As October 1st is fast-approaching, individuals with H-1B petitions that were selected in this year’s H-1B cap and employers of H-1B visa holders should remain aware of some important facts:
CAP-GAP EXTENSIONS END ON SEPTEMBER 30th - For those whose H-1B is still pending and who are relying on the automatic cap-gap for F-1 students, keep in mind that that your cap-gap employment authorization ends on September 30th, even if the H-1B remains pending after this date. Therefore, employees whose H-1B visas are not approved by October 1st will have to stop working and be removed from payroll. Because of this, we recommend considering upgrading to premium processing as soon as possible in order to avoid this consequence or, at the very least, minimize the amount of time you or your employee will be unable to work.
VALID H-1B VISA STAMP REQUIRED FOR REENTRY TO U.S. - While an H-1B employee is not required to have a valid H-1B visa in his or her passport for purposes of employment, they must have a valid H-1B visa stamp for entry or reentry to the U.S. Therefore, following approval of the H-1B petition, an H-1B employee should be mindful of the fact that they will be required to apply for an H-1B visa stamp prior to returning to the U.S. the next time they travel internationally, absent certain limited exceptions, including trips of under 30 days to Canada, Mexico, or adjacent islands (note individuals should vet any such travel with immigration counsel prior to making travel plans to ensure an exception applies in their case).
I-9 REVERIFICATION MAY BE REQUIRED - Employers should also keep in mind that for current employees with an approved H-1B “Change of Status” petition, whose current status will expire on October 1, including all F-1 students working pursuant to cap-gap employment authorization, the individual’s employment authorization will need to re-verified on Form I-9.
ALWAYS ADVISE IMMIGRATION ATTORNEY OF ANY CHANGES TO H-1B EMPLOYMENT - Finally, employers and employees should be aware that certain changes to the terms of an H-1B visa holder’s employment could impact their continued eligibility for H-1B status and/or could necessitate the filing of an H-1B amendment. Employers are therefore encouraged to speak to immigration counsel prior to making any changes to the terms of an H-1B visa holder’s employment to ensure compliance with these requirements.