tariqbutt

Currently my employer is intending to send me to the US in january. However we have agreed that for various reasons I should be based in a location other than the one that was in my original petition.

My employer's legal team has advised I should proceed with the original plan initially to work at the HQ and once there they can file an amendment allowing me to change my location to another.

My question is does anyone have any experience as to how long this takes?

This website suggests "it can take between 4 and 6 months to process your H-1B amendment" however is also says "you may be able to file the amendment with premium processing to reduce the processing time to 15 calendar days."
6 months and 15 days are very different time scales. Does anyone know if there are any issues with using premium processing given current delays, restrictions etc?

https://www.immi-usa.com/h1b-amendme...cation-change/

destone

What do you mean by location change? Is it a different State? (USCIS have suspended site visits due to Covid-19.)

My L1 amendment took 15 days with PP last year when I relocated from NY to CA. I suggest you file an amendment only once you’re in your the US.

tariqbutt

Yes a different state.

Just to clarify: what do you mean or what are you implying by this?

S Folinsky

It strikes me that the poster read the link you posted and assumed that you had also read it inasmuch as you quoted language therein.

S Folinsky

General comment: although time line is a question oft asked and is a reasonable one to ask, the acronym of “YMMV” applies. Early on in my career I represented a newly minted LPR who was petitioning for his identical twin daughters. In other words, the petitions were identical, filed at the same time (over the counter as was the practice back then) and by the same lawyer. First one approved in 21 days, the other took 9 months.

S Folinsky

This the second thread on OP’s H-1B journey. The prior thread can be found here. Both there and here, OP has received legal advice. He then notes a link which substantially agrees with the advice given. However, OP perceives a problem despite the substantial agreement.

As I noted in the prior thread “ it is a puzzlement.”

tariqbutt

I did read the article. My question is "what are you implying by saying they have suspended site visits?"

Is the implication that means locations matter less now? Presumably the rules are still the same with site visits suspended and this would not affect my choices?

No disagreement on the advice I was given here and certainly no puzzlements.
The advice I was given by my employers lawyer was that I would have to work at the original location "for a short period of time".

My question is very specific and its "how much time might this be?".
I need to know this in order to know whether Im renting an apartment for a week or for 6 months. Either will involve very different leases/rental agreements.
The lawyer gave me no advice around and nor did they mention "premium processing". Hence me asking more about the availability of that.

christmasoompa

You may have been an attorney once, but AFAIK haven't been for many years? And (again, AFAIK), nobody else is an attorney either, so there is no legal advice that has been given to the OP.

We have to a bit careful, and just wanted to clarify that this is a forum full of laypeople, and nobody is claiming to be giving professional advice.

Thx