Priority Date

“Priority Date” determines your place in the queue for waiting for green card in the categories where there is a wait. When the govt. has reached your PD, it is said to be “current.” For family-based green cards, PD is the date your I-130 was filed; for PERM-based cases, the date your PERM was filed; for employment-based cases other than through PERM (like EB-1 cases), PD is the date your I-140 was filed. DOS publishes the movement of the PD queue every month in the Visa Bulletin: http://www.immigration.com/visa-bulletin

March 4, 2021 Free US Immigration Community Conference Call with Rajiv (Every Other Thursday)

Immigration.com

Citizenship and Naturalization

Immigration Law

Substantial transcription for video


Discussion Topics, Thursday, 04 March 2021:

 

FAQ's: How to deal with H-1B employer paying salary less than required || Green Card Renewal - Do I have to be employed in a similar job? 


Other Topics: Downgrading from EB-2 to EB-3: Interview process, job responsibility, wages and period of time to change jobs || | If approved EB-1C and GC (consular processing): Impact of delay to move to the US || AOS versus NVC processing for family members in different status  || Upgrading to premium processing, while service correction to I-140 pending/options if, spouse moves to EB-3  || Documents required for parents GC  || Spouses changing from EB-2 to EB-3 with a new law firm and service center  || Maintaining status  || Impact of H-4 EAD expiring on spouses  || Time estimate for pending asylum review  || Impact of moving to a new office branch with AOS pending  || Parent on I-140: Impact on 19-year-old son and CSPA  ||  Green Card through Brother or Sister

Nov 5, 2020 Recording of Free Community Conference Call (Every Other Thursday)

Citizenship and Naturalization

Nonimmigrant Visas

Substantial transcription for video

Topics Discussed: Green card and other options for parents of US citizens || Porting priority date || L-1A to EB-1 || File new H1b with I 797B || Travel outside US with 485 pending || Downgrading to EB-3 with concurrent filing for I-485

Priority date and original I-140 approval notice

Question details

I am currently on H1B visa(3rd year) and few days back I got my I-140 approved in EB-2 category. I want to know if I can change my employer and retain my priority date.

FAQ Transcript





Note: This is a verbatim transcript of the referenced audio/video media delivered as oral communication, and, therefore, may not conform to written grammatical or syntactical form.

Sept 17, 2020 Recording of Free Community Conference Call (Every Other Thursday)

Immigration.com

Nonimmigrant Visas

Substantial transcription for video

FAQs: Priority date and original I-140 approval notice || Staying with the same employer for 180 days after I-140 approval|| Green Card holder stuck outside the US for more than a year|| Salary reduction on H-1B.

OTHER: Lawsuit for delay || EB-1C Consular Processing|| H-1B withdrawal by old employer, etc. || H-1B approved, current visa options || Section 319(b) naturalization || H-1B transfer after visa denial || Arrest for Marijuana || L-1A number of employees || Transferring H-1B with a copy of approval || L-1A for a newly acquired company || Filing green card on H-4 EAD || Supplement J issues, etc.

Issues in changing employers after I-140 approval

Question details

I am planning to switch from Employer A to B. Can you please help clearing some confusion i have.
Moving from Employer A to Employer B with I-140 approved.

1: If Employer A revokes I-140 and Employer B files a new petition I can retain the priority date. Does Employer A have to revoke I-140 or if he can continue it even if I am not working there?<br>
2: If Employer A doesn’t revoke the I-140 and Employer B files a new Labor and I-140 petition and retains the PD of previous I-140, would the previous I-140 be valid anymore?<br>
3: If Employer B files a brand new PERM and I-140 with new PD (2020) and Employer A I-140 is valid with the old PD. What happens if the old PD becomes current. Do I need to go back to old employer A or Employer B can file I-485 with the old I-140 PD.<br>
4: Is there a one year max limit rule on filing the I-485 once the date becomes current? What if it cannot be filed, does that void approved I-140?

FAQ: Issues in changing employers after I-140 approval

 

Video Transcript

1. Absolutely.

2. Absolutely. The I-140 priority date gets attached to you. Therefore, wherever you go, that's where the priority date goes.

FAQ Transcript





Note: This is a verbatim transcript of the referenced audio/video media delivered as oral communication, and, therefore, may not conform to written grammatical or syntactical form.

Going to school while I-485 is pending

Question details

My I 485 priority date is Feb 2018 (EB1B) and I am expecting as per current trend to receive my green card by December. I have greencard EAD valid until June 2021.

However, I have enrolled for Fall 2020 semester in MIT to pursue a one year MS degree in System Design and Management. I am sponsored by my employer and I will be paid as a fulltime employee during this period. I will be writing a research thesis on a topic related to my company.

On receiving green card, Do I need to discontinue my degree in between and immediately return to my previous position as a fulltime researcher in the company for which my greencard was filed?
I

FAQ Transcript





Note: This is a verbatim transcript of the referenced audio/video media delivered as oral communication, and, therefore, may not conform to written grammatical or syntactical form.

Change in green card job responsibilities and/or job title during the process

Question details

I'm working in an organization since December 2009. When my green card was filed in January 2016 my job title was "Senior Engineer", and the roles and responsibilities included following -
<br>
· Generally someone with industry knowledge and/or software knowledge
<br>
· SME in multiple areas
· Able to assist in even more areas
· Able to work without management intervention
<br>
My I-140 is approved, and Priority Date is January 2016. I'm due for promotion to the job title "Consultant", and the roles and responsibilities would be following -
<br>
· SME in a lot of areas
· Able to work in any area
· Able to talk accurately about the whole product whenever and wherever regardless of audience
· “Manager” on the floor, a mentor to “all” that need help, trusted adviser
· The one that the Engineer level people go to and want to be
<br>
My Manager and HR mentioned that they will have to file amendment for change in roles and responsibilities that matches with new title. They are concerned about filing amendment, and they mentioned that they are seeing less than 50/50 success rate and there is high risk involved in changing title as my green card might get declined.
<br>
I'm very surprised that changing only couple of responsibilities can jeopardize my green card processing, and I'm also finding it unbelievable that I can't get any promotion within same organization till my GC is approved, which could be another 10-15 years.
<br>
I thought since green card is filed for the future position, so there should not be much risk involved in filing amendment. I've seen many of my friends and family getting promotions within same organization after their green card process started. Since I'll be working in same organization and same team, and there is no drastic change in roles and responsibilities, so do we still have to file amendment? Can the amendment be filed later with I-485, or is it better to go back to old job without filing amendment?

FAQ Transcript





Note: This is a verbatim transcript of the referenced audio/video media delivered as oral communication, and, therefore, may not conform to written grammatical or syntactical form.

July 25, 2019 Recording of Free Community Conference Call (Every Other Thursday)

Immigration.com

Citizenship and Naturalization

Immigration Law

Substantial transcription for video

Discussion Topics, Thursday, 25 July 2019:

Combination of EAD and H1B status || 2 separate employers filed for FY2020 Cap Subject H1-B || Child born outside the US before parents were naturalized || N-400 Interview || Priority date change in I 797 for EB1 approval || Change companies with I-140 approval

Impact on Green Card of Job Promotions

Question details

My Employer has filed my GC in 2014 and I got my I140 but if I want to change a different role within my organization (Changing Cost center), will that impact my current GC processing. Should they start the GC processing from the begining ?

FAQ Transcript





Note: This is a verbatim transcript of the referenced audio/video media delivered as oral communication, and, therefore, may not conform to written grammatical or syntactical form.

Options for Career or School, While Employment-Based Green Card is Pending

Question details

I have been working on H1B for a IT consulting company ( employer A), at a client location. My employer will file for I 485 in about 2 months. I am thinking of a few alternatives and wanted to understand the scenarios in which my GC petition might get cancelled or denied by the USCIS or considered abandoned by me. What precautions I need to take if I follow any of the below scenarios.<br>

1.Take a job with a different employer ( may or may not be same/similar to the job with employer “A” )<br>
2. Leave and join a graduate program full time ( may be after I get EAD, so that I do not have to change to F1 student visa)<br>
3. Leave the employer A and leave the USA, go to home country, India. I may or may not take a job in India which may or may not be same/similar to the job with employer “A”

FAQ Transcript





Note: This is a verbatim transcript of the referenced audio/video media delivered as oral communication, and, therefore, may not conform to written grammatical or syntactical form.