主题：F1/OPT转J1，RFE过程中收到Tenure Tra -- 流江河

我的这个情况比较复杂，请问大家有什么建议？特别欢迎律师答疑。谢谢先。

我F1博士毕业后开始用OPT （非STEM）做博士后。博士后老板只支持J1,不支持H1B。在OPT今年2月13日到期。去年12月16日网上（ELIS）申请转J1。USCIS处理过程中，告诉我他们工作量大（非因我case的原因），没能在75天内处理我的case，转到加州的USCIS中心接着处理。3月25日给我RFE，说需要补充在中国的地址：“Submit a statement containing your foreign address.” 限定33天内即4月26日之前提交。

我打听了这个RFE的情况，有两种可能：（1）遇到麻烦的officer，可能会拒。（2）因为ELIS不像纸版申请那样要求提供home country的地址，所以这个只要补充上即可。

3月26我收到另一个学校的Tenure track assistant professor (teaching/research) 的offer，现在面临两种选择：

1. 继续申请J1，然后再申请waiver，再转H1B。可能问题：

（1）频繁换status。好像听说J1半年以后才能申请waiver。

（2）过程会比较长，好像waiver下来，至少是半年之后了。有可能要明年才能入职。

（3）虽然一般来说，waiver会被批准，但还是存在不确定性。

2.让新学校直接办H1B，然后撤销J1申请。这可能有overstay, gap的麻烦。我撤销J1申请后，就回到F1/OPT了，grace period 4月13日过期。我有两个问题：

（1）如果我撤销J1申请，是不是从OPT到期即2月13开始就是over stay了？

（2）新学校现在RFE到期之前 file H1B，我再撤销J1申请，是否可行？如果可行，这样是否就没有gap或overstay了？

谢谢。

你这再不是访问学者的职位了，当然必须转工作签证

工资将大幅度提高， 花些请律师吧， 再说，看看新单位怎么帮助办。 大学都有专人处理签证问题。

比较倾向于撤销J1申请，直接办H1B。

如果新单位能够在RFE到期即4月26日之前file H1B的话，可以继续呆在这边等结果，否则就要回去在领事馆办了。

Facts: Your OPT expires on Feb 13,2014. Your current status is F1.You have an existing J1 petition but want to replace it with a new H1b petition.

Analysis

The automatic OPT-H1b Gap Extension does not apply to you because

(i)your OPT expires before April 1, 2014; and

(ii) the offered job as a teaching/researching faculty is not subject to the FY2015 H1b number cap (65000+20000).

Meaning, you may start to work only when your H1b visa becomes effective. To get a H1b visa, you need to file a petition to change from F1 to H1b when you are lawfully stayed in the U.S. After filing such petition, you may continue to stay in the U.S. lawfully while waiting for the effective date of your H1b visa. You must not work in the waiting period, during which your immigration status would be extended F1 but you have no F1 previleges to work part-time or to do OPT.

Your F1 visa allows you to stay in the U.S. for a 60-days grace period after OPT, which expires on April 14,2014.

Your existing petition to change from F1 to J1 was filed before April 14,2014. After filing J1 petition, you will be on an extended F1 status and may lawfully stay in the U.S. till the approval or rejection of J1 visa.

If you withdraw J1 petition after April 14,2014, but file no H1b petition, technically your F1 status will expire on the same of day of such withdrawal. The consequence is that you must leave the U.S. immediately.

However, if before or on the same day of withdrawing J1 petition, you have filed a H1b petition, you may continue to stay on extended F1 status till approval or rejection of H1b visa, as long as you don't work during the waiting period.

Conclusion

NEVER withdaw J1 petition before filing H1b petition, otherwise you must leave on April 14,2014 or the date of withdrawal, whichever is later.

也就是说，是信发出时，邮局给的收据上的日期，还是USCIS收到申请回邮一张收到通知上的日期，还是过几天排队进去给一个case number的日期？

is decided based on when your petition reaches the physical site of Service Center of USCIS.

For the purpose of H1b Lotter, even if it reaches the PO Box of USCIS but not physically on the site of the Service Center by 5 pm of April 7, 2014, the petition misses deadline.

But if your petition is received before 6 AM of April 1,it will be returned.

So typically H1b petitions were sent via UPS/Fedex/DHL/USPS on the evening of March 31,2014 or early morning April 1, 2014. Technically it is possible to file on early morning April 7, 2014, though the risk is high.

For other purposes, the rule is not that stringent. It is not the end of the world even if you miss one or two days. But don't do such sloppy things if you can do it professionally. The risks are too high to be justified.

很详细、专业的回答。我赶紧联系新学校，争取在RFE过期之前file H1B，然后撤销J1。

再问种植园土一个问题：RFE说，如果不能在规定的33天之内即4月26日提交国内地址的话，我的case会被拒。被拒后，我有30天时间准备离开美国。这个30天是否也表明我是lawfully stay in us？并且可以 在此期间（5月26日之前）file H1B?

我同是也跟新学校商量一下，看在能不能让我早点工作。

如果新学校在RFE到期/撤销J1之前不能file H1B，我选择在RFE过期或J1被拒之前离开美国，去美国领事馆办H1B。我离开美国视同自动放弃J1申请。但我离开时也已经过了F1的grace period,但还是在F1 extended period内，不算over stay吧？

If USCIS grants you a 30 days grace period, then your stay during this period is lawful. But you'd better file a new H1b petition and withdraw J1 petition by April 26, 2014 on which date the RFE expires.

you may not return to the U.S. untill your H1B visa is approved and becomes effective.

with your employer's immigration lawyer. If such lawyer is not available, go and find a lawyer by yourself.

I only have general knowledge but no special expertise as to immigration law. I can not give you detailed advice on RFE and other matters. But I have the intuitive feeling that you should avoid travelling back to China till everything is done and your new H1b visa becomes effective.

Find and talk an immigration lawyer ASAP.

周五收到正式offer后跟employer lawer发邮件告诉了我的case详细情况。周一再给lawyer打电话。