British Expats - Renewal of H1B Visa

On Sun, 20 Jul 2003 11:32:30 -0400, Gyro Gearloose wrote:

    > Greetings to you!
    >
    > Any advise from you on the following will be thankfully appreciated.
    >
    > 1. How soon can I renew my H1B Visa before the three-year expiration?

I assume you are talking about the H-1B status, not the visa (see my FAQ
for the difference). Your employer can file the renewal up to six months
in advance.

    > 2. How long does the BCIS (INS) take these days to renew H1B Visa?

I would expect around six to eight months, or three weeks if your employer
wants to pay for premium processing (that is rarely necessary for H-1Bs,
though).

    > 3. I was already given an LCA (Labor Condition Approval) by the DOL (US
    > Department of Labor) with which my H1B Visa was issued the first time.
    > Will I need to go through the LCA certification or DOL certification
    > once again for my H1B Visa renewal now?

Yes. The LCA specifies dates. Fortunately, it is trivial to get; the DoL
Web site allows you to apply online, and approval happens within minutes.

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