CASE: H-1B Visa Extension Petition
PETITIONER:  Architecture Company in Cleveland, OH
BENEFICIARY: Architectural Designer from China

Our client is a leading company in Architecture, Urban Design, Interior Design and Planning in Cleveland, OH. They contacted our office in April 2019 to seek legal assistance from our office for their foreign employee’s H-1B extension.  The beneficiary obtained his Bachelor’s Degree in Architecture. The proffered position for the Beneficiary is an Architectural Designer which qualifies as a specialty occupation. We argued that this proffered position is clearly a “specialty occupation” because the minimum requirements for this position are a Bachelor’s Degree in Architecture or its equivalent. Moreover, our office helped this employer’s I-140 case in 2018 and it was approved by the USCIS. 

Once retained, our office promptly filed the H-1B visa petition with various supporting documents on May 13, 2019 via the regular processing service. Eventually, our client’s H-1B application was approved on September 17, 2019.  His H-1B is good until September 2, 2022.

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CASE: H-1B Visa Petition

PETITIONER:  Dental Clinic

BENEFICIARY: Korean Dentist in Bedford, 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 is an associate dentist 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 29, 2019 via regular processing service. This H-1B petition was selected after the lottery.  Eventually, our client’s H-1B application was approved on July 24, 2019.

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CASE: H-1B Visa Petition

PETITIONER: School District in Mohave Valley, AZ

BENEFICIARY: Filipina Elementary Special Education Teacher

ISSUES: Cap-Exempt, Research Organization

Our client is a public school district affiliated with several institutions of higher education. They contacted our office in March 2019 to seek legal assistance from our office for their foreign employee. The beneficiary is an Elementary Special Education Teacher from the Philippines who has been working for this employer for the last 4 years under J-1 status. Though she was subject to INA 212(e), two-year foreign residency requirement, she already obtained a J-1 waiver from the USCIS.

The proffered position for the Beneficiary is an Elementary Special Education Teacher. We showed that this is a “specialty occupation” because the minimum requirement for this position is a Bachelor’s Degree in Education or its equivalent.

In the first week of April, the numerical cap of H-1B visas for fiscal year 2020 was already reached. However, our client is qualified for cap-exempt petitions since it is a non-profit organization affiliated with an Institution of Higher Education as defined in 8 C.F.R. 214.2(h)(19)(iii)(B).

Once retained, our office filed the H-1B visa petition with various supporting documents on April 19, 2019, via premium processing. There were no Requests for Evidence during the processing of the H-1B. Eventually, our client’s H-1B application was approved on May 1, 2019.  She can now work for her employer for three years on an H-1B status.

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CASE: H-1B Extension

PETITIONER: Elementary School

BENEFICIARY: Filipina Elementary School Teacher

LOCATION: Crownpoint, New Mexico

Our client is a public grant elementary school for Native Indians in New Mexico. They contacted our office to seek assistance from our office for their foreign employee. The beneficiary is from the Philippines and she obtained her Bachelor’s degree in English. The proffered position for the Beneficiary is an elementary school teacher which we argued qualifies as a specialty occupation

The foreign beneficiary in this case already had her H-1B from our client last year.  She also has an approved I-140 petition which allows her to get three year extension. Her H-1B status was not yet expired, and she wanted to extend her H-1B status.

After retention, our office promptly filed the H-1B visa petition with various supporting documents on December 3, 2018 via regular processing.  Since this petition was based on an extension, this petition was exempt from the annual cap of the H-1B. Thus, we could file prior to April 1, 2019.  Eventually, our client’s H-1B Petition was approved on April 9, 2019 without any RFE. Now the Beneficiary can work for her Petitioner-Employer as an H-1B visa holder and she can continuously work there.

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CASE: H-1B Extension

PETITIONER: Elementary School

BENEFICIARY: Filipina Elementary School Teacher

LOCATION: New Mexico

Our client is a public grant elementary school for Native Indians in New Mexico. They contacted our office to seek assistance for their foreign employee. The beneficiary is from the Philippines and she obtained her Bachelor’s degree in English. The proffered position for the Beneficiary is an elementary school teacher which we argued qualifies as a specialty occupation.

The foreign beneficiary in this case already had her H-1B from our client last year.  She also has an approved I-140 petition which allows her to get three year extension. Her H-1B status was not yet expired, and she wanted to extend her H-1B status.

After retention, our office promptly filed the H-1B visa petition with various supporting documents on December 13, 2017 via regular processing.  Since this petition was based on an extension, this petition was exempt from the annual cap of the H-1B. Thus, we could file prior to April 1, 2018.  Eventually, our client’s H-1B Petition was approved on March 8, 2018 without any RFE. Now the Beneficiary can work for her Petitioner-Employer as an H-1B visa holder and she can continuously work there.

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CASE: H-1B Extension

PETITIONER:  Environmental Engineering Consulting Company

BENEFICIARY: Indian Principal Consulting Environmental / Water Engineer

Our client is an Environmental Engineering Consulting Company in Fairfax, VA. They contacted our office in November 2017 to seek legal assistance from our office for their foreign employee’s H-1B Extension.  The beneficiary is from India and obtained his Bachelor’s degree and Master’s Degree in Civil / Environmental Engineering. The proffered position for the Beneficiary is a Principal Consulting Environmental / Water Engineer which we argued qualifies as a specialty occupation.  He has been working for the Petitioner on a valid H-1B visa. The beneficiary already used his H-1B status for 6 years, but he is entitled to get 3 year extension since he has an approved I-140 petition for him. Our office helped his previous H-1B extension and his H-1B extension was granted in December 2014.

After retention, our office filed the H-1B visa petition with various supporting documents on December 5, 2017 via premium processing. Eventually, without any RFE, our client’s H-1B extension was approved on December 13, 2017. Now the Beneficiary can continue for the Petitioner on an H-1B status until December 2020.

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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: 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: H-1B Visa Extension Petition

PETITIONER: Industrial Material Company

BENEFICIARY: Chinese Industrial Material Research Scientist

LOCATION: Ohio

Our client is an industrial material company focused on the production and commercialization of high-performance / non-immunogenic biomaterials for use in the medial and consumer healthcare arenas. They are located in Wooster, Ohio. They contacted our office in December 2016 to seek legal assistance from our office for their foreign employee’s H-1B extension. The beneficiary is from China and obtained his Master’s degree in Plant Pathology in the United States. The proffered position for the Beneficiary is an industrial material research scientist which qualifies as a specialty occupation. This proffered position is clearly a “specialty occupation” because the minimum requirements for this position are a Bachelor’s Degree in Science/Engineering or its equivalent.  Moreover, our office helped this employee’s previous H-1B case in 2014 and it was approved by the USCIS.

Once retained, our office promptly filed the H-1B visa petition with various supporting documents on January 19, 2017 via regular processing service.  Since this petition was based on the extension, this petition was exempted from the annual cap of the H-1B.  Thus, we could file prior to the April 1.  There were no Requests for Evidence during the processing of the H-1B.  Eventually, our client’s H-1B Extension Petition was approved on February May 30, 2017.  Now the Beneficiary can continuously work for his Petitioner-Employer as an H-1B visa holder and he can work there for next three years.

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CASE: H-1B Concurrent Employment

PETITIONER: University

BENEFICIARY: Zimbabwean Director of Global Integration & Projects Manager

LOCATION: Kansas

Our client is a university which is located in Kansas. They contacted our office in February 2017 to seek assistance from our office for their foreign employee’s H-1B based on concurrent employment category. The beneficiary is from Zimbabwe and he obtained his Ph. D. degree in chemistry. The proffered position for the Beneficiary is a Director of Global Integration & Projects Manager which we argued qualifies as a specialty occupation. He got his H-1B status with a different petitioner-employer in 2016.

After retention, our office promptly filed the H-1B visa petition with various supporting documents on March 9, 2017 via regular processing. We also gathered supporting documents from both the Petitioner and Beneficiary and argued that beneficiary’s position is a specialty occupation as the law requires.  Eventually, our client’s H-1B application was approved on April 27, 2017.  His H-1B is good until April 2020.

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