For the past month, I have had this undying urge to write about my experiences as a full time employed Singaporean in the United States on a H1-B1 visa as I was rejected from the H1-B visa lottery for a second time in May 2015. I felt the need to document my experiences not only for my own reflection of my journey but also for those who may find his or herself in my position.
The visa & work authorization process has been tedious and is greatly under documented for those on the H1-B1 visa. The H1-B1 is a special visa that is allocated towards Singaporeans and Chileans working in the U.S. Though there is an allocated amount of H1-B1 visas available per year, they typically never run out. Here are some differences between the H1-B and H1-B1 visa:
- The H1-B1 visa does not support immigration intent. Therefore, you will not be allowed to apply for a green card while on this visa.
- The H1-B1 visa is only valid for 18 months at a time. Though there is not a restriction to how many times you can renew this visa, the immigration officer reviewing your case may highly question your intent to return home if you are continuously renewing your H1-B1 visa
As there are extremely few Singaporeans working in the United States and even fewer who are on the H1-B1 visa, I had an extremely hard time conducting research on what my next options were once I was notified of my 2nd rejection. My H1-B1 visa had an expiration date of Jan 2016 and if I was unable to renew my H1-B1, I needed to determine where my company could relocate me. Thankfully, it is not your visa date that determines your work status eligibility, it is your I-94 date.
My company will be applying for a I-94 extension for me in June 2015 as the earliest that an application can be submitted is 6 months before the I-94 expiration date (which for me is Jan 2016). It is important to note that it takes approximately 4-6 months for the USCIS to inform the applicant of the extension approval. Per my Visa and Immigration consultant, my extension will be for 18 months (starting the day after my current I-94 date expires) with the caveat that I will not be able to travel internationally during this time period.
Here is a look at my visa process thus far. I've outlined key dates below:
2013
May 2013 - Graduated from college
July 2013 - Started my first job on OPT
2014
May 2014 - Rejected from the 2015 H1-B visa lottery
June 2014 - Resigned from job due to OPT expiration
July 2014 - Applied for H1-B1 visa in Singapore
Aug 2014 - Re-started my job
2015
May 2015 - Rejected from the 2016 H1-B visa lottery
June 2015 - Applied to USCIS for a I-94 extension
Looking back, here are tips that I would offer to those who find themselves in any of my above positions:
- Follow up with your Visa & Immigration consultant as early as possible in regards to determining a Plan B or Plan C for your H1-B rejection. Unfortunately for me, I learned the hard way of having to resign from my job because I did not apply for my H1-B1 visa in time to maintain a continuous valid work status following the expiration of my OPT.
- Apply for your H1-B1 in Singapore and provide as many supporting relevant documents to show that you have ties to Singapore.
- If you have lost your passport or had it stolen, bring a copy of the police report to your visa interview. The immigration officer who interviews you will ask for it.
If anyone reading this has any specific questions, please feel free to leave a comment! I would be more than happy to help in any way that I am able to.
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