CASE: H-1B Change of Employer

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 from 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 her previous employer which was in a similar industry.  She also has an approved I-140 petition which allows her to get a three year extension. Her H-1B status was not yet expired, and she wanted to extend her H-1B status on a change of employer basis.

After retention, our office filed the H-1B visa petition with various supporting documents on January 20, 2014 via premium processing.  Since this petition was based on a change of employer, this petition was exempt from the annual cap of the H-1B.  Thus, we could file prior to April 1, 2014.

However, the USCIS issued a Request for Evidence for this petition on January 30, 2014. The USCIS requested the beneficiary to submit her teaching license, employment verification with her most recent employer, and W-2 and pay stubs from her most recent employer. Our office helped the beneficiary and filed a Response to RFE to USCIS on April 25, 2014. Eventually, our client’s H-1B Petition was approved on April 28, 2014.  Now the Beneficiary can work for her Petitioner-Employer as an H-1B visa holder and she can work there for the next three years.

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CASE: H-1B Change of Employer (Cap Exempt to Non Cap Exempt)

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 early January 2014 to seek legal assistance from our office for their foreign employee. The beneficiary is from China and he 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 requirement for this position is a Bachelor’s Degree in Science/Engineering or its equivalent.

The foreign beneficiary in this case already had his H-1B visa from his previous employer.  However, his H-1B visa was not yet expired, and he wanted to extend his H-1B status on a change of employer basis. His H-1B at that time was with his first petitioner, which was a cap-exempt organization – a university.

There were articles online noting that when a change of employer is done from a cap-exempt organization to a non cap-exempt organization, that the change of employer may be subject to the cap. But there was no specific law on that. We simply based the application on the fact that it was a change of employer, and thus the petition should be exempted from the annual cap of the H-1B.

Once retained, our office filed the H-1B visa petition with various supporting documents on January 29, 2014 via regular processing.  Since this petition was based on a change of employer, we argued that this petition was exempt from the annual cap of the H-1B.  Thus, we could file prior to April 1.

There were no Requests for Evidence during the processing of the H-1B.  Our client did not even want to do premium processing. But in approximately two weeks, our client’s H-1B Petition was approved on February 14, 2014.  Now the Beneficiary can work for his Petitioner-Employer as an H-1B visa holder and he can work there for the next three years.

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CASE: H-1B Change of Employer

PETITIONER: Fashion Retailer Company

BENEFICIARY: Filipina Textile Product Designer

LOCATION: New York, NY

Our client is a nationwide fashion retailer headquartered in New York City. They contacted our office in late September 2013 to seek assistance from our office for their foreign employee. The beneficiary is from the Philippines and she obtained her Bachelor’s degree in fashion design and marketing. The proffered position for the Beneficiary is textile product developer/designer which we argued qualifies as a specialty occupation

The foreign beneficiary in this case already had her H-1B from her previous employer which was in a similar industry.  Her H-1B status was not yet expired, and she wanted to extend her H-1B status on a change of employer basis.

After retention, our office promptly filed the H-1B visa petition with various supporting documents on November 5, 2013 via regular processing.  Since this petition was based on a change of employer, this petition was exempt from the annual cap of the H-1B.  Thus, we could file prior to April 1, 2014.  There were no Requests for Evidence during the processing of the H-1B.  Eventually, our client’s H-1B Petition was approved on February 13, 2014.  Now the Beneficiary can work for her Petitioner-Employer as an H-1B visa holder and she can work there for the next three years.

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CASE: H-1B Change of Employer

PETITIONER: Advertising Media Company

BENEFICIARY: Albanian Graphic Designer

LOCATION: Nevada

Our client is an advertising media company in Nevada. They contacted our office in early November 2013 to seek legal assistance for their foreign employee. The beneficiary is from Albania and obtained her Bachelor’s degree in graphic design. The proffered position for the Beneficiary is a graphic designer which we argued qualifies as a specialty occupation.

The foreign beneficiary in this case already had her H-1B visa from her previous employer which was in a similar industry.  However, her H-1B visa was not expired yet, and she wanted to extend her H-1B status on a change of employer basis.

After retention, our office filed the H-1B change of employer with various supporting documents on November 26, 2013 via regular processing service.  Since this petition was based on a change in employer, this petition was exempted from the annual cap of the H-1B.  Thus, we could file prior to April 1.  There were no Requests for Evidence during the processing of the H-1B.  Eventually, our client’s H-1B Petition was approved on January 21, 2014.  Now the Beneficiary can work for her Petitioner-Employer as an H-1B visa holder and she can work there for the next three years.

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CASE: H-1B Visa Petition

PETITIONER: Nursing Home Facility in Texas

BENEFICIARY: Nurse Manager, Filipino

Our client is a Nursing Home Facility near Houston, TX. They contacted our office in late February to seek legal assistance for their prospective foreign employee.

The beneficiary obtained his Bachelor’s degree in Nursing in the Philippines. The proffered position for the Beneficiary is a Nurse Manager. We argued that this position is a “specialty occupation” and that the minimum requirement for this position is a Bachelor’s Degree in Nursing or its equivalent. We emphasized that Nurse Manager position is clearly different from a registered nurse because Nurse Manager will be responsible for both managerial and clinical duties.

After retention, our office filed the H-1B visa petition with various supporting documents on April 1, 2013 via regular processing. However, the USCIS Vermont Service Center issued a Request for Evidence (RFE) on September 9, 2013.

The USCIS argued that the offered position does not qualify as a “specialty occupation.” They claimed that a Bachelor’s degree was not required for this position.  They claimed that the beneficiary’s position is not specialized and complex enough to be qualified as a specialty occupation as the law requires.

In response to the RFE, our office argued in a response brief with  multiple exhibits that the nature of the specific duties are so specialized and complex that knowledge required to perform the duties is usually associated with the attainment of a Bachelor’s degree.  We also included a detailed statement regarding the number of registered nurses that the Beneficiary will supervise. Moreover, we argued that the degree requirement is common to the industry in parallel positions among similar organizations. Furthermore, we included the organization chart for the department where the beneficiary will be assigned.

Our office filed the response to the USCIS Vermont Service Center on October 30, 2013. Eventually, our client’s H-1B application was approved on January 8, 2014. Now the Beneficiary can work for the Petitioner on an H-1B status until September 12, 2016 as a Nurse Manager.

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CASE: H-1B Visa Petition

PETITIONER: Nursing Home Facility in Texas

BENEFICIARY: MDS Coordinator, Filipina

Our client is a Nursing Home Facility near Houston, TX. They contacted our office in late February to seek legal assistance for their prospective foreign employee.

The beneficiary obtained her Bachelor’s degree in Nursing in the Philippines. The proffered position for the Beneficiary is MDS Coordinator. We argued that this position is a “specialty occupation” and that the minimum requirement for this position is a Bachelor’s Degree in Nursing or its equivalent.

After retention, our office filed the H-1B visa petition with various supporting documents on April 1, 2013 via regular processing. However, the USCIS Vermont Service Center issued a Request for Evidence (RFE) on August 30, 2013.

The USCIS argued that the offered position does not qualify as a “specialty occupation.” They claimed that a Bachelor’s degree was not required for this position.  They claimed that the beneficiary’s position is not specialized and complex enough to be qualified as a specialty occupation as the law requires.

In response to the RFE, our office argued in a lengthy response brief with  multiple exhibits that the nature of the specific duties are so specialized and complex that knowledge required to perform the duties is usually associated with the attainment of a Bachelor’s degree.  Moreover, we argued that the degree requirement is common to the industry in parallel positions among similar organizations. Furthermore, we included the organization chart for the department where the beneficiary will be assigned.

Our office filed the response to the USCIS Vermont Service Center on October 31, 2013. Eventually, our client’s H-1B application was approved on January 6, 2014. Now the Beneficiary can work for the Petitioner on an H-1B status until September 14, 2016 as a MDS Coordinator.

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CASE: H-1B Visa Petition

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 and education in the United States. Its National Headquarter in D.C. contacted our office in early December 2013 to seek legal assistance from our office for their foreign employee. The beneficiary is a Staff Accountant for this organization who has been working for Petitioner under the OPT program.

The beneficiary is a 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.

In the first week of April, the numerical cap of H-1B visas for fiscal year 2014 was already reached. However, we believed our client is qualified for cap-exempt petitions since it is arguable that they are 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).

After retention, our office filed the H-1B visa petition with various supporting documents on December 27, 2013 via premium processing. This included an extensive brief arguing that our client was cap-exempt. There were no Requests for Evidence during the processing of the H-1B. Eventually, our client’s H-1B application was approved on January 3, 2014.  He can now work for his employer for three years on an H-1B status, and he did not have to wait for April 1 for the petition filing, nor October 1 to start working.

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CASE: H-1B Visa Petition (Change of Employer)

PETITIONER:  Environmental Engineering Consulting Firm

BENEFICIARY: Principal Consulting Environmental / Water Engineer

Our client is an Environmental Engineering Consulting Company in Fairfax, VA. They contacted our office in late November 2013 to seek legal assistance from our office for their foreign employee.  The beneficiary is from India and obtained his Bachelor’s degree and Master’s Degree in Civil / Environmental Engineering from Stanford.

The proffered position for the Beneficiary is a Principal Consulting Environmental / Water Engineer 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 Civil / Environmental Engineering or its equivalent.

The foreign beneficiary in this case already had his H-1B visa from his previous employer which was in a similar industry.  However, his H-1B status was not expired yet, and he wanted to extend his H-1B status on a change of employer basis.

Once retained, our office promptly filed the H-1B visa petition with various supporting documents on December 12, 2013 via premium processing service.  Since this petition was based on a change of employer, this petition was exempted from the annual H-1B cap.  Thus, we could file prior to April 1.  There were no Requests for Evidence during the processing of the H-1B.  Eventually, our client’s H-1B Petition was approved on December 27, 2013.  Now the Beneficiary can work for his Petitioner-Employer as an H-1B visa holder.

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CASE: H-1B Petition

PETITIONER: Nursing Home Facility in Texas

BENEFICIARY: Nurse Manager, Filipina

Our client is a Nursing Home Facility near Houston, TX. They contacted our office in late February to seek legal assistance for their prospective foreign employee.

The beneficiary obtained her Bachelor’s degree in Nursing in the Philippines. The proffered position for the Beneficiary is a Nurse Manager. We argued that this position is a “specialty occupation” and that the minimum requirement for this position is a Bachelor’s Degree in Nursing or its equivalent. We emphasized that Nurse Manager position is clearly different from a registered nurse because the Nurse Manager will be responsible for both managerial and clinical duties.

After retention, our office prepared and filed the H-1B visa petition with various supporting documents on April 1, 2013 via regular processing. However, the USCIS California Service Center issued a Request for Evidence (RFE) on July 25, 2013.

The USCIS argued that the offered position does not qualify as a “specialty occupation.” They claimed that a Bachelor’s degree was not required for this position.  They claimed that the beneficiary’s position is not specialized and complex enough to be qualified as a specialty occupation as the law requires.

In response to the RFE, our office argued in a response brief with  multiple exhibits that the nature of the specific duties are so specialized and complex that knowledge required to perform the duties is usually associated with the attainment of a Bachelor’s degree.  We also included a detailed statement regarding the number of registered nurses the Beneficiary will supervise. Moreover, we argued that the degree requirement is common to the industry in parallel positions among similar organizations. Furthermore, we included an organization chart for the department where the beneficiary will be assigned.

Our office filed the response to the USCIS Vermont Service Center on October 16, 2013. Eventually, our client’s H-1B application was approved on December 23, 2013. Now the Beneficiary can work for the Petitioner on an H-1B status until September 13, 2016 as a Nurse Manager.

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CASE: H-1B Visa Extension Petition

PETITIONER:  Taekwondo Academy in Hartford, CT

BENEFICIARY: Master Level Taekwondo Coach from South Korea

Our client is a Taekwondo Academy (martial arts school) located near Harford, Connecticut.  They contacted our office in late-October to seek legal assistance for their foreign employee’s H-1B extension.

The beneficiary obtained his Bachelor’s Degree in Physical Education. The proffered position for the Beneficiary is a Master Level Taekwondo Coach.  He has been working for the Petitioner for last three years with a valid H-1B visa. We argued that this position is a “specialty occupation” and that the minimum requirement for this position is a Bachelor’s Degree in Physical Education or its equivalent.

After retention, our office promptly filed the H-1B visa petition with various supporting documents on November 8, 2013 via premium processing. However, the USCIS Vermont Service Center issued a Request for Evidence (RFE) on November 25, 2013.

The USCIS argued that the offered position does not qualify as a “specialty occupation.” They claimed that a Bachelor’s degree was not required for this position.  They claimed that the beneficiary’s position is not specialized and complex enough to be qualified as a specialty occupation as the law requires.

In response to the RFE, our office argued in an 5-page response brief with 8 exhibits that the nature of the specific duties are so specialized and complex that knowledge required to perform the duties is usually associated with the attainment of a Bachelor’s degree.  Moreover, we argued that the degree requirement is common to the industry in parallel positions among similar organizations. Furthermore, we included letters from experts to demonstrate that the bachelor’s degree is a minimum educational qualification for Taekwondo coach positions in the industry and illustrate the complexity of the position.

Our office filed the response to the USCIS Vermont Service Center on December 19, 2013. Our client’s H-1B application was approved on December 24, 2013. Now the Beneficiary can work for the Petitioner on an H-1B status until December 31, 2016

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