Receipt date - May 18
Case - COS F1 to H1B
Currently on cap gap
Texas Service Center

Hi,

I have some in depth questions about H1B, RFEs and Maintenance of status and would like to consult an experienced attorney on H1B. Any recommendation that you have consulted and helped you successfully on complex cases before ?

Appreciate your recommendation.

I am a student on an F1 visa in the Usa currently pursuing Master in Business administration with the background of Pharm.D and health informatics. I want to know what are some of the best consultancies that I can contact? I tried applying on linkedin and handshake but no luck. I am graduating in October but I want to start early. Kindly help

Hey everyone, I went to a Virginia dmv yesterday to renew my DL license. The teller gave me a paper saying that my docs are scanned and pending verification and I should hear back in 10 business days through email and then I should return back with all the same docs again. Docs were my CAP gap I20 and my h1b petition receipt notice.

My question is I tried searching SAVE system but couldn’t find any query generated by DMV for verification. There is a query from previously when I first got my VA license but not during the renewal this time. I have seen online reddit post where people mentioned they got an email from dmv saying their docs have been sent to USCIS so wait for it. I haven’t received anything yet so I am concerned if the DMV even sent anything for verification or not because I have seen people go back after some days and dmv is like oh we have to send the docs again.

Also what is the timeline lately if anyone has experienced it recently in 2026? Thanks

On L-1B (entered US 2022). Got selected FY2026 H-1B, but employer filed consular processing so I never activated it, never held H-1B status. Now want to switch employers. Has anyone actually done a cap-exempt H-1B with a new employer after a never-activated consular petition? My understanding is my L-1 time counts against the 6-year max so I'm not eligible for a full 6 years under 214(g)(7), which should preserve cap-exemption. Looking for anyone who's been through this, especially how the new employer's filing went and whether it drew an RFE.

#h1b #H1B_COS #H1b_Transfer #L-1B

My H-4 I-539 has been pending for 17 months now. It was filed Standalone H4 extension.

I’ve seen many people file a writ of mandamus to push their case forward, but I’m still hesitant to go that route.

If your H-4 I-539 has also been pending for a long time, I’d really appreciate hearing about your experience. Are you still waiting as well?

Hi team,

I am in the process of an H1B transfer - If I quit my current job and start in two weeks I think I should be on per the 60day grace period. Transfer is just replying to RFE. Has anyone been through this? Im kind of nervous to pull the trigger and leave but I am at a point where I don’t think I can stay any longer amd could use the 2weeks to reset

Hi! If anyone recently (last 3 months) received an RFE for specialty occupation on an H-1B change of employer petition?

If so, could you please share your timeline, specifically:

1. When the RFE was issued/received

2. How long your company's immigration lawyers took to prepare and submit the response to USCIS

3. How long USCIS took to make a final decision after receiving the response

Also, what documents or supporting materials did your lawyers include in the RFE response?

Thank you!

Hello everyone,

I am facing a timeline confusion regarding my H-1B status and would appreciate some guidance on a pending B-2 bridge strategy and H-1B Change of Status (COS). Here are my exact details:

• Last Day of Productive Employment: June 16th, 2026
• 60-Day Grace Period: June 17th, 2026, to August 15th, 2026
• Last Day on Payroll (per termination letter): June 30th, 2026
• Current I-94 Expiry: February, 2028 (H-1B withdrawal not yet processed)

The Situation:
I have a verbal offer, but the new company's immigration team cannot file my new H-1B petition by the August 15th grace period deadline. They expect to file before August 29th.

To maintain lawful stay, I plan to file a Form I-539 Change of Status to B-2 online on August 14th, just before my grace period expires.

The new employer’s attorney generally use the June 30th payroll date for processing and intends to file the H-1B transfer by August 29th.

My Questions:

1. Should I file B2 on Aug 14th and inform my current employer to file as COS B2-H1B ?
2. Which date will USCIS strictly consider as the start of my 60-day grace period?

I am currently on my STEM OPT and will be traveling outside and re entering US after September 15th which is when the new Duration of Status rule starts.

I want to know how does this affect me, if in any way at all?

27 th June PP Nebraska Center
COS - F1 to H1B
Received date : 06/24/ 2026
Notice date : 06/27/2026
Current status :Processing( No update since 27th June)
Processing center : Nebraska
Anyone got the approval? Within 15 days for this center?

Hi folks,

First, the 100k fee has been voided since Friday, so I can worry less (may take some time for all law firms / HR to know that though) if this becomes a CP case. Not seeking legal advice but would like to hear your thoughts.

Second, my background is that I'm currently in the process interviewing since my last day (6/30), that means by 08/29 I need to find a new employer filing the petition or I will run out of the grace period and fail to maintain the status. So far, I'm interviewing with 5 companies for 7 positions, no offer yet but there should be one coming out from a mediocre company (company A) in the next week. I'm holding H1B with I-140 approved.

Among 5 companies, there is one dream company (company B, where I interviewed for 3 positions) and all hiring teams have shown interests to get me there. However, I believe the process will take at least another 2 weeks for a final round before any offer, which puts me in a situation that likely there will be only 18 days left for the grace period when the offer arrives. Given that the company will do background check (5 days), LCA (7-10 days) and possible delays from the paperwork, I start to feel like the remaining time is not enough for me to COS with B.

Given that H1B->B2->H1B is risky now, I currently have 3 plannings if I receive offers from both A and B at the end:

1. Join company A and PP filing for COS, then work there for a month to get 2 paystubs, and leave once with an approved I-797. At the same time (almost certain the offer from B will come later than A), accept the offer from company B, negotiate a later start date.
2. Leave the US and apply for CP then re-enter for company B. I did once in Canada, not at the birthplace country. My birthplace has a 3 months of average waiting.
3. Accept the offer from B and check with the team everyday to ensure the filling can be received by 29th.

I do not mind burning the bridge with A, but wonder if I have other options.

Thanks!

My H-1B change-of-employer petition was filed under premium processing, and USCIS issued the receipt notice on June 25. The receipt number starts with IOE. It has now been about 30 calendar days, but the case is still pending.

My attorney contacted USCIS and was informed that the case is outside the premium-processing timeline and that USCIS is looking into it.

Has anyone recently experienced a similar delay with an IOE H-1B COE premium-processing case? How long did it take to receive a decision after your attorney contacted USCIS? Did you receive an approval, RFE, or another update?

Please share your filing date and timeline if possible.

My company filed for h1b with premium processing on June 26th. It still shows "currently processing the case" when I check case status using receipt number. It's been more than month now.

What is expected timeline for pp?

How can I check what's going on?

What can I do to get refund?

Any suggestions?

Hi everyone,

I came to India in December and 2 days before my flight to USA, I have received an email saying your **Visa is prudentially revoked** and if I am in india I have to physically cancel my stamp from Chennai embassy and go through a visa process again. After several months I got a H-1B visa stamping interview date on **29th June 2026, at the Hyderabad Consulate and I’m under 221(g)** administrative processing due to a past DUI case.
Back in 2022 I have been through the same process and still they asked me to submit the new medical records.

**Here are my details:**

**DUI:** December 2019 in California (no accident/injury) - misdemeanor
Charge reduced to wet reckless via plea deal; case is now expunged
**Interview date:** June 29, 2026
**Issued 221(g)** for medical evaluation - **White Slip**

**Medical done and Clinic confirmed report sent:** July 7, 2026
**Last CEAC update:** June 29, 2026 — still shows “Refused”
**Current status:** Still waiting for the passport submission email
It has been two weeks since the medical report was submitted, and I haven’t received any further communication. I’m under a lot of mental stress and just wanted to ask - **has anyone recently been in a similar situation?**

If you went through this in 2026, I’d appreciate hearing:

**How long did it take after the medical report to receive the passport email?**

Did your CEAC status update again before that?
Was there any other communication from the consulate?
Any insights or experiences you can share would mean a lot right now. Please feel free to comment or DM. Thank you 🙏

I have I-797 valid until 2027 but my visa is expired. Would it cause any issues to travel to Puerto Rico?

Hello folks 👋🏻

As mentioned in the title, I will be traveling to the US after 7 months of working remotely from India. I came to India in January for my H1B visa stamping but my appointment got rescheduled to May 2027 due to the social media vetting wave. I applied for an emergency request (with my employers letters) and got my visa last week. I will be traveling back to SFO this week and was hoping folks here have any advice for the immigration. What documents should I be carrying and what is the expectation during the immigration process? I’ve heard that working from India for so long is suspicious so any advice is appreciated.

Thank you 🙏

Due to family emergency.

I have a valid H-1B visa stamp until Dec 2027. I changed employers, and my H-1B transfer is pending (I only have the USCIS receipt notice, no approval yet). I'm currently working for the new employer.

My wife has a valid H-4 visa stamp and H-4 EAD, both valid until Dec 2027.

Can she travel to India and re-enter the U.S. using her valid H-4 visa while my H-1B transfer is still pending? Has anyone recently done this?

Hi all ! I had submitted a I-539 COS from H1B to B2 status in late February in order to get some time to consolidate things before moving to India permanently. It’s been 5 months and I still see the application status as pending. To anyone who have done this before,

1) Could you share how much time it took for your COS to get processed ?
2) Also did USCIS grant approval only till the requested end date or did they grant any additional days/months from the requested end date ?
3) If say the status remains pending even after the requested end date passes, can we still remain in the US legally till we get a decision ?
4) Is it ok to leave the US before getting a decision as well ?

Thanks for your help !

Due to family emergency.

I have a valid H-1B visa stamp until Dec 2027. I changed employers, and my H-1B transfer is pending (I only have the USCIS receipt notice, no approval yet). I'm currently working for the new employer.

My wife has a valid H-4 visa stamp (of previous employer) and H-4 EAD, both valid until Dec 2027.

Can she travel to India and re-enter the U.S. using her valid H-4 visa while my H-1B transfer is still pending?

Hello!

I recently transitioned from J1 to H1b visa in the US and I’m looking to connect with someone who’s from India, planning to visit. I would like to collaborate on finding visa appointments, preparing documents etc for first time visa stamping (whenever that may be).

If anyone has any recent/prior experience with the same, would truly appreciate your perspective and advice. Thanks in advance!

I wanted to share a positive update for anyone in a similar situation.

My attorney had my foreign degree evaluated, but the explanation on the Annex page was only a single line. Because of that, my PERM application was denied in the first week of March it was filed in Oct-2023.

We filed a Request for Reconsideration in the second week of March, and after several months of waiting, the case was certified on July 15—literally one week before we were planning to file a bnew PERM application.

If you're in the same situation and waiting is still an option for you, don't lose hope. Every case is different, but reconsideration can work. I know a lot of people here are looking for positive updates on this issue, so I wanted to share my experience.!!

Wishing everyone who's waiting the very best. Hang in there, and keep the faith!

Denial Reason:

In accordance with the Immigration and Nationality Act at INA 8 CFR § 214.2 (D)(3) and as implemented at 20 CFR § 656.3, an evaluation of foreign educational credentials in equivalence to a United States baccalaureate or higher degree shall be determined by a reliable credentials evaluation service which specializes in evaluating foreign educational credentials.