H1B 2015 approved only for 6 months - what to do?

Hi,

I applied under regular quota and got through the lottery. Few days ago my petition/case status changed and employer received an email with petition approval and validity beginning Oct 1st 2014 and for only 6 months, till Apr 2015. We are not sure what to make out of it. May I request your inputs on the below questions that I have?

  1. Will there be a problem if I appear for stamping with 6 months approved petition?
  2. If I get stamped and travel to US, will I have any problem extending the stay when extension petition is filed?
  3. Is there a certain degree of risk if I were to travel to US with just six months of validity of petition and Visa while clearing the port of entry?
  4. My employer is in touch with attorney and they are preparing to file a review petition with USCIS. Will that be of any help and/or delay the entire process assuming USCIS takes long time to review my petition and by the time I appear for stamping and get it, it may be only few months left on hand?

I am totally clueless as to how to handle this situation and would request for your inputs.

Thanks in advance.

  1. No, the duration of Visa doesn’t impact the Stamping procedure in general. However, it’s better to have a valid clarification for having a 6 month Visa, just in case the VO decides to ask.

  2. I would suggest to apply extension of Visa after a month or so of being in US, that is by mid November to avoid any unforseem circumstances where you would need to leave.

  3. Nope. However, if you don’t apply for an extension soon enough, you may have to look for alternatives.

  4. It’s good that your employer/attorney have decided to file a review petition. No one knows for sure how much time USCIS will take to process your review petition, but it’s better to stay positive and in touch with your employer/attorney for updates.

Thanks so much for your response. I appreciate it.