O1 extension

[soma 0]

My O-1A visa will expire in July 2015. My employer wants to extend my visa and the immigration attorney office they work with told them it would be better to apply for a new H1-B visa. I am reluctant to do this since my eventual goal would be to apply for EB-1A or EB-2 NIW permanent residency.

The attorney office claims that H1-B would be cheaper for my company since O-1 visas are extended in one-year increments. The required form I-129 filing fee is only $325.

Does anyone know how much the immigration attorney could charge for the O-1 extension work?

Isn't this just a routine work based on the original O-1 petition?

Thanks for your help!

[Boiler 45,556]

Is this a non profit?

Why have they not applied for a GC?

[soma 0]

Thanks, Boiler!

This is a for-profit company. Its policy is to have each foreign employee demonstrate at least three years of solid work before it files for the employee's GC. This was obeyed in the past with other employees and there is no reason to believe my case will be any different.

However, I believe I can apply for at least EB-2 NIW permanent residence based on my previous research work and the current job in the smart grid infrastructure resilience area. Thus, I would prefer not to be tied to this employer. I am considering filing a self-petition for NIW with a help of an attorney. If I leave my current employer within the two years after they get me GC, I would have to pay the full amount that they invested during the process, which they say is in the $15,000-20,000 range.

[Boiler 45,556]

ound to be a lottery this so if they have not started yet a H is not going to happen.

Keeping you hostage for so long is not normal.

[Moe89 0]

Hi

please help me..

I was at my interview at the sweden embassy yesterday to submit my o1 visa

officer asked me a few questions...then she just said to me, im going to review this i dont know how long its going to take, if we have further questions we will contact you or else we will send your passport back to you.

She didnt give my any slip or anything

she just kept my documents and passport..

please, is there anyone that been through this?

how long can i expect to wait?

[Boiler 45,556]

There is no set time limit, the only recent case I can think of had been waiting a couple of months, do not know what happened, was an unusual case.

What does your Lawyer say?