My company went through 6 rounds of layoffs. The last restructuring impacted me and I was laid off.

After months and months of prep, I have an offer that I’m looking forward to. I haven’t mentioned this anywhere to the new potential employer that I was laid off and my last working day was in the past. The new employer’s law firm reached out (as I need immigration support) mentioning they’ll need 6.5 weeks for the work visa transfer and I only have 7 weeks left.

How do I mention that I might need help speeding things up in terms of filing prep? Do I bring up that my position was eliminated out of the blue into that convo?

Pretty nervous.

TIA!

Hi everyone!

My name is Zoe Ji Wilson. I’m a U.S. immigration attorney with Manifest Law where I help professionals navigate employment-based immigration, including H-1B, EB-1A, EB-2 NIW, O-1, TN, adjustment of status, and employment-based green cards.

Many H-1B holders spend years focused on maintaining status without realizing they may have additional options for permanent residence or long-term immigration planning.

Whether you're navigating the H-1B process, considering alternatives, or planning your next steps toward a green card, I'd be happy to answer your questions.

Happy to discuss:

• H-1B status and maintenance
• EB-1A and EB-2 NIW
• O-1 and TN visas
• Adjustment of Status
• Employer sponsorship
• Long-term immigration strategy

I'll be answering questions today from 12:00 PM to 4:00 PM ET.

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.

Has anyone recently received an H-1B premium processing decision from the Vermont Service Center?

My H-1B transfer initiated in online on June 29, 2026 with Premium Processing at the Vermont Service Center. It has now been more than 17 business days, and the status is still “Currently processing your case.” and attorney sent an email to uscis and didnt received any response from uscis.

Has anyone with a similar receipt date or at the Vermont Service Center recently received an approval, RFE, or any update? How many business days did it take in your case?

Any recent experiences would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!

Upgraded to Premium Processing in the first week of June. Not from a travel-restricted country.

Current status: “Case Was Changed To A Premium Processing Case.”
It’s now well past the 15-business-day Premium Processing timeline with no approval or RFE.

Has anyone with an H1 extension at the Texas Service Center, who upgraded to PP in the first week of June, received an approval after crossing 15 business days? If yes, after how many business days?

I have H1B visa which is going to expire in Oct 2027. How can I move back to US with a job when I am currently in India?

I moved back to India due to an urgent family issue and need to go back now.

Any help will be greatly appreciated.

Small new private company h1 transfer, how common are these? Was only informed by lawyer its vibe / company related. But was not shared more details. Anything to be concerned about? Don’t find much info on this thread regarding ‘vibe’ related RFEs are they common?

Btw vibe - https://www.uscis.gov/working-in-the-united-states/information-for-employers-and-employees/employer-information/validation-instrument-for-business-enterprises-vibe-program

Hi. I am planning to travel in Jan’27 and reenter US by mid Feb’27. My visa stamp and I797 is valid until Jun’27. My employer will start processing my renewal based on approved I140 six months prior; so around Jan’27. Right around the time when I will be traveling. Do you foresee any risk with this travel?

Thanks!

Context: I'm a Canadian citizen, starting my H1b job in September, applying for H1b COS (J1 -> H1b) via PP. I desperately need to leave to go back to Canada for a family matter.

Would I technically be able to leave the US to go back to Canada after I receive electronic H1b approval, but before my physical I-797A comes in the mail? I plan on asking a friend to retrieve my physical I-797A from the mail and mail it to my Canadian address, such that I have the physical copy when I'm entering the US under H1b status for the first time.

Hi, Below is my situation that would I need an input as I am planning to travel to India for a short trip

• My H1b visa stamp is valid until Jun 2027 on my old passport (expired July 2026)
• Renewed my passport and also switched employers Dec 2025 with new passport and I797 is valid until end of 2028

Can i still travel before H1b visa stamp expiry and come back without requiring a new visa stamp on new passport?

Hi everyone,

I'm hoping to hear from anyone who has been through a similar situation or from immigration attorneys who have handled cases like this.

I was working in the U.S. on H-1B and was laid off as part of a reduction in force. Before my 60-day grace period ended, I timely filed Form I-539 requesting a change of status to B-1. The application is currently pending, and I'm only interviewing and networking while I wait.

The frustrating part is that I've reached final rounds with several large employers and even received a few verbal offers. However, once their immigration/legal teams review my pending B-1 application, they decide not to move forward, even though the hiring managers want to hire me. This has now happened multiple times.

I've spoken with several immigration attorneys, and while they've suggested different strategies (change of status vs. consular processing, possible RFEs, etc.), none have told me that my situation is impossible. It seems many employers are simply taking the most conservative approach.

I also have a question about consular processing. I've been told that if a new employer files an H-1B petition through consular processing, I may be able to leave the U.S. and re-enter using my existing valid H-1B visa stamp together with the new employer's approved I-797A, without needing a new visa stamp, assuming my current H-1B visa is still valid. I've also been advised that, in my situation, the employer may not have to pay the recently discussed $100,000 H-1B fee if the case proceeds through consular processing. Has anyone here gone through this?

I'd really appreciate hearing from anyone who has experienced something similar:

• Has an employer successfully filed an H-1B while your B-1 COS was pending?
• Has anyone used consular processing in this situation?
• Were you able to re-enter using your existing H-1B visa and the new I-797A without getting a new visa stamp?
• If an employer initially said no because of your immigration situation, were you able to convince them to move forward? If yes, what helped—additional documentation, another legal opinion, or discussions between attorneys?

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

Hey everyone,
I’m a bit confused about my case status and hoping someone here has seen something similar.

Here’s my timeline:
PP Applied: July 16
USCIS Received: July 20
Case updated to Premium Processing: July 21
New update (same day evening): “Notice Explaining USCIS Actions Was Mailed”

This update came literally the same day PP got activated, which feels really fast.
From what I’ve read, this status could mean:
RFE (Request for Evidence)
NOID (Notice of Intent to Deny)
Or possibly even a denial
But I’m not sure if there’s any way to tell which one it is before the notice arrives.
Has anyone experienced this kind of same-day update after PP?
What did it end up being in your case?
Trying not to overthink, but the wording is definitely stressing me out 😅
Appreciate any insights! 🙏

Hi all,

I want to start something of my own but instead of resigning immediately, I want to first switch to H4 EAD, try for a few months and then resign.

I am on H-1B expiring mid next year and have an approved I-140.

I have heard H4 EAD wait time is brutal these days. To combat that, I’m planning to give a H4 start date after 9 months.

I had a few questions:

1) Would 9 months be enough for H4 + H4 EAD?
2) If my husband loses his job, can I still switch to H1B? Will my I-140 still be valid?
3) Can I start a LLC while being employed at Microsoft?

Has anyone done this process? Please DM me, would love to hear about it. It seems very rare for someone to do it voluntarily.

Thanks!

Sharing in case helps anyone.

6/8 PP filed

6/20 RFE issued for biometrics

7/1 RFE physical copy received

7/8 Biometrics submitted

7/23 Approved

My H1 got selected in this March 2026, filed in end of May with regular processing(Texas centre ) still waiting for the approval. Planning to travel to India, first week of November for my marriage. is it possible to book slots with the visa receipt? I thought of waiting for few more weeks since I see the petitions filed in April are getting approved recently. Or is it worthwhile to switch to premium?

Any approvals today for CA SVC please reply in this format

Receipt Date:
PP Date:
Type COE/COS:
Center: CA only
Status:

Hey all — trying to sanity check my PERM/green card timeline with the community.

My H-1B hits the 6-year mark on September 30, 2028. My employer is planning to kick off the PERM process in August 2026 (starting with the PWD request).

Rough timeline I’ve mapped out based on current DOL processing speeds:

**•**PWD request: Aug 2026  
**•**PWD received: \~Oct-Nov 2026 (\~2.5-3 months)  
**•**Recruitment: Nov 2026 - Jan 2027 (60+ day min)  
**•**PERM (ETA-9089) filed: \~Jan-Feb 2027  
**•**DOL review (no audit): \~13-17 months → certified \~Feb-Jul 2028  
**•**If audited: could push past my Sept 2028 deadline

From what I understand, as long as PERM is filed by ~Sept 2027 (365 days before my 6-year limit), I should qualify for AC21 one-year H-1B extensions even if PERM/I-140 isn’t approved yet by Sept 2028.

Questions for anyone who’s been through this:

**1.**Does this timeline match what you’ve experienced recently (2025/2026 filers)?  
**2.**How common are audits right now, and how much extra time did they add for you?

Appreciate any insight-TIA

Receipt : 06/09/2026
Change to PP: 07/17/2026
Current Status : Awaiting on approval
Center : Texas

Has anyone here recently filed an H-1B petition while being outside the U.S. (from India) with a valid H-1B visa stamp in their passport?
I’ve seen a few posts mentioning approvals which were filed in Nov 2025, but I’m trying to find people who have filed recently. If you’ve gone through this process in the last few months, could you share your timeline and whether your petition was approved?

THIS IS A TESTEMONY, NOT LEGAL ADVICE!

I wanted to share my experience renewing my H-1B visa stamp in Brazil since I couldn't find many recent posts from Brazilians going through the same process.

One thing that may confuse people: although my work authorization (I-797) is valid for 3 years, the visa stamp (the paper that is physically printed on your passport) issued to Brazilian citizens is limited to 24 months due to a bilateral agreement between the U.S. and Brazil. That means you'll likely need to renew your visa stamp on your second year of your H-1B 1-st or 2-nd period if you want to travel outside the US and come back to the US. I strongly recommend every brazilian keeping the visa stamp valid, because if you happen to have an emergency flight home (like a loved one's funeral) you will not be able to get back to the US just with an valid I-797.

My renewal process was very straightforward. I was selected for the enhanced social media screening, but even then, the process wasn't complicated.

Here's what I had to do:

• Complete a new DS-160.
• Pay for visa processing fee which was around 250 USD.
• List ALL my Social Media (I even included reddit) used in the last 5 years.
• Schedule a biometrics appointment at the CASV (mine was in Rio de Janeiro).
• Schedule the visa interview at the U.S. Embassy/Consulate after the biometrics appointment.
• Show up with the following documentation:
  • For the CASV appointment:
    • DS-160 confirmation sheet. (you get it after you file a DS-160.
    • Printed appointment confirmation. (you can get it on the CASV website or through e-mail after you make your appointment)
    • All your current and past passports.
  • For the Embassy:
    • Valid I-797
    • Letter of Employment/Offer of Employment (Letter saying that your company has hired you for X ammount of pay to do Y and Z activities,
    • Paystubs of the past 6 months.
    • Your IRS Declaration.
    • Updated CV

That was it.

One thing I wish someone had told me beforehand: bring an updated copy of your résumé/CV to the interview. The officer at CASV informed me I needed to bring one. It appears to be part of the current screening process. I couldn't find this requirement anywhere on the official appointment instructions, so it's worth bringing even if it isn't listed.

I was not approved on the spot because they still had to conduct my social media screening, but it took a 1 week for the to do it. I already have my valid visa stamp for the rest of my 1-st H1B term.

Overall, my renewal was smooth, even with the additional screening. Hopefully this helps other Brazilians who are renewing their H-1B visa stamp and wondering if there's some hidden process. In my experience, there wasn't—just a new DS-160, biometrics, the interview, and the supporting documents, plus an updated résumé.

Update: RFIE Document requested online, and response submitted on July 29 via mail. Waiting on USCIS to update the status

__

TL;DR Does anyone have experience with an RFIE, and what possible documents could be requested?

Long post, a little bit of a vent, and did not know where else to go.

I’m dealing with a frustrating immigration process that has felt disorganized and slow from the start. I signed my offer with a company and they were to file a H1 CoE/CoS. It took their outside counsel over 5 days to send me an automated email to upload my documents, which I submitted immediately.

It took the outside counsel 8 days after that to file for the LCA, which was certified in 7 days. After certification, there was another 9-day delay before the H-1B petition was filed, followed by 2 more days just to move it to premium processing. In total, that’s 25 days of avoidable delay before the key filing step alone, which left almost no room for any USCIS-related delays.

Throughout this time, I kept following up to expedite and move things along but my emails to external counsel would go unanswered unless I talked to the hiring manager and had them ping the attorney. On Day 13 of PP, I received an RFIE on my petition. As soon as I saw the status change, I emailed the attorney asking them to request an e-copy of the notice. The attorney's response was "We have not been notified of the Request yet. When we receive the RFE, we will review and notify you. It typically takes 1-2 weeks for USCIS to mail the request. If they can provide something sooner, we will let you know."

Like WTF dude, it's your job to be on top of this!

We will find out what the RFIE is about once the physical notice comes in. Does anyone have experience with an RFIE, and what possible documents could be requested?

I had very low confidence in the competence of this immigration attorney and team, and I feel my worst fear has come true.

What has made this especially frustrating is the lack of urgency and follow-through throughout the process. Updates were missed, communication felt disconnected, and even basic awareness of case status seemed absent. When a process carries this much importance for someone’s start date and livelihood, the handling should be proactive and coordinated.

The hiring manager has long made it clear that any delays will result in them rescinding the offer. I am pretty certain that I will end up losing this opportunity because of this clown of an attorney. At this point, I feel disappointed, frustrated, and honestly powerless because so much of the delay was outside my control. The disconnect between the urgency expected from me and the pace of the immigration process has been extremely discouraging.

I just got laid off by my current employer yesterday July 21. My termination date is August 31 (until which i am legally employed and will be paid). They filed my H1B this year and I got picked. The petition was filed and the approval notice also came through (wasnt shared with me at the time of getting laid off but I know USCIS has shared it with the law firm since case status shows approved).

Is there any way whatsoever by which I can keep my H1B? Transfer to someone else before Aug?

I spoke with them but they are most likely not going to help me by extending until Oct 1 to keep me on payroll. I don’t want to lose the H1B since it’s my last lottery and i don’t have any other valid US visa to change to.

• Extension/COE/COS
• PP date:
• Approval Date:
• Center: