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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 418 posts

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

#141
Do you think nonimmigrant worker petition adjudication is stricter at land borders, pre-flight inspection stations by CBP as compared to a filing with USCIS?

How common is it for CBP to deny entry / readjudicate a petition if a worker has an approved USCIS petition and an approval notice?

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

#142
post #111

Hi Peter! Thank you for doing this. I'm a software engineer with 3 years of experience and a MSc degree in computer science. I'm currently working in a big tech company in the UK and I would like to move to the US in the near future. At the moment I'm more leaning toward an L1 because I don't have to go through the lottery but I'm exploring other scenarios. Would you recommend trying to move to the US with an L1 or a…

I assume L1B because you mentioned “engineer” instead of “manager.”

I’m currently on an L1B visa, which is a three-year dual-intent visa extendable for another two years. This should provide ample time to initiate and complete a Green Card application under Employment-Based 2nd preference.

However, I would consider choosing the H1-B visa for the following reasons:

It’s getting harder to get L1-B because USCIS are asking more questions about if a candidate has specialized knowledge to meet the requirements.

The processing times for Green Cards and PERM are increasing and five years might not be enough in the near future. In that case you would need a very cooperative employer to allow you to continue the application via Consular Processing from the UK.

My own Green Card application began in 2022, and I’m not likely to receive it until 2026 due to the substantial backlog for applicants from the Rest of the World (ROW) category, which includes British-born individuals.

On an L1 visa, you’ll be tied to your current job until either your Employment Authorization Document (EAD) arrives and you have portability under AC21, you’re approved for an H1-B visa with a different employer (which will reset your Green Card application timeline); or you’re approved for a Green Card.

If you switch to an H1-B visa, you have the flexibility to change jobs before your Green Card is approved. You can also retain your Priority Date (PD), which represents your position in the Green Card queue, although you’ll need to restart all the steps of the process again. Additionally, your H1-B visa is extendable indefinitely after receiving an approved I-140 petition.

This immigration system here is a mess and it’s getting worse. Not to discourage you but this is the worst time for Brits to move here.

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

#143
Hi Peter, Thank you so much for doing this.

I just moved to the USA as J2-Dependant. I have already submitted form I-765 to get a work permit (EAD) but this can take between 3 and 4 months. A European company that just opened an office in the USA would love to hire me but might not want to wait that long. Is there anyway to speed up the process by them sponsoring me?

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

#145

Most posted job positions in the US, that I see, explicitly state they will not sponser candidates. But how receptive are they to TN visa candidates and do you see that attitude changing in the near future?

That's mostly a knee-jerk ignorant position since it's oftentimes very easy, fast, and inexpensive to hire a Canadian in TN status. So it's a process of somehow getting through to someone at the company to educate them not to pass on a good candidate simply because they're Canadian. Which of course is a lot easier said than done.

Does this also apply to Mexican's wanting to get a TN as well, I've heard the process is slightly different?

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

#147
Hey Peter! Thanks for doing this!

I’m trying to understand the dual intent nature of O1A. I’m a PhD student with EB2-NIW and EB1A approved. Unfortunately, I am not expecting a green card in the next 6-12 years due to my country of birth.

I am eligible for O1A, but it seems like the dual-intent of O1A seems to be in grey area unlike H1B. Would I have any issues with O1A stamping in foreign embassies or during reentry given that I filed I-140 and showed immigration intent? Or is it safe to assume that O1A is also dual intent? Thanks!

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

#148
post #126

If a US very early-stage startup hires a Canadian and grants them restricted common stock (similar to what founders get), what are the implications for them (1) from a Canadian tax perspective* and (2) if they move to the US later on*? *(1) e.g. is there anything like the 83(b) election or similar. *(2) how do 83(b)s work for folks that might move to the US later, especially given "might" ?

All good questions but outside my limited area of expertise (US immigration). You should consult an international tax expert.

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

#149
post #111

Hi Peter! Thank you for doing this. I'm a software engineer with 3 years of experience and a MSc degree in computer science. I'm currently working in a big tech company in the UK and I would like to move to the US in the near future. At the moment I'm more leaning toward an L1 because I don't have to go through the lottery but I'm exploring other scenarios. Would you recommend trying to move to the US with an L1 or a…

The main advantage of the L-1 relative to the H-1B is that there's no lottery so the U.S. company can sponsor you for an L-1 at any time. The main advantages of the H-1B relative to the L-1 is that it's transferable from one company to another and can be renewed indefinitely if you are in the green card process. Regarding which one is better from a green card perspective, the response is that your underlying status has no bearing on your green card options so both are fine.

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

#150
Hey Peter! I wanted to thank you for doing this. I just got my green card last year, and it all kind of started with me asking you a question about H1B caps in a thread like this almost a decade ago. Super appreciate you doing this for people that are dreaming of a better future, dreaming of the American dream.

Wish you the best!

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