Merged: All About H1B Visa

[chocolatefever]

^xthine, thanks a lot for the updates!  wow, i didn't know that you could also get a denial for an h1b? or was it a mix of different applicants (b1/2, h1, etc).  that was cool how the consul spoke in tagalog, was he white?

i have no idea re. POEA requirements, how did you find out about these?  and what is PDOS? hehe  edit: i googled PDOS and found out what it means!   i am posting the link for others to read, there are some very important tips and bits of info here: http://www.gladysmuana.com/blog/2007/08/30/some-insights-about-pdos-or-cfo-seminar/

wow, your friend starts on the 1st of october but was already given an interview and has already been stamped? now i'm really nervous...i emailed my lawyer and it seems like no news yet on my processing.  i really don't know about when you can enter the U.S. i just read part 1 of the H1B thread here on girltalk and most posters said that you can only enter 10 days before the 1st of October. i was hoping that they would give me more time in advance at the embassy so that i could prepare -- find an apartment/housing, apply for SSN, etc. 

so as for your question, i dont know if his leaving early would adversely affect your friend's visa status or if he will be questioned. i guess as long as his visa is valid, he is allowed to enter the U.S.

thanks again. you are leaving this month, right? i wish you all the best and i hope you will be available online when my turn comes so i can message you if i have any questions.

[chocolatefever]

Posting another link i found about POEA and US Embassy experiences.  It's rather old (2006) but I think this may still be helpful to us:

http://statesidepinoy.blogspot.com/

[pretinnes]

my husband is on h1b visa and i'm on h4. for the sisters here on h4, na process na ba green card niyo and ang company ba ng hubby niyo nag aasikaso?

 sa amin kasi inaasikaso na pero nasa 3rd level kami so matgal tagal pa iyon. ang officemate naman ni hubby nasa 2nd level kasi 11 yeras+ na experience niya. masa mabilis maprocess ang 2nd level.

any tips on this or any experience?

[backpackers308]

hi mga sis! madali lang ba magpa interview pag h1-b dependent? meron bang na dedeny na dependent ng h1-b?

[pretinnes]

^hi sis. i saw a thread before here[di pa ako member ng time na iyon], discussing about this issue. and most of the sisters sabi wala daw na dideny. but in reality meron because the wife of my hubby's friend was denied. nagkamali ata siya ng sagot sa one of the questions. i forgot lang the specific question, ask ko si hubby.

tips:
-be cheerful[it somehow lightens the mood]
-just relax and try to answer the questions lang, wag magdagdag ng other info unless hiningi
-bring pictures of you, loveletters para may evidence na mag asawa nga kayo and hindi lang fixed marriage
-practice with a friend or family member how to answer questions

questions asked during my interview:
1. how long have you known each other?
2. when is your hubby's birthday?
3. do you know that you're not allowed to work in the US?
4. what's the job of your husband?
5. when was his flight to the US?
6. when is your hubby's bday?[take note, inulit niya para panigurado]

marami questions sa akin kasi ako lang mag isa nung interview eh, wala si hubby. hope this helps. good luck, sis

[pretinnes]

^sorry, she was not denied a US visa pala. na delay lang because when asked asked about his husband's work, sabi niya contractor lang daw. eh di nag worry ang interviewer paano siya makakasupport if contractor lang.

[gnela_21]

my husband is on h1b visa and i'm on h4. for the sisters here on h4, na process na ba green card niyo and ang company ba ng hubby niyo nag aasikaso?

 sa amin kasi inaasikaso na pero nasa 3rd level kami so matgal tagal pa iyon. ang officemate naman ni hubby nasa 2nd level kasi 11 yeras+ na experience niya. masa mabilis maprocess ang 2nd level.

any tips on this or any experience?

Same boat as you were. We've been here almost a year now. We got here Sept2008. We've been doing something about the Immigration application. Since EB3 is Unavailable at this time and if you'll apply now the Priority Date that you have may be processed after 5 years. They were processing PD 2005 before the visas became Unavailable.

My husband is now at school taking his doctorate degree so that we can be processed under EB2 which is still current. Hopefully after he finish school next year, EB2 will still be current. That would be my advice, if your husband can do Masters or Doctorate, better so that he can qualify for EB2.

EB2 is for those with Post-Bachelor's Degree or more than 5 years of experience. IMO, it will be hard to prove the experience thing since they want a progressive career and you will have to show all documents necessary.

[twisted_pop]

My husband's gc application was filed under the EB2 category, all he has is his bachelor's degree in architecture and his 13 years work experience. Mabilis nga ang processing ng EB2 because we got our gc 6 months after we got our work authorization.
I think you need to be in a certain income bracket to qualify for EB2,accdg to our lawyer.

Sis pretinnes, hubby's office did all the work for our application including paying for all the fees. Ni-reimburse everything. 

[pretinnes]

^^sis gnela, that's what my hubby is planning-take up masters here in the US. actually he took up na masters in the phils and thesis nalang ang kulang. nag stop siya kasi sobrang na busy sa work. sayang pala kung ganun. and 5 years lang din experience niya because he was only 25 when he went here in the US.

^sis twisted pop, buti pa kayo. swerte niyo at pasok sa EB2 ang years of experience ni hubby mo. nag ask ba kayo ng help from a lawyer, sis?

company din ni hubby nag aasikaso ng papers namin. thanks for all your inputs.

[backpackers308]

mga sis kelangan ba mag fill out ng ds157 online? or yung ds 157 na from the bank lang ang i-fill out?

[xthine]

^The DS157 from the bank you fill out either by hand or type-written.  DS156 is the form you fill out online..from what I can recall.

[wickedbone]

it's already august and we still have not received boyp's packet.. i wonder what's taking it so long.. we have not heard from the agency yet.. hindi umabot sa quota ang h1b visas this year so we're expecting makukuha sya at makakaalis sa oct.. but so far, wala pa din.. so it's hazy.. we will check with the agency kung na-file ba nila yung application ni bf.. we paid 50,000 php for placement fee.. initial payment plang yun.. it's actually 150,000php in total.. legit naman yung agency.. it's poea accredited.. but i've also read in some forums may mga inaabot ng september bago makuha packets nila.. the agency should be able to provide us with the receipt.. if there's none, we'll take back the 50K.

[gnela_21]

^ if you don't mind me asking, anong profession ng bf mo? if he was filled for H1B visa last Apr, you guys should already have a copy of your Receipt Notice, then you just wait for the Approval Notice. These are the documents that the US Consul will be looking for in his Visa Interview.

[wickedbone]

SAP basis consultant.. no receipt yet.. which is weird right? he applied nov of 2008.. so pasok na pasok for april 2009 lottery.. we really have to ask the agency..

[chocolatefever]

^sis mine was filed in april 09 and i haven't received anything as well. although i did not have to pay for anything, i'm also worried.

the company who is sponsoring me paid for the processing and filed with the help of a law office. i followed up early last month and they just told me to wait til october. medyo malabo, but i have no choice but to wait.

[gnela_21]

SAP basis consultant.. no receipt yet.. which is weird right? he applied nov of 2008.. so pasok na pasok for april 2009 lottery.. we really have to ask the agency..

Actually, April 01 ang start ng USCIS for accepting applications for the following fiscal year, October kasi ang start ng fiscal year. So what they do, they open the application 6 months before Oct, kaya nagiging Apr01 ang opening ng applications for H1B. Malamang last Apr 2009 pa din na-file yung BF mo, kasi last 2008, 5 days pa lang nag-close na yung application and nag-lottery pa.

If he was filed, dapat may receipt notice na kayo, since yun yung proof na naifile sya. Better ask his agency/employer. Kung pinadala thru courier, ask for the tracking number kasi pwede mo ma-track ang mail dito sa US thru websites. Goodluck!

[pretinnes]

hello sisters,

ask ko lang if pwede ba mag apply ng credit card kapag h4 visa holder?may savings account na ako, gusto ko sana mag establish ng credit history kaya aapply sana ng cc.salamat.

[gratchie]

sa mga H1B holders, nung umuwi kayo ng pinas to visit, saan kayo nag apply ng Exit pass to go back to US? dito ba sa US or sa pinas?

[chocolatefever]

i contacted the lawyer who filed the h1b for me on behalf of my employer. my h1b visa has been approved.  the thing is, i have not heard from my employer and they have not replied to my email about what to do next. i read that the next step is for them to send me the packet so i can go to the us embassy here for visa stamping.

i'm nervous about this, due to the sketchy us economy right now.  is it possible for an employer not to proceed with the sponsorship/employment, even if the h1b was filed and approved?  feeling ko kasi they are still debating on how many to employ for this year.  hope someone can answer my question. tia.

[gratchie]

@pretinnes, you can apply for secured credit card. may deposit (starting at $500) then after 13 months you can convert it to regular credit card