> Normally, getting the approved I-140 is a major milestone, and means you’re close to receiving your Green Card.
Yeah, no. Even if you are current, it could be months away, or it could be years. 2 years is not uncommon these days, even if your country is theoretically 'current'. More if there are RFEs. If you are exceptionally unlucky they can even send a RFE _after_ approval, sometimes months after (these are called Notice of Intent to Revoke).
Even permanent residents can theoretically receive RFEs years after approval. Or site inspections. As of today, this is uncommon and only really done if fraud is suspected. However, if the administration changes again, you never know.
And getting the green card is never guaranteed. It's a 'privilege'.
If you change jobs you need to restart the whole green card process. But not if your Adjustment of Status has been pending for 180 days or more. Then there's some 'portability' clause. Still dangerous - there were lawsuits because USCIS sent RFEs to a previous employer. Which obviously they didn't respond to. People were unaware that anything was going wrong until their applications were denied, at which point it is too late (and, if your I-140 gets denied, and you have been using your EAD, you are retroactively out of status and have accrued unlawful presence, as well as your dependents). They did this because according to them, those applications are not related to the employee at all, they are done by the employer.
As a result of the lawsuits, they will notify the 'beneficiary' now, at least.
> Any secondary source of income, even if it’s from a business that you’ve built from the ground up, would violate the terms of your H1B visa
Interestingly, you are never given those 'terms'. You'll eventually learn about this. But it's very vague. Doing a garage sale? Might be ok, if you don't do it very often. How often is often? You can be a landlord (and bring in significant revenue), but you can't fix a tenant's clogged sink - because then you'd be working. Hiring someone else to do is is apparently A-OK. You definitely can't drive for Uber, or release an IOS app on your free time, or have an Youtube channel (again on your free time).
> Yeah, no. Even if you are current, it could be months away, or it could be years. 2 years is not uncommon these days, even if your country is theoretically 'current'.
My case took a bit over 18 months, from PERM to Green card. Even worse, there was a gap of 20 days between my visa expiration date, and the arrival of my EAD, so I had to be put on unpaid leave.
The USCIS has been a complete shit show since the Trump administration took over, and COVID made it even worse.
Yeah, no. Even if you are current, it could be months away, or it could be years. 2 years is not uncommon these days, even if your country is theoretically 'current'. More if there are RFEs. If you are exceptionally unlucky they can even send a RFE _after_ approval, sometimes months after (these are called Notice of Intent to Revoke).
Even permanent residents can theoretically receive RFEs years after approval. Or site inspections. As of today, this is uncommon and only really done if fraud is suspected. However, if the administration changes again, you never know.
And getting the green card is never guaranteed. It's a 'privilege'.
If you change jobs you need to restart the whole green card process. But not if your Adjustment of Status has been pending for 180 days or more. Then there's some 'portability' clause. Still dangerous - there were lawsuits because USCIS sent RFEs to a previous employer. Which obviously they didn't respond to. People were unaware that anything was going wrong until their applications were denied, at which point it is too late (and, if your I-140 gets denied, and you have been using your EAD, you are retroactively out of status and have accrued unlawful presence, as well as your dependents). They did this because according to them, those applications are not related to the employee at all, they are done by the employer.
As a result of the lawsuits, they will notify the 'beneficiary' now, at least.
> Any secondary source of income, even if it’s from a business that you’ve built from the ground up, would violate the terms of your H1B visa
Interestingly, you are never given those 'terms'. You'll eventually learn about this. But it's very vague. Doing a garage sale? Might be ok, if you don't do it very often. How often is often? You can be a landlord (and bring in significant revenue), but you can't fix a tenant's clogged sink - because then you'd be working. Hiring someone else to do is is apparently A-OK. You definitely can't drive for Uber, or release an IOS app on your free time, or have an Youtube channel (again on your free time).