Matten Law

Online H1B filing coming soon! In February, USCIS will begin accepting H1B petitions filed online. This is a huge advance. For those not practicing immigration law, this might come as a shock that until now all employment based visa petitions must be filed on paper by mail. Although the online filing process can be cumbersome, the improved organizational platform will make things easier than they have been. And while some high volume law firms may be hesitant to file electronically, the significant benefits will surely lead to rapid adoption. Most significantly, online filing gives the following advantages: 1. Quality. No more rejections for missing pages, missing signatures or mismatched form editions. Online filing gives immediate assurance that the petition has been accepted for processing. 2. Sustainability. The typical H1B filing is 100 - 300 pages. Online filing saves paper, toner and shipping costs. The carbon footprint savings related to reduced shipping is significant. 3. Time savings 1. Printing takes time. Conducting a quality review of the printed petition to make sure every page printed properly takes more time. 4. Time savings 2. Shipping by courier takes at least a day. Online filing means a petition can be received immediately. In some cases, this is the difference between a beneficiary being in status vs out of status. 5. Time savings 3. Receipt notices will be issued almost immediately. Especially in the case of H1B transfers, this will enable employers to onboard new employees almost immediately. 6. Time savings 4. Electronically produced receipt notices will be easier and more reliable to apply OCR to extract key data from the receipt. Yes, it will require law firms to rethink some processes, but the benefits will far outweigh the costs of making these changes. Really excited for USCIS to add O1 filings later this year too! And if you’re looking for assistance with your H1B lottery submissions, Matten Law has a $100 promotion for the first 100 customers. Link in the comments. #h1bvisa #h1b #h1bvisas #sustainability #o1visas

To immigrants who got laid off & have 60 days before you have to leave America: here are 6 ideas to stay back. ~150,000 people got laid off in 2022. At least 10% are immigrants on visas who have to pack up & leave this country in 60 days without a new job. If you’re one of them (or know someone), here are 6 ideas: 1. Ask your employer for a "garden leave." - Instead of more severance, ask your employer to let you stay for an extra month or two. - A few of my friends did this. - Caveat: It’s a long shot and your employer will probably say no, but it’s 100% worth asking. 2. Married to an H-1B holder? Shift to H-4 & get an EAD - H-4 EAD program was launched in 2015, which lets spouses of H-1B holders who have an approved I-140 work. - >100,000 got it in the first 2 yrs. - It lets you work for any employer & has no min. salary cap. - Caveat: It’s tied to your spouse’s H-1B. So if their visa gets revoked, does yours? 3. Move to B-2 visitor visa temporarily (Change of Status) - B-2 lets you stay in the country for 6 months. The current backlog to get the B-2 is 12+ months. However, the moment you put in an application you’ll be under “Change of Status” and can stay on it. - Transfer back to an H-1B once you get a job offer. - Caveat: You’ll need to get a new stamp before working again. 4. Go back to school on an F-1 visa (Change of Status) - Find an inexpensive university (like CUNY, Brigham, etc) that offers a degree program you’re interested in. - Although H-1B to F-1 processing times are high, like the B-1, it lets you stay in the country until you get a job. 5. Consider applying for the O-1 visa (which has no cap or min. salary) - The O-1A is a temporary visa for people who are at the top of their fields. - Have you judged competitions? Make a high salary? Won awards?Published papers? All of this counts. - Caveat: It has a very high bar, so unless you have a great profile already, this won’t work in a few months. 6. TALK TO A LAWYER - Only a licensed practitioner can properly guide you on what to do. - Posts like these are only meant to give you ideas and new perspectives. - Spending $100-$300 on a lawyer should be the easiest choice you make now. This decision affects your whole life. I'm tagging here a few lawyers I know who can provide sound guidance: Sameer, Ron, Fiona Adaikala Mary, Kavitha, Robert, Jason, etc. --- If none of the above work out, it’s ok. As much as it sucks, you can always return to the U.S. through the H-1B or another visa pathway again. This could be the best thing that happened to you if you choose to look at it that way. :) Please reshare this post so it reaches more immigrants who got laid off. Finally, if you’re an immigrant in America, join 10000+ who get my weekly newsletter packed with resources like this: https://lnkd.in/gXzfuj74 :) DISCLAIMER: None of this is legal advice. Just insights based on my research. #unshackled #USA #immigration #visa #layoffs #freeresources #layoff

Had a blast last week at the Latin Grammys in Seville. It was great to see so many friends, clients and talented people. Looking forward to next year!

At CWN, we have access to a network of amazing legal resources and Matten Law is another valued supporter of Pathway to Silicon Valley! Matten Law is a multidisciplinary law firm that will partner with you on solutions to support your unique business needs.   From engineering multinationals to entrepreneurs to artists and creators, they approach immigration as a managed process, not just a solution. Matten Law builds collaborative relationships with all of its clients, and works to ensure that all available options are presented so you can make the best decisions for your business. Their team works to be your strategic advisor and equip you with timely, practical legal guidance.   Matten Law has also been named a Tier 1 firm in Los Angeles for Immigration Law in the 2024 edition of Best Law Firms®. Learn more here: https://lnkd.in/gYByK3VH Thank you Ron Matten for supporting our founders with your time, resources, and expertise this week! #Founders #Startups #StartupSupport #StartupResources #StartupCommunity #StartupEcosystem