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I’m Peter Roberts, immigration attorney who does work for YC and startups. AMA

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141–150 of 322 posts

Re: I’m Peter Roberts, immigration attorney who does work for YC and startups. AMA

#141
Hey Peter! I am an international student in Canada hoping to immigrate to the US on an H1-B.

Do you think there will be less competition in the lottery for 2021 because of the economic downturn?

Because I have the option of graduating earlier and make that deadline or graduate normally and apply in 2022.

Thanks. Also how competitive is the lottery nowadays?

Re: I’m Peter Roberts, immigration attorney who does work for YC and startups. AMA

#142

Hey Peter, as of about two months ago, I have an approved I-140 and a pending I-485. I also just last week completed an H-1 transfer valid for 2 years. I'm a California resident. With everything going on: (1) If I went to stay with my family in Canada (I am a Canadian citizen) until this blows over, would I, as things stand today, be allowed to return to the US? (2) Given office closures and general craziness, is the…

1) Would you be returning to the US to work for your H-1B employer. If so, without knowing all the facts, you should be fine. 2) I'm not sure what you are asking here.

(1) Yep, to the H-1B employer.

(2) Yeah it's probably not a super useful question, just confirming AC-21 clock starts when the I-485 is filed and in spite of office closures / delays en route (my biometrics appointment just got cancelled) that remains unchanged.

Re: I’m Peter Roberts, immigration attorney who does work for YC and startups. AMA

#143
Hi Peter,

My cofounder and I were meant to start the O-1 application, however given the current pandemic how do you see it affecting such applications? Does it make sense to still start it now given that it's unclear how long this will last for?

Thank you!

Re: I’m Peter Roberts, immigration attorney who does work for YC and startups. AMA

#144

Peter, have you ever seen small companies (15 employees) getting approved for L1A visa ? The company has a foreign subsidiary where some team members work even though overall we are a small firm. Does the size matter when requesting visa such as L1A ? Not a consulting firm but a SAAS product based company if that matters.

Yes but really only when the employee manages employees now and will manage employees in the US (the US company should already have employees) or the employee possesses truly advanced and proprietary technical or scientific knowledge.

Re: I’m Peter Roberts, immigration attorney who does work for YC and startups. AMA

#145

Hi Peter, I run callenq.com, a company that helps tax attorneys skip the IRS telephone hold time when they call the IRS. Is there a market for this type of service for immigration attorneys? Are the hold times long and do you need to call several times a week? USCIS Call Center Agent (800-375-5283) National Visa Center Officer (603-334-0700)

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Re: I’m Peter Roberts, immigration attorney who does work for YC and startups. AMA

#147
post #134

This may appear as off-topic compared to other questions here. I am interested to know what software you use as part of your daily work. So, what software do you use and what piece of software is missing for attorneys ?

Unfortunately, I'm probably the last person to ask because I'm not very technical and (so I'm told) I'm a "non-adapter." There are lots of case management and processing software options out there and they're all pretty good and about the same.

Re: I’m Peter Roberts, immigration attorney who does work for YC and startups. AMA

#148
post #132

As a Canadian, does the lack of a college degree significantly act as a disadvantage for visa programs such as TN/H1-B ? In the case of a pressing move to the US, what would be some options for someone with no degree?

So I was in this situation while being hired by Microsoft. Have nearly a decade of working experience. Ended up in Vancouver (grew up in Ontario)

I think things can be easier once you've worked for the company for over a year

Re: I’m Peter Roberts, immigration attorney who does work for YC and startups. AMA

#149

Hi Peter, My cofounder and I were meant to start the O-1 application, however given the current pandemic how do you see it affecting such applications? Does it make sense to still start it now given that it's unclear how long this will last for? Thank you!

That really depends on your particular situation - for example, how strong your petitions are now and whether they need to be filed by a certain date so that you all can remain in the U.S. - but we continue to file O-1 petitions for clients.
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