Total Period of Stay on H-1B Work Visa and Return Transportation Cost

 

As an H-1B nonimmigrant, you may be admitted for a period of up to three years. Your time period may be extended, but generally cannot go beyond a total of six years, though some exceptions do apply under sections 104(c) and 106(a) of the American Competitiveness in the Twenty-First Century Act (AC21).

Your employer will be liable for the reasonable costs of your return transportation if your employer terminates you before the end of your period of authorized stay.  Your employer is not responsible for the costs of your return transportation if you voluntarily resign your position. You must contact the Service Center that approved your petition in writing if you believe that your employer has not complied with this requirement.

[Source: USCIS]

Proposed Immigration Reforms by Gang of Eight and its Impact on H-1B Category

 

The Border Security, Economic Opportunity and Immigration Modernisation Act (SB 744) was passed by the Senate Judiciary Committee on a vote of 13 to five, and is likely to come to the floor of the Senate to be voted on in June 2013. The House of Representatives has drafted its own bill for immigration reform. However, there are reports of disagreements among lawmakers in the House of Representatives over provisions in the house's bill. Both pieces of proposed legislation represent a concerted effort among lawmakers to reform the immigration laws. The next few months will be pivotal with respect to whether immigration reform legislation is passed in the United States during 2013.

Introduction

The Border Security, Economic Opportunity and Immigration Modernisation Act (SB 744) was introduced into the Senate on April 16 2013 by Senators Schumer, Durbin, Bennet, Menendez, McCain, Rubio, Flake and Graham (referred to as the 'gang of eight'). This comprehensive piece of immigration legislation addresses border security issues and has provisions to reform the H-1B and L-1 non-immigrant visa categories. It creates a path towards citizenship for those who are undocumented, creates a merit-based visa and reallocates the distribution of visas. The bill appears to have a decent amount of support among a large bipartisan group of US senators. As a result, there is a good chance that this bill may pass the Senate and eventually become law. Naturally, the bill is receiving widespread attention among various media outlets, and is being monitored closely by US employers and the public.

Several key provisions of the bill may have an impact on US employers sponsoring foreign nationals for the H-1B and L-1 categories.

H-1B

The new bill proposes the following general changes to the H-1B category:

• It creates a floor of 110,000 and ceiling of 180,000 for the H-1B cap.
• It increases the master's cap from 20,000 to 25,000.
• It creates a new wage level system.
• It prohibits H-1B-dependent employers from using the Level 1 wage rate.
• it requires H-1B employers to advertise for the H-1B position on the Department of Labour website for a 30-day period.

In relation to dependent employers, the bill proposes as follows:

• It will prohibit outplacement, outsourcing or placement of H-1B workers by H-1B dependent employers.(1)
• It will allow outplacement, outsourcing or placement for non-dependent H-1B employers, but impose an additional filing fee of $500.
• Employers (other than educational or research employers) that employ 50 or more workers in the United States are banned from sponsoring H-1B workers if more than 75% of their workforce is in H-1B status (in 2015), changing to 65% in 2016 and 50% in 2017.
• The May 3 2013 amendment to bill defines an 'intending immigrant' for the purposes of calculating H-1B dependency as a H-1B worker who has a pending or approved labour application, rather than requiring a labour application pending for one year or more.

In relation to reporting, the bill requires all H-1B-dependent employers to submit an annual report to the Department of Homeland Security, including W-2s for all H-1B workers employed during the previous fiscal year.

In regard to the Department of Labour and labour condition applications, the bill:

• changes the standard of review of labour condition applications by the Department of Labour from reviewing for completeness to reviewing for completeness and evidence of fraud;
• changes the timeframe for processing labour condition applications from seven to 14 days;
• allows employers to file the Form I-129 with an uncertified labour condition application;
• removes the reasonable cause requirement for conducting a Department of Labour investigation and replaces it with the provision that the departement may initiate an investigation;
• requires the Department of Labour to conduct annual compliance audits of each employer with more than 100 employees, if more than 15% of the employees are in H-1B status, and requires these audits to be available for public inspection;
• increases Labour Condition Application fines from $1,000 to $2,000 for misrepresentation, and from $5,000 to $10,000 for wilful misrepresentation; and
• allows Department of Labour employees to file complaints regarding labour condition applications and eliminates the requirement that the Department of Labour know the tipster complaining of the labour condition application violation.

The new bill proposes to amend filing fees as follows:

• It requires H-1B-dependent employers with 50 or more employees to pay an extra filing fee of $5,000 for each H-1B petition filed each fiscal year, beginning in FY 2015 (October 1 2014 to September 30 2015), if 30% to 50% of the H-1B employer's employees are in H-1B or L-1 status. The amended bill imposes the same filing fee on employers that file L-1 petitions, if 30% to 50% of the L-1 employer's employees are in H-1B or L-1 status, but imposes the fee in FY 2014 (October 1 2013 to September 30 2014), rather than 2015.
• It requires H-1B-dependent employers with 50 or more employees to pay an additional fee of $10,000 for each H-1B petition filed each fiscal year, beginning in FY 2015 (October 1 2014 to September 30 2015), and continuing through the 2017 fiscal year, if 50% to 75% of the H-1B employer's employees are in H-1B or L status. The amended bill imposes the same filing fee on employers who file L-1 petitions, if 50% to 75% of the L-1 employer's employees are in H-1B or L-1 status, but imposes the fee in FY 2014 (October 1 2013 to September 30 2014), rather than 2015.
• It imposes an additional fee of $1,250 for each H-1B or L-1 petition which has at least 25 full-time employees.
• It imposes an additional filing fee of $2,500 per H-1B or L-1 petition for an employer that employs more than 25 employees.

The above additional fees are on top of the other filing fees already imposed on employers filing H-1B and L-1 petitions.

Further, the bill imposes a $500 fee for filing an application for permanent employment certification (Form 9089).

L-1

In relation to L-1 visas, the new bill will:

• prohibit the outplacement or outsourcing of L-1 workers, if not controlled or supervised principally by the sponsoring employer; and
• impose a requirement that if an L-1 worker is placed at a third-party location, the third party attests that the worker has not displaced and will not displace a US worker for 90 days before or after the date of the filing the L-1 petition.

In regard to filing fees, the bill:

• requires L-1 employers with 50 or more employees to pay an additional $5,000 filing fee if 30% to 50% of its workforce is in H-1B or L-1 status;
• requires L-1 employers with 50 or more employees to pay an additional $10,000 if 50% to 75% of its workforce is in H-1B or L-1 status;
• imposes an additional fee of $1,250 for each L-1 petition for employers that employ 25 or fewer full-time employees; and
• Imposes an additional filing fee of $2,500 per L-1 petition for an employer that employs 26 or more employees.

Endnotes

(1) An employer is considered to be an H-1B dependent employer if it has:

• 25 or fewer full-time equivalent employees and at least eight are in H-1B status;
• 26 to 50 full-time equivalent employees and at least 13 H-1B non-immigrant workers; or
• 51 or more full-time equivalent employees, of whom 15% or more are H-1B non-immigrant workers).

[Source – International Law Office – Copyrights]

Delay in Visa Stamping–Send Inquiry to US Embassy / Consulate

 

Make sure:

1. You have checked the Visa Processing or Stamping for your Location and that duration has been surpassed.
2. OR, if your case has been referred to 221(g) Administrative Processing than you have waited for at least 60 days.

Also, make sure you have checked your Visa Application Status Online.

There are two ways you can send your queries to US Embassy or Consulate in your Location

1. You can send queries to designated email address displayed on US Embassy or Consulate website. For example for US Consulate Karachi the email address is KarachiVisaQuery@State.gov
   
2. You can also send your inquiries using “Non Immigrant Visa Unit’s Web Based Email Submission Form” available on US Embassy or Consulate website. For example, following form available on US Embassy Islamabad’s website.
   

New To USA on H-1B–Important Things To Do

 

• Get Your Social Security Number and Card
  
• Start Building Your Credit History / Rating / Score - Bank Account – ATM/Debit and Credit Cards
  
• Job Hunting on H-1B Work Visa
  
• Preparing Your Resume / CV
  
• Create Dice Profile, Recruiter’s Response, Selecting Mobile Carrier, Billing and Package, Voice Mail Settings, Leaving Messages
  
• Understanding Employment Types and Tax Terms
  
• Preferred Vendor, Direct Client and Subcontracting
  
• Initial Screening, Telephonic and Face to Face Interviews
  
• Finding an Apartment on Rent
  
• International Driving Permit, Foreign Driver License, Interim Permit and Learner Permit

Check Current H-1B Visa Application Processing or Wait Time

 

From US Department of State Website, you can now check:

1. Current Wait Time for H-1B Visa Interview Appointment
2. Current Processing Time or Wait Time for H-1B Visa Application (for cases which are not referred to 221(g) Administrative Process)

All you have to do, is to go to US Department of State Website

Select your desired Location from the drop down list and click “GET WAIT TIMES” button. Both Wait and Processing Times of selected Location will be displayed on the following page.

Electronic Form I-94–Automation Started by CBP

 

Due to the Automation Process started by Customs and Border Protection (CBP) from 30th of April, 2013, USCIS has begun updating certain forms requesting applicants and petitioners to enter the admission number from their Form I-94 and/or their:

• Passport information, including passport number, country of issuance and expiration date; and
• Travel Document information, including Travel Document number, country of issuance and expiration date.

[Source – USCIS]

So, prior to this automation, the Form I-94 which was given to you by the airline staff to fill up and submit it to CBP at the port of entry, is not needed anymore.

You can pull your electronic Form I-94 in paper format from CBP’s website (www.cbp.gov/I94).

Check Your Visa Application Status Online

 

Click here to check your Visa Application Status Online.

For H-1B Visa Application, select NONIMMIGRANT VISA (NIV) from Visa Application Type.

Select a location from second drop down.

Enter your Application ID or Case Number. It is the same number that is allotted to you once you fill an online DS-160 form.

NOTE – Click here to check Current Visa Application Processing or Wait Times

Updates on Companies in Pakistan, Sponsoring H-1B Visa

 

Now, it’s Royal Cyber!

As per my source, Royal Cyber is now offering H-1B Sponsorship to candidates who fulfill following criteria:

• Minimum of 16 years of education – with 4 years bachelor’s degree.
• 5 or more years of professional development experience.

Royal Cyber

US Headquarters

Royal Cyber
55 Shuman Blvd, Suite 1025, Naperville,
IL 60563 USA.

Pakistan Office

Suite # 1101-1104, 11th Floor,
Ceasers Towers (National IT Park),
Main Shahrah e Faisal,
Karachi, Pakistan.

Click to view a complete list of companies in Pakistan who sponsor H-1B Visas.

Before you Fly–Tips

 

Choosing your Airline Carrier:

1. Qatar Airways
2. Emirates
3. Etihad Airways
4. Gulf Air
5. Saudia
6. PIA

Unfortunately there’s no direct or non-stop flight from Pakistan to United States. So the best option available is a one-stop flight. You have plenty of options available, as shown in the list above.

It is advisable to check fares with all the carriers, because the fare plans of these carrier works in a mysterious way; it is quite possible that the carrier which you chose for your last flight and which was the cheapest fare at that time, might not be the cheapest one now; these carrier shuffle their prices; different market actors have impact on how and what fare they would settle for upcoming season.

General sentiments about different carriers are:

1. Qatar Airways – Best Quality with Cheaper rates
2. Emirates – Leader in Quality Services; Somewhat more expensive
3. PIA – Enriches your faith in God ;)

Register with Frequent Flyer before Flight Reservation:

Almost every airline carrier has their frequent flyer program, get your self registered online, before doing the flight reservation. During your flight reservation mention your frequent flyer number to earn miles/rewards, etc.. In case, you forgot to do that, you can register and claim your miles/rewards after your travel as well, but there’s a time limit to do that, so do check with your airline carrier about the time duration.

Luggage / Baggage:

Generally following luggage / baggage is allowed:

1. Two pieces, not to exceed 23 kg and a maximum dimension of 158 cm each
• Maximum Dimension = length + width + height
2. One piece, not to exceed 7 kg and 50 x 37 x 25 cm
3. Laptops and laptop bags have to fit within your hand baggage allowance

However, it is recommended to check explicitly about the allowed luggage / baggage from your chosen airline carrier.

Carrying Original Documents:

Make sure, you have at least one photocopy set of all your original documents. Keep both original and copy in separate bags/suitcases.

Purchase a Prepaid SIM Card:

If you are not already carrying a Prepaid/Postpaid SIM from Pakistan, it is recommended to purchase a prepaid SIM Card. It will be helpful when you will return back, because quite shockingly, the Jinnah International Airport Karachi do not have any public Telephone Booth Facilities.

Shoes without Laces:

If you want to keep yourself safe from the hassle of tying and un-tying the laces every now and then during security passes, I would recommend to use shoes that do not have laces.

Currency Exchange:

It is advisable to exchange your currency from Pak Rupee (PKR) to US Dollar (USD) earlier, because the Currency Exchange Dealers in Jinnah International Airport have higher currency exchange rates and you will get fewer dollars against your pak rupees as compared to what you can get elsewhere from the Karachi city.

How to Secure Your H-1B Visa: A Practical Guide for International Professionals and Their US Employers by James A. Bach and Robert G. Werner

 

Excerpt taken from Amazon’s Book Description:

The H-1B visa is the gateway for the world’s best and brightest to live and work in the United States as IT professionals, engineers, scientists, professors, doctors, nurses, and researchers. How to Secure Your H‑1B Visa guides employees and employers alike through the maze of H-1B laws, policies, and procedures. This road map lays out the whole H-1B process from petition to visa to status maintenance to visa extension and, ultimately, to permanent residence in the US for you and your family. It shows you step by step exactly how the H-1B process divides up between the employer and employee. It identifies the points where the two tracks converge and the H-1B employer and employee need to pull in tandem.

Navigation icons tell you at a glance whether a topic concerns employees and employers equally or primarily one or the other. Sidebars highlight pitfalls, liabilities, and disasters to avoid; tips and exceptions to leverage for success; administrative and enforcement trends and late-breaking changes; and special conditions that apply to nationals of particular countries, such as India and China. Ancillary chapters cover complementary visas for family members and H-1B substitute visas for professionals with particular skill sets or from particular countries, such as Australia and Canada.

The authors are Silicon Valley immigration lawyers with 60 years combined experience handling professional work visas. Whether you are an international professional desiring to work in the US for the first time, an international student in the US wishing to remain after graduation, or a hiring manager or HR specialist for a sponsoring entity, this short book will show you how to secure, maintain, and leverage your H-1B visa and answer all your questions about:

• quotas and exemptions
• RFEs and consular interviews
• dual representation by the employer’s lawyer
• LCA compliance, auditing, and penalties
• serial H-1B employers
• termination and benching regulations
• reconciling filing deadlines with expiration dates
• transitioning from academic to affiliated to private H-1B employment

What you’ll learn

As a result of reading How to Secure Your H-1B Visa, foreign professionals will learn:

• How to optimize the outcome of your non-immigrant skilled worker visa petition
• How to ace your interview at a US embassy or consulate and answer an RFE
• How to maintain or change your and your family’s status in the US
  Managers of US companies with skilled worker needs will learn:
• How to include international professionals in the development of your HR strategies
• How to coach your foreign hires to cooperate in the petition process and avoid pitfalls
• How to avoid fines, penalties, and other hazards

Who this book is for

This is a practical, accessible, and affordable short book for both individual foreign professionals (especially IT workers) who want or already have an H1-B non-immigrant specialty occupation work visa (or a treaty-substitute or alternative visa to the H1-B) and also for their US corporate sponsors (especially small-to-medium enterprises and startups in the IT sector), showing foreign employees and US employers how to work in perfect sync to nail that H1-B visa, hang on to it, and leverage it.

Table of Contents

1. Introduction

2. Overview of the H-1B Petition Procedure

3. The H-1B Annual Quota

4. Eligibility for H-1B Status

5. Complementary Roles of the H-1B Employee, Sponsor, and Attorney

6. Employer Inputs to the H-1B Process

7. Employee Inputs to the H-1B Process

8. Labor Condition Application Compliance

9. H-1B Investigations and Penalties

10. Maintaining H-1B Status

11. Termination of H-1B Employment

12. H-1B Alternative Visas

13. Summary

14. Appendix 4

15. Appendix 5

16. Appendix 6

17. Appendix 8

18. Appendix 9

19. Appendix 10

Purchase from Amazon

New Birth Certificate in English from NADRA–Post H-1B Visa Stamping Action Items

 

This post is a part of series of posts that makes up “Post H-1B Visa Stamping Action Items”.

Why New Birth Certificate from NADRA?

Older birth certificates are in Urdu Language and in order for them to be used in processes in foreign countries (Green Card processing, for example), you need to get a new one issued from NADRA.

Location / Address / Map

Any NADRA Swift Registration Center NSRC.

NSRC @ Awami Markaz, Shahrah e Faisal, Karachi.

View Larger Map

Timings:

Monday through Saturday – 9:00 to 17:00 PST

Fees & Duration:

• Fee - PKR 50
• Duration – 5 days

Required Documents:

1. Photocopy of CNIC of your parents
2. Original Birth Certificate, if you have one
1. If you do not have original certificate, than an application from your parents, confirming the date of birth
3. Photocopy of your CNIC

Process:

1. Fill the form, shown above
2. Attach all the documents mentioned above
3. Submit the form and documents to any NSRC
4. Get the receipt

International Driving Permit–IDP– Post H-1B Visa Stamping Action Items

 

This post is a part of series of posts that makes up “Post H-1B Visa Stamping Action Items”.

Why International Driving Permit?

An International Driving Permit is not a driver license. The permit only verifies that you hold a valid driver license in your home country. Your foreign driver license, not the International Driving Permit, allows you to drive in USA.

You are not required to have an International Driving Permit to drive in USA, but the permit has value. The permit verifies, in several languages, that you have a valid foreign driver license. A police officer who cannot read the language on your foreign driver license can read the permit.

Location / Address / Map

View Larger Map

Timings:

Monday to Saturday - 9:00 am to 4:00 pm

Friday - 9:00 am to 12:30 pm

Lunch Break - 1:00 pm to 1:30 pm

Required Documents:

1. Three recent Passport size photographs
2. Photocopy of Valid Passport and Valid Visa Copy
3. Photocopy of Local Driving License
4. Photocopy of CNIC
5. Medical Certificate

Fees & Duration:

• Fee ~ PKR 600
• Duration – Same or next day.

Process:

1. There’s a Post Office opposite to the Clifton Driving License Branch. Go there and buy stamp ticket for International Driving Permit.
2. Go to the Reception Area and ask for International Driving Permit form
3. Fill the form, paste the stamp ticket on the top right corner.
4. Attach photocopies of documents mentioned in the section above
5. Keep original documents with yourself which you may have to show to the Driving License Branch Officials.
6. Attach photographs
7. Submit the filled form with all attachments.
8. There’s a fee which you have to pay
9. You will have to appear before the License Authority to get your IDP approved and collect it at the same time.

Protectorate of Emigrants Stamp on Passport–Post H-1B Visa Stamping Action Items

 

This post is a part of series of posts that makes up “Post H-1B Visa Stamping Action Items”.

What is Protectorate of Emigrants Stamp?

For every Pakistani citizen, who is going abroad for any reason, it is a mandatory requirements to get NICOP, Life Insurance and Protectorate of Emigrants stamp on his/her passport. It is IMPORTANT to note that without the Protectorate of Emigrants stamp, ASF/FIA/Custom officials at the airport will not allow you to get onboard.

Location / Address / Map:

Protector of Emigrants
Bureau of Emigration & Overseas Employment
14-J, Block No.6, Near KFC,
Nursery, PECHS, Karachi.
View Larger Map

Timings:

Submissions are only allowed during 09:00 and 12:30 PST. On Friday submissions are only allowed during 09:00 and 11:00 PST

Required Documents:

1. Original Passport – with H-1B Visa Stamp
2. 4 Photocopies of #1
3. Original I-797
4. 3 Photocopies of #3
5. Original Computerized National Identity Card CNIC
6. 4 Photocopies of #3
7. Original National Identity Card for Overseas Pakistanis NICOP – If you have have applied for the NICOP and have the Token issued by NADRA, than this NICOP Token would also suffice.
8. 3 Photocopies of #5
9. Original Employment Offer or Contract
10. 4 Photocopies of #7
11. Resignation Letter given to previous employer
12. NOC if your last employer was a Government functionary
13. Life Insurance
14. 2 CNIC Photocopies of your blood relative i.e. Father, Mother, Siblings, Children – required for Life Insurance
15. Bank Challan Receipts
16. Information Form
17. Photographs – At least 4.
18. For #4 and #17 above – If you have more, keep them with yourself, because it’s my experience that our government departments are too obsessed with collecting Photographs and Photocopies of CNIC. The amount of photocopies of documents these government department requires, each one of them “attested” with a 17 or higher grade officer is just insane! I believe this is the main reason why stationary guys and notary public guys are still in business :)

Fees & Duration:

• Fees – Total PKR 6,500 – See breakdown below:
1. State Life Insurance – PKR 2.000
2. Employee’s Welfare Fund – PKR 2,000
3. Protector Registration Fee – PKR 2,500
• Duration – Same day

Process:

• IMPORTANT TIP: Go straight to #10 i.e. the Helper Guy. You will see a man, in his late forties. Ask him about the process, he will guide you step by step, fill your forms, challan, etc, make your file ready to submit by yourself and will accept any nominal fees from you for his services. He doesn’t seems to be greedy as you usually see such places. Seems educated and very polite person to talk to. In my experience, the government should hire him for helping people in such a great manner. But then I thought, may be when he is hired, he might become one of those that are sitting on government seats!
• For all those who can remember the steps and can go through the process on their own, read further
• Go to #7 i.e. Reception Area and tell them that you want the Protectorate of Emigrants Stamp on your Passport.
• They will ask to show the required documents
• They will issue you the Information Form, NBP Challan etc.
• Now, you will have to submit Challan and Fees to three different banks; National Bank of Pakistan, Habib Bank Limited and United Bank Limited.
• See the map below to locate these:
  View Larger Map 
  
• Go “inside” HBL first and ask for “Employee’s Welfare Fund” Challan. Fill the challan, submit PKR 2,000 and get the receipt.
• Go to the window of NBP, the one which is on the far right side – see the small red circle mark on the image map above. Submit the challan along with PKR 2,500 and get the receipt.
• Go “inside” UBL, fill the “Deposit Slip” with following details
• Account# – 621-7
• Title of Account – State Life
• Amount – PKR 2,000
• Submit the Deposit Slip along with PKR 2,000 and get the receipt.
• Go to photocopy shop and make copies 2 copies of all the receipts
• Go back to the Protectorate of Emigrants Office, fill the forms, attach photocopies, photos, Challans, and other required documents, mentioned above.In what sequence? please ask that Helper Guy I mentioned in first point, because I just forgot the sequence :)
• Present this file (containing all documents, challans, etc) to Reception Area i.e. #7 in the image above.
• You will then be asked to take this file to the Protector of Emigrants Registration Section show at #16 in the image above.
• The Protector of Emigrants Registration Section will check all documents and will send the file to the Protector of Emigrant Officer
• Protector of Emigrant Officer will sign, emboss on Passport and forward the file to the Briefing Section
• At 15:00 PST the Briefing Section will conduct a session where he/she will brief all the newly protected individuals with all the necessary aspects of rights on foreign soil, protection of Government of Pakistan, Insurance matters, Incident and Health Hazards, etc..
• After the briefing session, you will be handed over your original documents which includes the Protectorate of Emigrants Stamp on your Passport.

Post H-1B Visa Stamping–National Identity Card for Overseas Pakistanis–NICOP

 

This post is a part of series of posts that makes up “Post H-1B Visa Stamping Action Items”.

What is NICOP:

NICOP (National Identity Card for Overseas Pakistanis) is a registration document to be issued to a valid/legitimate citizen of Pakistan. It is actually an English version of your Computerized National Identity Card (CNIC).

Location / Address / Map:

Any NADRA Swift Registration Center (NSRC).

TIP: If you are also planning to apply for Protectorate of Emigrants Stamp, then, there’s a NADRA Swift Registration Center NSRC inside the same building hosting the Office of the Protectorate of Emigrants.

Protector of Emigrants
Bureau of Emigration & Overseas Employment
14-J, Block No.6, Near KFC,
Nursery, PECHS, Karachi.
View Larger Map

Timings:

Monday through Saturday - 09:00 - 17:00 PST

Required Documents:

1. Passport
2. Computerized National Identity Card – CNIC

Fees & Duration:

1. Normal – 30 days – PKR 4,500
2. Urgent – 15 days – PKR 5,000
3. Executive – 7 working days – PKR 6,000

Process:

1. You will be asked to show original CNIC and Passport
2. Official of NADRA will fill a form and get your signatures
3. Your picture will be taken
4. Your finger prints will be taken
5. You will be handed over a print-out of completed form
6. You will have to get this printed completed form, attested with a 17 or higher grade officer
7. You will than have to submit the attested form to NADRA
8. On submission NADRA will issue you a token, carrying unique number to track your case and as a proof of evidence that your NICOP is actually in process.
9. TIP: if you have to get the Protectorate of Emigrants stamp as well, you can use this NICOP token instead of waiting for the NICOP card.

Tracking or Checking Status:

You can check the status of your NICOP application online via NADRA website:

http://www.nadra.gov.pk/index.php/search/tracking

Post H-1B Visa Stamping Action Items

 

I will now discuss about post visa stamping action items in a series of post, these includes:

1. Verify H-1B Visa Information – Verify if all the information mentioned in your H-1B Visa is correct and no information is missing.
   
2. Get your NICOP – National Identity Card for Overseas Pakistanis – from NADRA
   
3. Get your Passport Stamped by Protector of Emigrants, Bureau of Emigration & Overseas Employment
   
4. Get your International Driving Permit (IDP) [OPTIONAL]
   
5. Get your new Birth Certificate from NADRA [Required for GC in future]
   • New Computerized Birth Certificate for Green Card or Permanent Residence
     
6. If you do not have the old Birth Certificate than you need 3 Affidavits; One from your Mother and two from very close relative; testifying your Date of Birth [Required for GC in future]
   
7. Before you Fly – Tips

221(g) Administrative Processing and the Actual Visa Stamping

 

On the day of your H-1B Visa Interview at US Consulate or Embassy, when Visa Officer finished asking questions, he/she will conclude the interview by letting you know whether you succeed or failed in the interview. If you succeed, there are two cases:

1. The Visa Officer hand over to you a 221(g) Administrative Processing Form and say that Administrative Processing is required in your case.
   
   It is possible that the Visa Officer will ask for some more documents related to you or your Sponsor, which you and/or your Sponsor has not submitted throughout the process. Not that these documents were required initially, but they might need them in your case for further clarification.

   It is also possible that they don’t ask for any further documents and your application still have to go through the Administrative Process.

   The actual amount of wait might also vary from case to case. Generally they give you the time of 6 to eight weeks, but in actual it can be less or more than.

   “After the interview, many visa applications necessitate further routine but required administrative processing, an integral part of the visa adjudication process that can be neither waived nor expedited. Individuals whose applications require this processing will be informed of that fact at the conclusion of their interview. Most administrative processing is completed within 60 to 90 days of the visa interview, but some cases do take longer. We cannot predict how long this processing will take for any particular case.”

   Source - http://islamabad.usembassy.gov/nonimmigrant_visa_faqs.html

    

2. The Visa Office will inform you about an estimated time frame when your H-1B Visa will be stamped on your Passport.

UPDATE – You can now Check your Visa Application Status Online, click to read more

In either cases, once your H-1B Visa is stamped on your Passport and your Passport is ready to be collected from American Express, you will receive a call from American Express representative to come and pick it up.

Possible Interview Questions That May Be Asked By Visa Officer During H-1B Visa Interview @ US Consulate or Embassy

 

1. For which position you are going?
2. Which company you are going?
3. Are you married?
4. How long you’ve been married?
5. How many kids you have?
6. What is the age of your kid?
7. Please show me the birth certificate of your kid?
8. To Wife – Where were you born?
9. To Wife – Have you ever travelled to any foreign country?
10. To Wife – Was your marriage arranged or love?
11. To Wife – Was your child born full term?
12. To Wife – What time in the day was he born?
13. To Wife – When you were married?
14. How many children you have?
15. Where in USA are you going?
16. How do you come to know about this Job Opportunity?
17. How do you know the person who referred this job opportunity to you?
18. For how long that referrer (in #8) is working with his current company?
19. On which position that referrer (in #8) is working on?
20. Is he/she (referrer in #8) still working with his current company?
21. Is he/she (referrer in #8) currently in USA?
22. What compensation will you get?
23. Will your employer be providing you the accommodation?
24. What was the interview process in your new Company?
25. Were they telephonic interviews or in-person?
26. Where you are graduated from?
27. Do you have any business card or employment letter of the current job with you?
28. Do you have a family in USA?
29. When do you plan to join your Company?
30. Tell me briefly about your travel history in last 10 years?
31. Tell me some of the clients of your company (which you are going to join in USA)?
32. What position will you be having?
33. What’s the business of your Company?
34. What is your last degree?
35. Where did you work after you graduated?
36. Where are you working right now?
37. Does your current employer knows about your H-1B processing?
38. How many employees your company have (the one which you will join in USA)?
39. What will you going to do in your new company?
40. So you studied Mathematics? What is Integration?
41. What is a Stack?
42. What is Debugging?
43. What is a Code Comment?

Please Share Your H-1B Information ANONYMOUSLY to Help Others

 

Dear readers,

I’ve setup a live form at the right side of this blog. If you have applied for the H-1B Petition ever, you are requested to kindly fill this form. This effort is to anonymously collect and publish the data for common good of all.

You can also view all the submissions made through this form, at the bottom of this page.

Thanks!

Syed Muhammad Humayun

Updates on Companies in Pakistan, Sponsoring H-1B Visa

 

Very recently I get to know that Systems (Pvt.) Ltd. is also sponsoring H-1B Visas. They have offices in Karachi and Lahore:

Head Office
Chamber of Commerce Building, 11 Sharae Aiwane Tijarat, Lahore, Pakistan

Karachi Office
E-5, Central Commercial Area, Shaheed-e-Millat Road, Karachi, Pakistan

The information that I got is that they have sponsored quite a lot of candidates in recent years and in fact laud themselves as being the front runner in H-1B sponsorships as far as the counts are concern.

Their US front is Visionet Systems - http://www.visionetsystems.com

So, I’ve updated the original post and if you guys have information of other companies in Pakistan who are sponsoring H-1Bs, please let me know. Drop me an email or a comment on any of these posts and I’ll update the relevant posts. Thanks!

On the Interview Day - US Embassy/Consulate’s Interview Process for H-1B Visa Applicants

 

This post is a part of series of posts that makes up “The Complete Process Trail for H-1B Work Visa”.

• Try to reach 10 to 15 minutes early on the interview day. Please note that it is not recommended by the Consulate to reach earlier than 10 to 15 minutes.

• Parking – If you are on personal conveyance than you can park your vehicle at the locations highlighted with green lines, in the picture below:

1. Outside the premises of US Consulate Karachi - The security personnel will register your entry by asking your Name, Passport Number and Check In Time
2. Main Gate – Through which you enter into the US Consulate Karachi’s premises.
3. Security Check – You will asked to hand over whatever folder, file you have. Besides that you will be asked to take off your leather belts, wallets, glasses, keys, in fact any thing that is other than your clothes. Once checked and satisfied, they will return your items back to you.
4. Walk way to the main waiting area.
5. Waiting area with a shed and seating arrangements for applicants
6. Waiting area with a shed and seating arrangements for applicants
7. Entrance gate to the building
8. Finger Printing Area – Your finger prints will be taken and your height will be measured. They will also ask in which language you want to give the interview, if you have already not checked it on the sticker that was pasted by American Express on the back or front of your passport.
9. The final waiting area – Contains at least 9 or 10 rows of 4 seats each like:
   [01 [05 [09
   [02 [06 [10
   [03 [07 [11
   [04 [08 [12 …..
10. Interview Counters – Visa Offer’s Interview Counters – Total of 5 or 6.

The total process from your entry into the premises as mentioned in #1 above, up till your interview and exit, it would take around 2 and a half hours or so. The actual interview with the Visa Officer will be just around 15 minutes or so.

Finally, what Visa Officer will ask in the interview? stay tuned for next post on this.