Green card through EB3 for a J2 visa holder

[gkaplan]

Hello
My story is:
I've been on J2 for a while, it expires in May 2011. I have a EAD and currentlt I'm working for a company as a professional.I have a 5 years of Bs degree.
Questions are:
1. Can my employer apply for a Perm Cert for me if they want.
2. After getting the perm cert. can my employer file I 140 under EB3 for me?
3. Will I be eligible for premium processing for I 140 application, in 15 days?
4. Lets say all the above steps are accomplished and I got approved for I 140, all happened prior to May 2011 (this is the actual date my J visa and EAD expires).
a. Then I'll still be working with my current EAD, right?
b. Then what happens after May 2011?
c. DO I need to wait to file I 485 or can I file it right after my I 140 approved?
d. how can I legally work in the USA after my EAD from J visa expires, but if I have approved I 140.
thank you very much

[raysaikat]

Originally Posted by gkaplan

Hello
My story is:
I've been on J2 for a while, it expires in May 2011. I have a EAD and currentlt I'm working for a company as a professional.I have a 5 years of Bs degree.
Questions are:
1. Can my employer apply for a Perm Cert for me if they want.
2. After getting the perm cert. can my employer file I 140 under EB3 for me?
3. Will I be eligible for premium processing for I 140 application, in 15 days?
4. Lets say all the above steps are accomplished and I got approved for I 140, all happened prior to May 2011 (this is the actual date my J visa and EAD expires).
a. Then I'll still be working with my current EAD, right?
b. Then what happens after May 2011?
c. DO I need to wait to file I 485 or can I file it right after my I 140 approved?
d. how can I legally work in the USA after my EAD from J visa expires, but if I have approved I 140.
thank you very much

What is your country of birth (not citizenship)?

[gkaplan]

country if birth is germany

[raysaikat]

Originally Posted by gkaplan

Hello
My story is:
I've been on J2 for a while, it expires in May 2011. I have a EAD and currentlt I'm working for a company as a professional.I have a 5 years of Bs degree.
Questions are:
1. Can my employer apply for a Perm Cert for me if they want.

Yes.

Originally Posted by gkaplan

2. After getting the perm cert. can my employer file I 140 under EB3 for me?

Yes.

Originally Posted by gkaplan

3. Will I be eligible for premium processing for I 140 application, in 15 days?

I-140 premium processing was suspended and then resumed again only for some H1-B status holders last year. I do not know if USCIS removed the restrictions. If not, then you would not be eligible since you are not on H1-B.

Originally Posted by gkaplan

4. Lets say all the above steps are accomplished and I got approved for I 140, all happened prior to May 2011 (this is the actual date my J visa and EAD expires).
a. Then I'll still be working with my current EAD, right?

Depends. J-visa status requires non-immigration intent. I do not know if submission (and approval) of I-140 constitutes expressing immigration intent. If yes, then your status would cease and your J-2 EAD will not remain valid. Ask an immigration lawyer.

Originally Posted by gkaplan

b. Then what happens after May 2011?

Unless you have some other VISA that would allow you to stay in the US, you need to leave US.

Originally Posted by gkaplan

c. DO I need to wait to file I 485 or can I file it right after my I 140 approved?

You cannot file I-485 until your priority date -- the date when your employer submitted labor certification petition --- becomes "current" (i.e., the month when Department of State's published cut-off date for EB3 goes after your priority date). Currently EB3 cut-off date is 22APR03. So plan on waiting for about 10 years or more.

Originally Posted by gkaplan

d. how can I legally work in the USA after my EAD from J visa expires, but if I have approved I 140.
thank you very much

No. You cannot even stay in US unless you have some other VISA that would allow you to stay in US.

[gkaplan]

thank you so much
I was thinking the same.
so do you think should i transfer to H1B and how does it happen.
thanks for sharing your opinions on my query.

[raysaikat]

Originally Posted by gkaplan

thank you so much
I was thinking the same.
so do you think should i transfer to H1B and how does it happen.
thanks for sharing your opinions on my query.

Your employer applies for H1-B, not you. Find an employer who is willing to offer you a job and willing to petition H1-B on your behalf. As long as the H1-B quota is not exhausted and the petition was correctly filed, etc., you will get H1-B.

[gkaplan]

I think i understand Thank you.
As I might have already mentioned, i've been working for a company for 2 years now with my EAD, they are willing to sponsor for H1B. so as long as my J principal has a waiver, then my company shoulnd face any problems on applying for a H1B right?

Could you please explain "As long as the H1-B quota is not exhausted and the petition was correctly filed". ? Is there a deadline to apply for H1B ?

i really appreciate your opinoins, thank you very much.

[raysaikat]

Originally Posted by gkaplan

I think i understand Thank you.
As I might have already mentioned, i've been working for a company for 2 years now with my EAD, they are willing to sponsor for H1B. so as long as my J principal has a waiver, then my company shoulnd face any problems on applying for a H1B right?

Could you please explain "As long as the H1-B quota is not exhausted and the petition was correctly filed". ? Is there a deadline to apply for H1B ?

i really appreciate your opinoins, thank you very much.

Talk to the immigration attorney your company is using. You (guys) do need a home residency requirement waiver to be eligible to work on H1-B. IIRC, the waiver has to come from both your home country as well as US. Anyway, I am not well conversant on J visas.

There is an annual 65,000 visa limit for H1-B visas. There is an additional 20,000 visas for M.S. degree holders in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) disciplines from US universities. Non-profit organizations and US universities are exempt from the quota limit.

The application time window for H1-B that takes effect on Oct 1, 2010 opens on April 1, 2010 (i.e., H1-B VISA starts from the start of the fiscal year, and application for that opens in the previous April). A few years back all 65,000 VISAs would get exhausted within a couple of days after the window opened (i.e., by April 3-4, all VISAs would be gone). AFAIK, the H1-B quota for 2010 (i.e., for H1-B VISAs that would start from Oct 1, 2010) is not yet exhausted. But it is always a very good idea to do the petition as soon as you can.

[gkaplan]

thanks again:
more questions
1. i think my company needs to apply for LCA frst, right?what things should be done (roughly) before applying for LCA? and approximately how much time is required for those things?
2. how long does it take to get approved for LCA? (if the company does everything correctly?)
3. once LCA arrives, then the company just needs to fill the required H1B forms and send them to USCIS, right? approximately how much time is required for those things?
4. once the forms arrive at the USCIS, as long as I pay extra $1000, will I be eligible for preium processing?
5. what happens after USCIS gives an ok? and a 'no ok"?
6. if everthing happens before october 1st,2010 and i get an OK from USCIS, will I be officially on H1B after october 1st 2010?
7. if everthing happens after october 1st,2010 and i get an OK from USCIS, what will be?

Thanks again, i know i';m being an idiot with so many questions but I'm just trying to understand exactly what's and how's happenning these things.
Thank you again.

[Ann Ruben]

If you are subject to the two-year home residence requirement, you cannot be granted H-1 status until a 212(e) waiver is granted. However, your employer can file an H-1 petition for you now. Once the petition is approved, AND the waiver is granted, you can either file with USCIS for a change of status, or you can apply for an H-1 visa abroad.

[gkaplan]

Hello thanks for the reply.
By applying for a petition did you mean:
- give the job advertisement in a newsletter,
- get the LCA
- then apply for a petition - I-129
>> what is the time frame for this petition application?
- apply for the waiver (i mean J1 applies and gets it lets say in 2-3 months)
>> i'll be still working with my J2 EAD, during waiver comes.
- once the waiver comes, then what is the procedure?\

Thanks again!

[raysaikat]

Originally Posted by gkaplan

Hello thanks for the reply.
By applying for a petition did you mean:
- give the job advertisement in a newsletter,
- get the LCA
- then apply for a petition - I-129
>> what is the time frame for this petition application?
- apply for the waiver (i mean J1 applies and gets it lets say in 2-3 months)
>> i'll be still working with my J2 EAD, during waiver comes.
- once the waiver comes, then what is the procedure?\

Thanks again!

Your company needs to hire an immigration lawyer for doing the H1-B petition and you need to talk to that person. The forums are not a substitute for lawyers; for one, you may not get the response/information/answer that fits your specific situation. Forums are for getting a good overview --- general knowledge, so to say --- so that you know what is happening --- and you already have more than enough general information.