特设中英移民网站。内有最新移民新闻资讯及由律师主持的移民问答集,欢迎读者流览查询。
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有关OPT 与 H1B 之间的身份问题
By: Beth Robertie, Esq.
不少人问到有关其OPT结束后到H-1B生效之间的合法身份问题。以下是我们对于两种不同情况的分析,以供大家参考:
Scenario 1: My OPT expires on August 15. I have not yet used my OPT “grace period” of 60 days. I have an H1B Approval that takes effect on October 1. Can I stay in the U.S. during this time? Can I work for my employer and defer payment until after October 1?
Answer: Because you have not yet used your 60 day grace period, you are entitled to stay in the U.S. from August 15 until October 1 when your H1B status begins. However, because you do not have a valid work permit, you may not legally work during this time. According to USCIS and Department of Labor regulations, the rule is “if it looks like work, it is work.” In other words, you cannot “volunteer” or defer payment for activity that is normally paid work. If you do work during this time, it will be considered unauthorized employment and you are putting both you and your employer at risk.
Scenario 2: My OPT expires on June 17. I have already used my 60 day OPT grace period. I expect to have an H1B Approval that takes effect on October 1. Can I stay in the U.S. during this time? Can I work for my employer and defer payment until after October 1?
Answer: Because you have already exhausted your OPT grace period, you must leave the United States once your OPT expires and you cannot stay until October 1 when your H1B status begins. You will likely have to travel to your home country, make an appointment with the consulate, and acquire your H1B visa there. If you choose to remain in the United States, you will begin to accumulate unlawful presence, which could become an issue should you ever choose to adjust status to permanent resident. Furthermore, when you receive your H1B notice, it will likely not contain an I-94 at the bottom of the page, signifying that you will be required to process your H1B visa through your consulate. Finally, as in the above scenario, continuing to work for your current employer will constitute unauthorized work and will jeopardize both you and your employer.
本文由范毅禹律师事务所提供
本律师事务所精办各类劳工应聘及专业移民申请 (包括H-1,L-1,EB-1,EB-2,NIW,劳工卡,绿卡等申请)。所有申请由多位美籍律师及拥有15年经验的范毅禹律师亲自处理,我所并特设中英移民网站。内有最新移民新闻资讯及由律师主持的移民问答集,欢迎读者流览查询。
www.fan-law.com (Chinese)