Month: April 2023

1. A question on prevailing wage determination (PWD) for a roving employee or one whose final work location has not been determined. 

A reader asks,
My prevailing salary level (PWD) is approved, but the company’s pay center has changed location. After waiting for 6 months, I finally got the PWD. I received an email from a lawyer today, saying that I can start advertising, and asked me to send him some information, including the latest pay slip. I sent it. I thought everything was just waiting, but after a few hours, a lawyer said that the entity name of my pay slip had changed, and I had to wait another 8 months for a new file. what do I do? I explained the reason, saying that it is not because the entity name has changed, but because the location of the pay center has changed, from the original IL to CA. This requires refile, but how do I know? I never paid attention to this, because the company has never changed or reorganized. However, I went to see the pay slip today, and it did change many times in the middle, as if it changed every few months. HR said this is normal. I would like to ask, I am now asking HR to change my pay center back to IL, and it has been kept in IL. Is it possible to continue to use the current PWD?I have been working remotely for more than a year since I was hired, because when I applied for PWD before, I asked whether to apply according to my home location, and the lawyer said no, I need to do it according to the company headquarters office. The entity name company at that time happened to belong to IL, so they used IL. I didn’t know the pay slip keeps changing. I asked HR, and he said that the Pay center is determined according to the company code of each month or each period. I’m remote, it doesn’t affect me. I still file taxes according to my current state. HR said that I can apply for my manager to help me fix it on the pay center of IL. The lawyer didn’t respond either. what to do?

Mr. Lee answers,
A prevailing wage determination (PWD) for a roving employee or one whose final work location has not been determined should generally be the prevailing wage of the headquarters metropolitan statistical area. It is not clear from your fact situation whether the name on the prevailing wage form is that of the headquarters office in Illinois or a separate entity in Illinois. If a separate entity like a professional employer organization (PEO), it may well be that the prevailing wage will have to be redone unless everyone agrees that that will be the sponsoring entity and all documents come from there. In that case, a change back to being paid by the pay center in Illinois might make the situation easier for USCIS to understand in the I-140 phase. However, if the PWD was done for that location, and under the company name and not the pay center, I fail to see what is wrong with it. Recruitment would then be conducted in the headquarters location. The payslip issue would looked at by USCIS in the next phase of your case, the I-140 petition, assuming that the labor certification is approved. If the company is using its various offices in different locations to issue payslips and W-2s, the company would have to provide an explanation concerning the relationship and how the company operates with reference to payment of its employees. If the company uses a PEO, a company explanation along with proof of its relationship with the PEO would be warranted. In that case, the company should also be the petitioning organization on the I-140 and not the company’s pay center nor PEO. Issues of who is the actual employer with rights to hire, pay, fire, supervise, or otherwise control your work may come into play along with requests by USCIS to document these points if the petitioner is one of the company branches or PEO. As this is a complicated issue, and you may not know all the facts, your company should work with its attorney to take the best course of action keeping you informed of its decisions.

2. J-2 dependent who has EAD approved is generally allowed to work in the U.S.

A reader asks,
I am in China and want to apply for J-1 or H-1B to work in the United States. My spouse will go with me. How can the spouse legally work? What are the options? Is there any way to exempt?

Mr. Lee answers,
The J-2 dependent of a J-1 visa holder is generally allowed to work in the United States upon application as long as the income is not being used to support the J-1 holder. The dependent would file an I-765 application for employment authorization at any time after arrival with USCIS paying the filing fee of $410 along with submitting requisite documentation (not onerous). The legend to place on the application for the category of work is C-5. H-4 dependents of H-1B visa holders find it more difficult to apply for work authorization as it can only be done when the H-1B holder is being sponsored for permanent immigration by an organization and has the I-140 petition approved (the step after obtaining a labor certification) or the H-1B holder has been approved for an extension of time past the normal allowable six year period of H-1B status as 365 days have elapsed since the filing of a labor certification application or I-140 petition. Please be aware (if you are not already) that J-1 visas for China nationals come almost exclusively with a two-year home residence requirement before the applicant is eligible for H-1B or L-1 (intracompany transferee) or permanent residence approval.

3. H-1B holders who already have H-1B visas in the passports would continue to travel in and out using the visas.

A reader asks,
I am working in the US and I am going back to China to visit my relatives. I heard that combo cards are issued separately now, so do I not have to worry about H-1B’s invalidation if I return to my home country?

Mr. Lee answers,
Combo cards combining I-131 Application for Travel Document advance parole and I-765 Application for Employment Authorization benefits in one card were discontinued by USCIS in April 2022. At this time, employment authorization is usually given faster than advance parole. Advance parole allows individuals free travel in and out of the US during the time that an I-485 adjustment of status application is pending. Without advance parole, most applicants are precluded from traveling. H-1B’s, however, are still allowed to travel during the adjustment of status phase without advance parole. Those who already have H-1B visas in the passports would continue to travel in and out using the visas. A point of decision arises for those without visas who wish to travel outside. Some fear that they may be denied H-1B visas while overseas, and so those would usually apply for advance parole and wait for it to be issued before safely leaving and returning to the US. A difficulty with advance parole at this time is that USCIS does not give these applications priority, and so advance paroles are usually approved between 6-12 months from the date of application. We note that the speed of adjudication is inconsistent as we recently had one approved within eight days of application while another pended 18 months. To discourage individuals from asking about their cases, USCIS has posted processing times of 14 months for the California Service Center, 11.5 for the National Benefits Center, 13.54 Nebraska, 16.54 Texas, and 7 for the Vermont Center.

1. RFE is Request for Further Evidence and NOID is Notice of Intent to Deny

I filed an NIW application and kept checking the status, but nothing changed. Yesterday, the lawyer told me and I was very nervous and sad when I received the RFE. I have never seen an RFE before, so I would like to ask some questions: firstly, how to judge whether the received RFE is not a NOID, only the request for evidence is written at the end of the attached table? On March 1, the date on which the lawyer received the RFE was February 23, but the status I checked online remained unchanged and it was still case received. Won’t the status of the RFE be updated online? The RFE was very long and questioned all three prongs. I provided information for each point, but it was considered insufficient proof. Does this mean that the probability of passing is not high?

Some people say that if it is RFE instead of NOID, that means that there is an intention to pass it, but what is the situation like this when every point is questioned? Finally, I would like to ask prong3-it is beneficial not to use the labor certificate. How should I argue? If the first two prongs can be proved, then this is no problem? The first two prongs felt that they didn’t buy my recommendation letters very much, saying that they couldn’t prove the connection with other entities. I don’t have a patent for my articles, and the recommendation letters are mainly from the bosses of the company. Outsiders will not know my specific work. Excuse me, if you want to issue a relatively independent recommendation letter, you may find a company customer or a professor in a related industry. What are they going to write? Is it okay to write from a resume?

Mr. Lee answers,
For the benefit of the readers, a national interest waiver (NIW) requires that the petitioner show that there is substantial merit and national importance to the proposed endeavor; that the petitioner is well placed to advance the endeavor; and that it would be beneficial to the United States to waive the labor certification requirement. To your specific situation, USCIS labels RFE’s (Request for Further Evidence) and NOID’s (Notice of Intent to Deny). If your attorney informed you that he or she received an RFE, you can well believe it as he or she is looking at it. (The attorney should email or send you a copy). Generally speaking, the online status system should register the RFE, but the system is inconsistent and sometimes does not as a system is only as good as the persons inputting information into the system. It is always better to have at least one of the prongs decided in your favor when you receive an RFE, but being questioned on all three does not necessarily mean that you will be denied if there is a strong response. The question of the third prong – whether it would be beneficial to the country to waive the labor certification requirement – would likely be resolved in your favor if you are adjudged favorably on the first two points. Entrepreneurs and those who are extremely good in their fields with deep knowledge and experience are not readily amenable to the labor certification process, which demands that petitioning organizations only ask for minimally qualified people. Besides the impracticality of a labor certification application, USCIS looks to see the benefit to the US from the petitioner’s contributions even if other US workers are also available, and whether the national interest in the person’s contribution is sufficiently urgent. In looking at recommendation letters, USCIS is looking for objective observers who can talk about you, your endeavor, and how it may benefit the country. Letters from people who know you like colleagues, your managers, and company customers may not be seen as objective. A professor in a related industry who knows of your work may be more persuasive. USCIS is also looking for original letters, not letters written from a resume. Letters that look like they are written by the same person are not well accepted. The best letters are thoughtful ones written by individuals talking extensively about your endeavor, how well-positioned you are to advance the endeavor, and if possible, explain how granting the waiver may outweigh the benefits of making you go through the labor certification requirements.

2. An applicant for a B1/B2 visa must disclose past immigrant visa information

I’m in China and I’m going to America. I would like to know, if I submit a US green card application, can I still apply for a B1/2 visa? For example, if I apply for a business trip, tourism, or meeting in the United States, what proof do I need to provide?

Mr. Lee answers,
An applicant for a B1/B2 visa is required to disclose in the DS-160 nonimmigrant visa application form whether he or she has applied for an immigrant visa or had an immigrant visa petition filed on his or her behalf. Upon such disclosure, the decision of whether to issue the visa will be in the discretion of the American consular officer. You should prepare such materials as proof of the purpose of your trip, ties and bonds with the home country such as ownership of real property, other assets, bank accounts, employment or schooling, etc. I note that it has been our experience that many consular officers take less notice of immigrant visa petitions where there is still a considerable time to elapse before the priority date becomes current.

Check the Processing Times of Your Case Online

A reader asks:

I filed my I-130 & I-485 in September 2021, as well as I-765 and medical examination I-693, and then I got my fingerprints on October 15.  After that, I never got any news.  In July 2020, I called the agent a few days before receiving the EAD and asked how my cases status were. They told me that my interview waived in June 2022 and the case transferred to local office in October 2022, but there was no notice.  It has been more than 500 days since the mail was sent.  My I-485 status is stall actively reviewed and my I-130 status is still received.  What is going on in this situation?

Mr. Lee answers,
Because of the pandemic, lack of funding, and loss of personnel over the past few years, USCIS backlogs have unfortunately ballooned. Although your agent informed you that your interview was waived in June 2022, cases are generally transferred to local offices for purposes of interviewing. “Active review” by USCIS many times means nothing as we have received that information on many cases that have just been receipted by the agency. You can check the processing times of your local field office to see what is its published processing time. For example, in New York currently, the Brooklyn office has a projected time of 40.5 months, Queens office 24.5 months, Manhattan 17 months, and Long Island 27 ½ months. If your case is over the processing time, you should be able to check on its status. To do so, the recommended methods are to call the USCIS Contact Center at 1-800-375-5283 or to launch an inquiry by e-request through egov.uscis.gov/e-request.

Article: CSPA Vis-À-Vis USCIS Adjustment Chart

A huge development in The Child Status Protection Act (CSPA) is USCIS’s re-interpretation of the date on which a child’s priority date is reached for freezing age before turning 21 and he/she then no longer being able to immigrate as a child. USCIS announced a policy on February 14, 2023 that it would henceforth use the “dates for filing” chart of the monthly visa bulletin to finally fix the child’s age. Prior policy had been to use the “final action date” to determine whether the child was under the age of 21. In the past, a child would be able to file an I-485 under “dates for filing”, but if he/she turned 21 before the “final action date” opened, the case would be denied. Although there is no adjustment of status in cases being consular processed, the same rule should now apply for cases being interviewed overseas as the Attorney General (including DHS and its USCIS component) and not the Secretary of State determines the law in the field of immigration.

In determining when an age is “frozen”, the applicant must read two charts, the Department of State visa bulletin’s “dates for filing” one, and the USCIS monthly adjustment chart designating which of the Department’s two charts will be used for accepting adjustment of status applications. The USCIS Policy Manual instructs that, “The date USCIS considers a visa available for accepting and processing an adjustment of status application according to the USCIS website and the Visa Bulletin is also the date USCIS considers a visa available for CSPA purposes if the petition is already approved.… Applicants cannot rely on the DOS Visa Bulletin alone because the Visa Bulletin merely publishes both charts; it does not state which chart can be used to determine when to file an adjustment of status application. The DOS Visa Bulletin contains a clear warning to applicants to consult with the USCIS website for guidance on whether to use the Dates for Filing chart or Final Action Dates chart.”

This policy change applies to pending applications, with the guidance also saying that noncitizens can file a motion to reopen a previously denied adjustment of status application with USCIS by using form I-290B; that noncitizens must generally file motions within 30 days of the decision; and for a motion filed more than 30 days, USCIS may in its discretion excuse the untimely filing if the noncitizen demonstrates that the delay was reasonable and was beyond the noncitizen’s control.

On the USCIS CSPA page, there seems to be more room for motions to reopen where an applicant is not yet 21 using the new guidance as it says, “If we previously denied your adjustment of status application, but you believe your CSPA age calculation is under 21 under this policy guidance, you may file a motion to reopen….”

Q&As:
1. Different immigration offices have different processing times

A reader asks:
I filed my I-130 & I-485 in September 2021, as well as I-765 and medical examination I-693, and then I got my fingerprints on October 15.  After that, I never got any news.  In July 2020, I called the agent a few days before receiving the EAD and asked how my cases status were. They told me that my interview waived in June 2022 and the case transferred to local office in October 2022, but there was no notice.  It has been more than 500 days since the mail was sent.  My I-485 status is stall actively reviewed and my I-130 status is still received.  What is going on in this situation?

Mr. Lee answers,
Because of the pandemic, lack of funding, and loss of personnel over the past few years, USCIS backlogs have unfortunately ballooned. Although your agent informed you that your interview was waived in June 2022, cases are generally transferred to local offices for purposes of interviewing. “Active review” by USCIS many times means nothing as we have received that information on many cases that have just been receipted by the agency. You can check the processing times of your local field office to see what is its published processing time. For example, in New York currently, the Brooklyn office has a projected time of 40.5 months, Queens office 24.5 months, Manhattan 17 months, and Long Island 27 ½ months. If your case is over the processing time, you should be able to check on its status. To do so, the recommended methods are to call the USCIS Contact Center at 1-800-375-5283 or to launch an inquiry by e-request through egov.uscis.gov/e-request.

2. A I-140 visa petition is a preliminary petition and is not an application for immigration itself

A reader asks:
I applied for EB-1, but received RFE for I-140.  I have filed an EB-2 application and I-140 has been approved.  Can I file my I-485 directly on the basis of my approved EB-2? Do I have to cancel the pending EB-1 application that has been RFE?  I am worried about my application going into a black hole.

Mr. Lee answers,
I will assume for purposes of your question that there are no outstanding contradictions between the information provided in the EB-1 and EB-2 petitions. As long as your priority date is current for EB-2, you should be able to file your I-485 application with the approved EB-2 petition as long as you are maintaining legal status or 180 days or less of illegal status have elapsed and you entered the US with a visa. Assuming the above and that you are not otherwise inadmissible, you do not have to cancel the pending EB-1 petition although there would then seem little reason to keep it if you already have an approved EB-2 petition and the priority date has open visa availability. A visa petition is a preliminary petition and is not an application for immigration itself. An actual application is submitted through form I-485 Application for Adjustment of Status to Permanent Residence or if consular processing your case, form DS-260 Application for Immigrant Visa. Kindly note that withdrawing or canceling your EB-1 petition does not mean that USCIS will discard it. It will keep it although it may or may not become part of your permanent file. Your I-485 should not go into a black hole on account of the EB-1 petition regardless of which action you take.

3. One premium processing fee for one application

A reader asks:
I need to apply for I-140 immediately, but I am hesitating whether to expedite the process? I also want to apply for the extension of h1/h4. Some colleagues suggests that I try to submit 140+h1/h4 extension+h4EAD together. Of course I want to save money, and I want to save a premium process fee, otherwise I will have to submit two premium process fee for the two requests. Is this possible?

Mr. Lee answers,
Unfortunately, there is no bundling of applications for purposes of submitting only one premium processing fee. At this time, USCIS will expedite for $2500 an I-140 petition. It will also expedite H-1B petition for the same amount. The $2500 that you would be paying for the H-1B expedite does not include expediting the H-4 or H-4 EAD although those applications have sometimes benefited from the H-1B premium processing to be adjudicated in shorter time. I note that USCIS decoupled H-1B’s from H-4s, but as a result of litigation, is coupling them again. That means that petition and applications have a higher likelihood of being adjudicated together in the future.