Merged: All About H1B Visa

[gnela_21]

^salamat sa heads up. I've told my husband about this.

[first_timer]

patanong po:  if you are going to renew your H1B/L1 visa, how early should your employer file for it?  6 months?
thanks.

[chocolatefever]

hope you H1B holders can answer my question: how long before you are set to leave the country and start working are you supposed to receive your packet, go to the embassy, and have your visa stamped?

my employer has told me that my H1B has been approved, but i won't be starting til feb 2010. they said expect to be in the U.S. by january. what baffles me is they told me to expect the packet by january? is it possible to process everything in such a short period of time? i was hoping to receive the packet soon para maayos na with the embassy and so i can make travel arrangements na rin.

[mom_wanwan]

^ Hi there, let me answer some of your questions sis...
I got my H1b approval on August 25th of this year...got my packet 2 weeks after that...scheduled my embassy interview 24th of September...got my visa 3 days after 
I am about to finish with the POEA process and have already booked a ticket for a flight next week  It actually could be that fast sis, as long as you and your employer cooperate and communicate well...kaya medyo puzzling na by January mo pa marereceive ang packet mo. I think you have to ask and contact your employer about that...kasi what I know is, the earliest date you can actually start working in the US is October 1st.

[chizich]

hello po! alam nyo po ba if having a previous b1/b2  denial has an impact on h1b and h4 interview? mayroon pa bang nadedeny sa h1b or h4 interview? salamat po.

[wickedbone]

we just received a news from bf's agency.. it's a very sad one actually.. hindi na pala tinuloy ng employer yung pag-file ng H1-B ni bf..  reason being the recession.. so now we have to option to re-apply or get the 50K back.. the 50K was the partial payment for the placement/processing btw..

[chocolatefever]

^ Hi there, let me answer some of your questions sis...
I got my H1b approval on August 25th of this year...got my packet 2 weeks after that...scheduled my embassy interview 24th of September...got my visa 3 days after 
I am about to finish with the POEA process and have already booked a ticket for a flight next week  It actually could be that fast sis, as long as you and your employer cooperate and communicate well...kaya medyo puzzling na by January mo pa marereceive ang packet mo. I think you have to ask and contact your employer about that...kasi what I know is, the earliest date you can actually start working in the US is October 1st.

thanks sis! puzzling nga eh, ayoko naman sila i-pressure. they want me to start sometime feb 2010 pa. maybe because of the recession na rin. ang weird lang, kasi they have not sent the packet yet. baka they are still "assessing" their finances. haaay...

[xthine]

hello po! alam nyo po ba if having a previous b1/b2  denial has an impact on h1b and h4 interview? mayroon pa bang nadedeny sa h1b or h4 interview? salamat po.

I'm not sure, I doubt it.  I was denied a tourist visa years ago and I was never asked about that during my H1b interview.

[neugierig]

thanks sis! puzzling nga eh, ayoko naman sila i-pressure. they want me to start sometime feb 2010 pa. maybe because of the recession na rin. ang weird lang, kasi they have not sent the packet yet. baka they are still "assessing" their finances. haaay...

in my case, i was part of the Apr 2008 lottery.  got the petition approval notice around June, got the packet around august, and embassy interview september.  theoretically, i could have left right after.  except for the damn recession.

[mom_wanwan]

^^^ sis chocolatefever, i think you should have a serious talk with your employer and ask them why you have to wait that long. Are you in the IT field or allied medical field? Coz if you are in the allied medical field, I think blaming the recession for the delay in sending you your papers and having you work right away is not an excuse...our field is not affected by the recession...Nakakapagtaka kasi sis kung bakit ayaw ka pa nila papuntahin dun...if there is a problem with them, you have the right to know...it's not fair to make you wait like that...

[chizich]

I'm not sure, I doubt it.  I was denied a tourist visa years ago and I was never asked about that during my H1b interview.

thanks xthine,, nadeny kasi kame,sabi ng consul we were trying to migrate daw,, nagyon sa h1b im planning to bring my hubby and 2 kids.sana maging ok nman.

[xthine]

^ I understand, I was a wreck too during our H1b interview but it does seem like a formality more than anything else.  I know you and your family will be fine

[chizich]

thanks again xthine!

im wondering if anybody had the same experience of frequent change in LUD? na rfe kasi ako then after a few days nagchange last updated date, and then after 1week 2days consecutive nagchange. so almost 4X na nagchange. salamat po..

[tetelalbano]

Dear mga sis, anyone here from Dubai? [textspeak!] my husband is working in New Jersey with an h1b visa so he wants to apply for me an h4 , I am currently working here in Dubai, so I dont know kung better ba na iprocess sa Pinas or dito sa Dubai?

[chocolatefever]

ang tanong ko lang, paano ko magkakaroon ng H4 visa? diba dapat magpakasal kami? ang tanong, pwede pa ba siya makauwi dito sa Philippines kapag nagkaroon na sya ng HB1 doon? kasi pano kami makakasal kung d sya makakauwi dito? 

also nabasa ko dito yung tungkol sa greencard na mas mahirap na ko na mai-petition nya kapag greencardholder na sya? tama ba pagkakaintindi ko?  mas mahirap or mas matagal?

you have to get married for you to be eligible for the H4 visa and join him in the U.S.  if you have a tourist visa, perhaps you can go to the US and get married there, and then come back here and wait for the approval?  di ko kasi alam how long ang processing for H4.  if maapprove kaagad ang petition nya for H1B and his employer wants him to start right away, baka di agad siya makauwi. case to case basis din, so just wait for what your BF will say about that.

according what i've read and heard, mas matagal ka mapepetition kung green card holder na ang BF mo.

hope that helps.

[chocolatefever]

you mean, pag nagstart na sya mag work, hindi na siya pwedeng umuwi ng pinas? may rule ba talaga na ganun? alam ko kasi once na ok na H1B nya mag start na siya agad eh.. pano kaya yun?

tsaka gaano katagal po ba yung sa pagpetition pag greencard holder na siya?

hi sis, wala naman atang rule na bawal umuwi. it's just that usually pag pinetition ka ng employer, they often want you to start agad and siyempre pag kakapetition palang sayo, nakakahiya naman na magbakasyon agad at umuwi diba?

i used to watch Citizen Pinoy on TFC with Atty. Garfinkel, an immigration lawyer. Sabi dun, pag green card holder ang petitioner, it can take years...minsan daw up to 3 years. Parang ganun ang pagka alala ko sa kwento nung isang guest dun.

[gnela_21]

si boyfriend pumunta sa US last Sept. with tourist visa, mag-work siya as nurse doon, meron na siya employer. Nun Oct. last month, start na pinaprocess sa lawyer para magkaroon na sya ng working visa, yung H1B yun tama ba?

ang tanong ko lang, paano ko magkakaroon ng H4 visa? diba dapat magpakasal kami? ang tanong, pwede pa ba siya makauwi dito sa Philippines kapag nagkaroon na sya ng HB1 doon? kasi pano kami makakasal kung d sya makakauwi dito? 


tapos sabi pa nya, i-aapply na rin daw yung for greencard nya after ng H1B.. basta something like that, medyo d ko rin kasi gets..

also nabasa ko dito yung tungkol sa greencard na mas mahirap na ko na mai-petition nya kapag greencardholder na sya? tama ba pagkakaintindi ko?  mas mahirap or mas matagal?

Once may H1B visa na yung boyfriend mo, you need to get married para makasama ka using H4 visa. Automatic naman yun na magiging H4 visa holder ka. Kaso kelangan mo bumalik ng Pinas to get stamped with the H4 visa. Kelangan lang yung marriage license nyo as well as yung mga documents ng hubby to be mo when we was filed under H1B.

Better kung magpapakasal na kayo, go to US under H4 visa and then saka magpa-file yung hubby to be mo ng greencard, para kasama ka na automatically sa petition for GC/Immigrant visa.

[gnela_21]

@ gnela_21:

nasa pinas po ako.. pag may h1b na ba si boyfrend pwede pa siya makauwi ng pinas para magpakasal kami?

para kasing may nabasa ko na pag h1b hindi muna pwede balik na pinas?

additional question lang, pag may h1b ba na sya tapos mag apply sya ng greencard, mga gano katagal ba yun bago sya maapprove?

thanks

Yup, pwede umuwi ang H1B visa holder kasi multiple entry yung visa. Usually 3 years ang duration ng H1B visa and you can go home anytime within those time. Depende na lang sa employer ng bf mo kung gaano katagal sya papayagan umuwi. Depende sa PTO.

Regarding sa kung gaano sya katagal ma-approve ng GC/Immigrant Visa, honestly at this time, matagal dahil naka-retrogress ang visa. Kung nurse sya, under EB3 sya mag-fafall (Employee Based 3rd Preference). According sa Visa Bulletin, ang pino-process nila sa ngayon are those with a priority date of June 2002. Ibig sabihin kung ififile sya, malamang 2010 na sya ma-file and may 8 years sya na waiting time. You can check this website, http://travel.state.gov/visa/frvi/bulletin/bulletin_4576.html So more or less 5 years ang waiting time for approval.

[gnela_21]

^you're welcome. Goodluck on your plans. 

[eimerej5]

HELP naman po.. nabasa ko na buong thread na to, medyo confused pa rin ako. eto po situation:

si boyfriend pumunta sa US last Sept. with tourist visa, mag-work siya as nurse doon, meron na siya employer. Nun Oct. last month, start na pinaprocess sa lawyer para magkaroon na sya ng working visa, yung H1B yun tama ba?

ang tanong ko lang, paano ko magkakaroon ng H4 visa? diba dapat magpakasal kami? ang tanong, pwede pa ba siya makauwi dito sa Philippines kapag nagkaroon na sya ng HB1 doon? kasi pano kami makakasal kung d sya makakauwi dito? 


tapos sabi pa nya, i-aapply na rin daw yung for greencard nya after ng H1B.. basta something like that, medyo d ko rin kasi gets..

also nabasa ko dito yung tungkol sa greencard na mas mahirap na ko na mai-petition nya kapag greencardholder na sya? tama ba pagkakaintindi ko?  mas mahirap or mas matagal?

tulong po please.. medyo nahihirapan rin ako sa situation namin na LDR.. 

hello sis! you really have to get married para mabigyan ka ng H4 visa, its for dependents of an H1b holder. Im going to have may interview tomorrow for my h4 visa.. hopefully sabi nga nila walang nadedeny sa h4 visa since dependent ka. validation lang ng identity at docs yun.. sana nga totoo...

kung may gusto ka pa malaman about h4, just message me...