CASE: J-1 Waiver of Two-Year Foreign Residency Requirement, No Objection Statement 

NATIONALITY: Turkish                                                                                                        

LOCATION: Oregon

Our client is from Turkey who came to the U.S. on a J-1 Visa in 2010 as a short-term scholar for an internship. She did her internship program for 2 months and eventually got an admission from a university in the U.S. for her Ph.D. program. She got her F-1 student visa in July 2011 and currently is on F-1 OPT.  She wishes to apply for a waiver of the two year foreign residency requirement so that she may be eligible for an H-1B status and adjustment of status based on av potential petition from her current employer in the U.S.

She retained our office on May 16, 2017. Thereafter, our office promptly prepared for filing a waiver request through a No Objection Statement (NOS) from the Turkish Embassy in the United States. Every country’s Embassy maintains different procedures and policies with regard to the J-1 No Objection Statement waiver.  Our office promptly contacted the Turkish Embassy in D.C. to pursue the waiver for our client.  The Embassy requested several documents including a statement of reason for the waiver and Turkish National ID.

On May 19, 2017, the J-1 Waiver (Form DS-3035) Application was filed to the Department of State.  We also sent a request to the Turkish Embassy to issue a No Objection Statement and recommend this waiver based on the fact that our client wants to change her status in near future.

Eventually, the Turkish Embassy issued a No Objection Statement for our client, and sent this letter to the State Department’s Waiver Review Division.  On August 21, 2017, the Waiver Review Division issued a favorable recommendation based on the No Objection statement. On August 25, 2017, the USCIS issued an I-612 approval notice for the waiver of our client’s two-year foreign residency requirement.

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CASE: H-1B Visa Petition

PETITIONER:  Dental Clinic

BENEFICIARY: Korean Dentist in Cleveland, OH

Our client is a dental clinic located in Cleveland, Ohio.  They contacted our office in early March of this year to seek legal assistance for a possible H-1B petition for their foreign employee.

The beneficiary obtained his Doctor of Dental Medicine in the United States. Moreover, she is a licensed dentist in the state of Ohio. The proffered position for the Beneficiary was an associate dentist which we argued qualified as a specialty occupation.

Upon retention, our office prepared and eventually filed the H-1B visa petition with various supporting documents on March 31, 2017 via regular processing. This H-1B petition was selected after the lottery.  Eventually, our client’s H-1B application was approved on August 29, 2017.

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CASE: H-1B Visa Petition

PETITIONER:  Mental Health and Welfare Agency for children

BENEFICIARY: Taiwanese Outpatient Services Clinician in Columbus OH

Our client is a comprehensive children’s mental health and child welfare agency in Columbus, OH.  They contacted our office in later February of this year to seek legal assistance for a possible H-1B petition for their foreign employee.

The beneficiary obtained her Master of Science in Social Administration in the United States. The proffered position for the Beneficiary is an Outpatient Services Clinician which clearly qualifies as a specialty occupation.

Upon retention, our office prepared and eventually filed the H-1B visa petition with various supporting documents on March 31, 2017 via regular processing service. This H-1B petition was selected after the lottery. Our client’s H-1B application was approved on August 19, 2017 without any Request for Evidence (RFE).

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CASE: J-1 Waiver (No Objection Statement)

NATIONALITY: Philippines

LOCATION: New York

Our client came from the Philippines on a J-1 in April 2015 to work as a visiting research fellow. According to her DS-2019, she was subject to the two-year foreign residency requirement.

In November 2016, she got married to her U.S. citizen husband and later on consulted with our firm for her J-1 visa waiver prior to applying for adjustment of status. If someone is subject to the two-year foreign residency requirement, he or she cannot get a green card in the United States until he or she fulfills the requirement or obtains a waiver.

Upon retention, our office promptly prepared a waiver request through a No Objection Statement (NOS) from the Philippine Embassy in the United States and eventually the EVP in the Philippines.

On December 23, 2016, the J-1 Waiver Application (Form DS-3035) was filed to the Department of State.  We also sent a request to the New York State Government to get authentication for the necessary documents.  Later, these authenticated documents and No Objection Application (for the Philippines Government) were sent to the Philippines Consulate General in New York for further authentication.  On February 23, 2017, our office sent our client’s materials to the Waiver Review Committee in Manila, Philippines.  Then, the Waiver Review Committee forwarded the materials and favorable recommendation to the Philippine Embassy in D.C. who eventually issued a No Objection Statement.

On July 6, 2017, the Waiver Review Division issued a favorable recommendation based on the No Objection statement.  Eventually, on July 25, 2017, the USCIS issued an I-612 approval notice for the waiver. Now, our client can file for her adjustment status application along with her U.S. Citizen husband’s I-130 petition for her.

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CASE: J-2 Waiver of Two-Year Foreign Residency Requirement / Over 21-year-old dependent child

NATIONALITY: Chinese

LOCATION: New York City, NY

Our client is a citizen of China who came to the U.S. on a J-2 Visa in October 1995.  He came with his father who came on a J-1 Visa for his research program in the United States. Both were subject to the two-year foreign residency requirement, meaning they had to go back to their home country for two-years before they can apply for permanent residency or some non-immigrant visa such as the H, L, and O visas.

After our client’s father’s J-1 program was completed, his family moved to Canada. Our client came back to the United States with an H-1B visa after he obtained his current employment in New York.

He turned 21 in 2001. He would like to get a waiver because he has an approved I-140 petition for him. However, because of his two-year foreign residency requirement, our client cannot file an adjustment of status application in the United States without the fulfillment of requirement or the waiver.

Although J-2 dependents cannot independently apply for a waiver, in cases where a J-2 child reaches 21, the Waiver Review Division may consider requests for waivers on behalf of the J-2 dependent.  The Department of State’s policy allows for that process in instances where the J-2 dependent obtains a divorce form the J-1 principal, the J-1 principal dies, or in cases where the J-2 dependent turns 21, which is our client’s case. In fact, our client turned 21 in November 2001.

Our firm was retained to do his J-2 waiver, and on May 17, 2017, the J-2 Waiver application (Form DS-3035 and supporting documents) was filed to the Department of State. We also sent a request to the DOS to be an interested government agency and recommend this waiver based on the fact that our client reached the age of 21 and was not a dependent of a J-1 visa holder anymore.  Eventually, on June 9, 2017, the DOS recommended to the United States Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) that our client be granted a waiver.  On July 27, 2017, the USCIS issued an I-612 approval notice for our client’s waiver request.

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CASE: Adjustment of Status Based on Approved K-1 Visa

CLIENT: Nigerian

LOCATION: Youngstown, OH

Our client came to the United States in November 2016 as a K-1 visa entrant from Nigeria.  Our client is the beneficiary of an approved I-129F petition. He came to the United States as a K-1 Fiancé of a U.S. Citizen whom he married within 90 days of his entry. By law, if you married your petitioner-fiancé within 90 days of your K-1 visa entry, you are eligible to apply for adjustment of status (green card) in the United States.

Our client contacted our office initially in March 2017 and consulted with us for his adjustment of status application. After the retention, our firm quickly prepared and filed the I-485 Adjustment of Status Application on April 4, 2017.  Things went smoothly and the receipt notices, and the fingerprint appointment all came on time.  

It is not mandatory to have an adjustment of status interview for an applicant who entered on a K-1 visa.  However, the USCIS may require an interview to test the validity and bona fide nature of the marriage between the Petitioner and Beneficiary. Nevertheless, the USCIS scheduled an interview for our client. Prior to the interview, we thoroughly prepared our clients at our office. On July 25, 2017, our clients were interviewed at the Cleveland, Ohio USCIS office. Attorney Sung Hee (Glen) Yu from our office accompanied them at their interview as well. After the interview, his green card application was approved.

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CASE: J-1 Waiver of the Two-Year Foreign Residency Requirement, No Objection Statement

NATIONALITY: Indonesian

LOCATION: Providence, RI

Our Indonesian client came to the U.S. on a J-1 Visa in June 2012.  She came to the U.S. for her post-doctoral research program, and her J-1 visa made her subject to the two-year foreign resident requirement.  Her research and higher education enhanced her interest in the field, and she would like to further her future research and development projects.  However, due to the two-year foreign residency requirement, she had to obtain a waiver first before she could change her current status in the United States.

After she retained our firm, we prepared and filed a waiver request through a No Objection Statement (NOS) from the Indonesian Embassy in the United States.  Our office contacted the Indonesian Embassy in Washington D.C. to make sure we knew all the requirements needed for their office to issue a no objection statement.  The Embassy requested nine different documents including a statement of reason for the waiver, the applicant’s resume, a copy of his valid Indonesian passport, and a copy of Form DS-3035.

On April 7, 2017, the J-1 Waiver (Form DS-3035) Application was filed to the Department of State.  We also sent a request to the Indonesian Embassy to issue a No Objection Statement and recommend this waiver based on the fact that our client would have been eligible to file a change of status application but for the waiver.

The Indonesian Embassy eventually issued a No Objection Statement for our client, and sent this letter to the State Department’s Waiver Review Division.  On May 22, 2017, the Waiver Review Division issued a favorable recommendation based on the No Objection statement. The CIS then issued a receipt and an I-612 approval notice on July 19, 2017.  Now that our client’s two-year foreign residency requirement is waived, she can be a beneficiary of other non-immigrant visa in the United States without going back to Indonesia for 2 years.

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CASE: J-1 Waiver (No Objection Statement)

NATIONALITY: Philippines

LOCATION: Montana

Our client came from the Philippines on a J-1 visa in September 2014 to work as a teacher. According to her DS-2019, she was subject to the two-year foreign residency requirement.

In August 2016, she got married to her U.S. citizen husband and later on consulted with our firm for her J-1 visa waiver prior to applying for adjustment of status. If someone is subject to the two-year foreign residency requirement, he or she cannot get a green card in the United States until he or she fulfills the requirement or obtains a waiver.

Upon retention, our office promptly prepared a waiver request through a No Objection Statement (NOS) from the Philippine Embassy in the United States and eventually the EVP in the Philippines.

On December 7, 2016, the J-1 Waiver Application (Form DS-3035) was filed to the Department of State.  We also sent a request to the Montana State Government to get authentication for the necessary documents.  Later, these authenticated documents and No Objection Application (for the Philippines Government) were sent to the Philippines Consulate General in Chicago for further authentication.  On March 23, 2017, our office sent our client’s materials to the Waiver Review Committee in Manila, Philippines.  Then, the Waiver Review Committee forwarded the materials and favorable recommendation to the Philippine Embassy in D.C. who eventually issued a No Objection Statement.

On June 22, 2017, the Waiver Review Division issued a favorable recommendation based on the No Objection statement.  Eventually, on July 6, 2017, the USCIS issued an I-612 approval notice for the waiver. Now, our client can file for her adjustment status application along with her U.S. Citizen husband’s I-130 petition for her.

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CASE: H-1B Visa Petition-Extension

PETITIONER: Research Foundation in Washington, D.C.

BENEFICIARY: French Staff Accountant

ISSUES: Cap-Exempt, Research Organization

Our client is one of the leading research associations for the advancement, health, and sustainability of student affairs in the United States. Its National Headquarters in D.C. contacted our office in August of 2016 to seek legal assistance for their foreign employee’s H-1B Extension. The beneficiary is a Staff Accountant for this organization who has been working for Petitioner under an H-1B status. With our office’s legal assistance, he got his H-1B in January 2014.

The beneficiary is the citizen of France, and has a Bachelor’s degree from the United States. The proffered position for the Beneficiary is a Staff Accountant. We showed that this is a “specialty occupation” because the minimum requirement for this position is a Bachelor’s Degree in Accounting or its equivalent.

This H-1B case is exempt from the numerical limitation because our client is qualified for cap-exempt petitions since it is a non-profit research organization as defined in 8 C.F.R. 214.2(h)(19)(iii)(C). Under the provisions of INA Section 214(g)(5), “the numerical limitations contained in paragraph (1)(A) shall not apply to any non-immigrant alien issued a visa or otherwise provided status under section 101(a)(15)(H)(i)(b) who –

(B) is employed (or has received an offer of employment) at a nonprofit research organization or a governmental research organization.”

The June 6, 2006 Michael Aytes’ Memo (Published by USCIS) on Guidance Regarding Eligibility for Exemption from the H-1B Cap Based on Section 103 of the American Competitiveness in the Twenty-First Century Act of 2000 (AC21) (Public Law 106-313) outlines the fee and cap exemption for nonprofit research organization as defined in 8 C.F.R. 214.2(h)(19)(iii)(C).  Under 8 C.F.R. 214.2(h)(19)(iii)(C), a non-profit research organization is “an organization that is primarily engaged in basic research and/or applied research. Basic research is also research that advances scientific knowledge, but does not have specific immediate commercial objectives although it may be in fields of present or potential commercial interest.  It may include research and investigation in the sciences, social sciences, or humanities.  Applied research is research to gain knowledge or understanding to determine the means by which a specific, recognized need may be met.  Applied research includes investigations oriented to discovering new scientific knowledge that has specific commercial objectives with respect to products, processes, or services.  It may include research and investigation in the sciences, social sciences, or humanities.”

Thus, our office argued that our client-company is qualified as a non-profit research organization as defined in 8 C.F.R. 214.2(h)(19)(iii)(C) so it is exempt from the numerical limitation.

Once retained, our office filed the H-1B visa extension petition with various supporting documents on November 15, 2016.

Eventually, our client’s H-1B application was approved on June 19, 2017, without any Request for Evidence (RFE).  He can now work for his employer for three more years.

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CASE: J-1 Waiver (No Objection Statement)

NATIONALITY: Philippines

LOCATION: Little Rock, AR

Our client came to the United States as an H-1B visa holder to teach in the U.S. in 2007. Her H-1B status reached the maximum 6 years, but her current employer accepted her for a teaching position on a J-1 status. She changed status from H-1B to J-1 and her current employer was willing to file an I-140 employment petition for her permanent residency. However, if someone is subject to the two-year foreign residency requirement, he or she cannot get a green card in the United States until he or she fulfills the requirement or obtains a waiver. Her J-1 is subject to the two-year foreign residency requirement. It is much harder to obtain a no objection statement from the Philippines if you don’t have a US Citizen spouse or child, but we thought there was enough factors in her case to warrant a waiver.

Upon retention, our office promptly prepared a waiver request through a No Objection Statement (NOS) from the Philippine Embassy in the United States and eventually the EVP in the Philippines.

On December 4, 2015, the J-1 Waiver Application (Form DS-3035) was filed to the Department of State.  We also sent a request to the Arkansas State Government to get authentication for the necessary documents.  Later, these authenticated documents and No Objection Application (for the Philippines Government) were sent to the Philippines Consulate General in Chicago for further authentication.  On January 21, 2016, our office sent our client’s materials to the Waiver Review Committee in Manila, Philippines.  Then, the Waiver Review Committee forwarded the materials and favorable recommendation to the Philippine Embassy in D.C. who eventually issued a No Objection Statement.

On the Waiver Review Division issued a favorable recommendation based on the No Objection statement.  Eventually, on April 10, 2017, the USCIS issued an I-612 approval notice for the waiver.

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