I'm signing off now but I'll be checking in again tomorrow morning and responding to anything I've missed or any new questions/comments. If you posted something and I missed it, please re-post. Thanks.
I’m Peter Roberts, immigration attorney who does work for YC and startups. AMA
391–400 of 479 posts
Re: I’m Peter Roberts, immigration attorney who does work for YC and startups. AMA
#392Hey Peter - It seems that almost 2/3 of the USCIS staff will be furloughed starting August 3rd. What is the likely impact on processing times? Also in particular, any insight on adjustment of status applications?
If that happens, then I think premium processing will be suspended and the processing of any application or petition by USCIS will take forever; I think USCIS effectively will come to a halt.
does this affect green card processing?
Re: I’m Peter Roberts, immigration attorney who does work for YC and startups. AMA
#393Can you comment on how the EU travel ban on US citizens affects a US citizens ability to live/work in the EU under the umbrella of a non-lucrative visa? If a US citizen receives a non-lucrative visa, would they be able to immigrate to the EU?
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Re: I’m Peter Roberts, immigration attorney who does work for YC and startups. AMA
#394Earlier quoted context omitted.
> PERM filing will be scrutinized more closely and audited and denied with greater frequency. But that hasn't happened yet Interesting to see you think that way. My wife recently got her PERM application denied. The reasoning was that the in-house job posting did not include the salary for the position. We think it was a clerical mistake on part of the company attorney and we are trying to move on by looking at other…
The notice of filing must include salary information.
Would posting this on internal Wiki & publishing the link to all employees a reasonable alternative during COVID?
Re: I’m Peter Roberts, immigration attorney who does work for YC and startups. AMA
#395Hey Peter, thanks in advance. I've been on an H1B for 4 years now and have had Greencard filed a few yrs ago. I've been working for almost 5 years and want to take a longer time off, two or three months sabbatical/unpaid leave. I would still like to stay in US (my parents live here). Is this possible? Will I lose my visa or greencard status?
What's the basis for your green card? Do you have a pending I-485 application?
I have an employment based green card; I got the Perm and have an approved I-140.
Re: I’m Peter Roberts, immigration attorney who does work for YC and startups. AMA
#396Earlier quoted context omitted.
Because the concept of an illegal human is philosophically and ethically absurd.
What do you find absurd in “someone who illegally entered on the soil of a sovereign state”? Because it seems to me then that you find the very concept of law absurd.
Law? No. Borders? Certainly. Is this as uncontroversial as you assume? My conservative friend was laughing earlier this week when he found out he can't go to Canada anymore because it's closed to Americans. He pointed to the woods north of his yard and said "the border is an invisible line buried in there somewhere."
This is also unrelated to the terminology of "illegal immigrant," insomuch as an immigrant is a person and so therefore the equivalent phrase is "illegal person" which is again, absurd, how can a person's existence be "illegal?"
Re: I’m Peter Roberts, immigration attorney who does work for YC and startups. AMA
#397This might be a strange question, but I'll give it a shot anyway. Amongst myself and a number of friends (whom work in tech), we've observed a similar difficulty with meeting and employing lawyers for either personal- or business-related issues. We all seemed to arrive at the same conclusion that we don't know any lawyers personally, they don't seem to be part of our extended circle of acquaintances, and are difficul…
TLDR; Finding a good lawyer is very difficult without a trusted personal referral.
You are getting some good advice below. But remember that at least half of lawyers are below average. And a lot really really suck.
Often price can be a clue, but not always. We have taken over many projects from high-priced name brand firms that were piles of garbage.
Most if not all of our new clients are referred to us by other people that have worked with us.
Asking any lawyer you know to provide a referral for a different area of law can sometimes work out. But be careful if they are referring you to another attorney in their own firm because they may be financially incentivized to do so.
Also, most referral services do not consider the competency or quality of the referred attorneys. Usually, attorneys who sign up to those services simply provide a list of their practice areas/interests and maybe billing rate. Then the referral services simply round-robin their way through the specialty lists.
Another thing to keep in mind is that most good lawyers will be busy, usually very busy.
Re: I’m Peter Roberts, immigration attorney who does work for YC and startups. AMA
#398I'd like to make money off an open-source project that uses files from a commercial games (legally) installed assets. Is this possible?
Re: I’m Peter Roberts, immigration attorney who does work for YC and startups. AMA
#399Hi Peter .. thx for taking time to answer questions on the weekend.
Curious what happens when someone with an H1B (say greater than 3 years used but less than 6 post-extension) leaves the US to go back to their home country? If that person is interested in working in the US again as an H1B, do they need to be subject to the lottery again or are they exempt since they were already "approved" for an H1B?
I heard it has something to do with the time when you re-file to go back? I'm specifically curious about the case when the person decides to go back after a few years (after when the H1B would have expired).
Canadian here btw.
Re: I’m Peter Roberts, immigration attorney who does work for YC and startups. AMA
#400I'd like to make money off an open-source project that uses files from a commercial games (legally) installed assets. Is this possible?
I think this thread is intended for immigration legal questions, not just general legal ones.