URGENT HELP NEEDED : Layoff on OPT, but H1 approved

[sidd_k2002]

Hello Friends,
I have found myself in a very wierd situation here, and i need some urgent help. My problem is follows:
I am currently working for a company and i am on my OPT, which will expire in January 2010. The company which i am working for now is a big multinational company, and is sponsoring my H1 petitiion on April 1 2009 this time. As i will be falling in the 20,000 quota, my company lawyers said that they dont have that many applications coming in like every year, so the chances of me getting my H1 is 100 percent.
Now the tragic thing in this happy story is the fact that i feel i am going to get laid off in the next month. The immigration department of our company is veru big so my manager does not know the trouble which i can land into if i have an approved H1 and i am laid off.
Here are my questiions:
1: Since my H1 will become effecive october 1 2009, can i cancel my approved petitiion before that (if i am laid off), and then continue on my existing OPT which will end in February 2010. This way i feel i have more chance to find a job, as i will get some time to do so.
2: Is it safe enough to tell the company lawyer right now to not file the petitiion, as in that case there will not be a problem of approval/denial of my petition, and i will continue on my existing OPT, and ask for a 17 months OPT extention afterwards?
3: Relating to question 1, if i was laid off before october 1, can i switch back to my OPT, since i would have not used my H1 at all since i was laid off.

Any answers would really be appreciated as i am really approaching the April 1 mark of filing the H1
Thanks in advance,
Siddharth

[div_bell_2003]

Your status does not change to H1B till October 1st, 2009 so by default you are on OPT till that time. Now, you might want to check with your company lawyers if they are going ahead with the filing. My feeling is , they are going to go ahead with the filing since only after an H1B is laid off, USCIS is notified by the sponsoring employer. If you don't file on the April time frame, you might miss the bus for this year and your next shot comes only in April 2010. Take a moment off and think with a cool head, what do you think would be good for you and your career.

[sidd_k2002]

Originally Posted by div_bell_2003

Your status does not change to H1B till October 1st, 2009 so by default you are on OPT till that time. Now, you might want to check with your company lawyers if they are going ahead with the filing. My feeling is , they are going to go ahead with the filing since only after an H1B is laid off, USCIS is notified by the sponsoring employer. If you don't file on the April time frame, you might miss the bus for this year and your next shot comes only in April 2010. Take a moment off and think with a cool head, what do you think would be good for you and your career.

Thanks for the reply. My question though is what will happen if i get laid off before October 1 2009, and my company revokes my H1? In that case will i be able to use my remaining OPT, since i will have my H1 cancelled by my company?

[roseball]

If you are not sure if you will have a job till October 1st, 2009, you can ask your employer/lawyer to file your H1 under visa to be issued abroad category and NOT file a H1 Change of Status petition. In this case, your H1 status wont start until you go out of the country and re-enter after getting H1 visa stamped at a US consulate in your home country. This way, even if you get laid off, you can continue to stay and work here until you have a valid OPT and a job irrespective of whether your H1 is approved/revoked. But the drawback here is that, if you end up still being employed then you wont be able to start work on H1 till you re-enter with the H1 stamp. Hope this helps....

[div_bell_2003]

It's best to contact your employer attorney about their standard practices about H1B revocations after termination of employment, but as far as I know if your H1B is revoked before your COS takes effect on Oct 1 , 09 , your OPT status stays intact till its expiry.

Originally Posted by sidd_k2002

Thanks for the reply. My question though is what will happen if i get laid off before October 1 2009, and revoke my H1? In that case will i be able to use my remaining OPT, since i will not have my H1 revoked?

[sidd_k2002]

Originally Posted by roseball

If you are not sure if you will have a job till October 1st, 2009, you can ask your employer/lawyer to file your H1 under visa to be issued abroad category and NOT file a H1 Change of Status petition. In this case, your H1 status wont start until you go out of the country and re-enter after getting H1 visa stamped at a US consulate in your home country. This way, even if you get laid off, you can continue to stay and work here until you have a valid OPT and a job irrespective of whether your H1 is approved/revoked. But the drawback here is that, if you end up still being employed then you wont be able to start work on H1 till you re-enter with the H1 stamp. Hope this helps....

Roseball,
This is a very good alternative that you have suggested. Does this mean that i can have my full 12+17 months of my OPT, and my H1 will only start when i do the stamping in India. But in that case i would need to have the same employer at the time i enter correct? Also what if i want to change my employer after i have my H1 stamped while coming inside the country?
Thanks in advance.

[piyush77]

I am having similar problem, I have my I-140 approved in 2007 485 filed in july 2007. I got laid off, now I want to change job with project manager title. is it safe to do that but my core technical knowledge will be same as before in the job description.

[sidd_k2002]

Friends any more suggestions regarding my problem here. Plese share ur knowledge.

[krishnam70]

Originally Posted by sidd_k2002

Roseball,
This is a very good alternative that you have suggested. Does this mean that i can have my full 12+17 months of my OPT, and my H1 will only start when i do the stamping in India. But in that case i would need to have the same employer at the time i enter correct? Also what if i want to change my employer after i have my H1 stamped while coming inside the country?
Thanks in advance.

Comes with a risk at POE. You could be stopped and its happening to H1's too.

- cheers
kris

[mmpsbarad]

Thank you all for your useful suggestions.
Mine is a similar case but the only unfortunate thing was that my H1-B is approved and effective from October 1st. My position was terminated in July and now I want to continue my OPT (expires in Jan 2010 if nothing is done). Now another company is ready to give me offer and file H1B.

1. Is it possible to update the SEVIS record by DSO b4 October 1st so that I can that I can buy some time in the transition. Note: I did not violate my 90 day unemployment period during OPT.

2. If it is not possible to go back to my OPT, how much time I have after October 1st before I apply for the another H1 from the new company? and when I can start working in this case?

Thank you.

[potdar.or.saurabh]

I started working on OPT since 12/22/2011. I have got my H1B approved in May'12. But on 09/14/2012 I got laid off by client. So, to maintain my status as F1 I requested my employer to revoke my H1b for which they sent request to USCIS on 09/24/2012. I forwarded that request letter to DSO of my school to change my SEVIS record for maintaining F1 status. But problem is SEVIS is asking for actual letter of revocation from USCIS before 1st of Oct. which is highly impossible. So, I have following questions,
1. What can be done to maintain my F1 status post 10/1/2012?
2. If I am unable to maintain my F1 status post 10/1/2012 what my status will be?
3. How many days will I get to find new job and will they be able to transfer my H1b?