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Comment by jrflowers | Hacker News Reader

I believe the point that’s illustrated here is that it may be possible to find other work that will sponsor an H1-B visa.

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When you’re on H1-B you’re applying for the green card through your employer, which is a multi-year process. So even if you find an employer who will sponsor it, you’ll be going back to the end of the line.

If you already have an H1-B and are in the US there is a transfer process that is not identical to the original application process.

Only after labor and then I-140 have been approved, which together typically take more than a year. Also, many employers won’t start your green card application until you’ve been there for a year.

I’ve done the paperwork myself for a H1B transfer as an employer. Maybe my memory isn’t serving me well, but I don’t remember it taking more than a few weeks to a month. (This was 5 yrs ago maybe my experience is dated). I definitely remember paying additional fees to prioritize every application which significantly sped up everything.

To be clear: You are saying that if you are working in the US, having already been granted an H1-B visa, it takes more than a year to complete an H1-B transfer?

Or are you talking about green cards, which is a completely different thing?

You replied to my comment, in which I’m explicitly talking about the green card process. Most people on H1-B are trying to get a green card.

I thought you were talking about transferring the green card process, because I was talking about the green card process. Transfer is possible, but you have to be past a certain point that takes probably a couple of years, which is pretty good compared to how long I had to wait way back when.

Thank you for clarifying. You initially responded to my point about H1-B visas with a different issue with a different immigration process. It is very informative but has nothing to do with H1-B holders as a group categorically.

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