Is it possible to transfer H1B-Visa?

Yes, H1B visa transfer is possible. According to the AC21(American Competitiveness for the 21st Century Act) , an alien who is previously granted with H1B work visa may transfer to a new H-1B job provided that the new employer has filed a non-frivolous petition on behalf of the foreign national. Also, the transfer of h1b visa requires that the alien has not accrued unlawful presence in the United States.

H1B visa transfer is merely a transfer of the existing visa and not the issuance of a new visa. The applicant must be physically present in the United States for the transfer of h1b status from Company A to Company B. It is not necessary to inform the present employer about the visa transfer. The processing time of h1b visa transfer petition is same as the time for h1b visa processing. Normally, the processing time for h1b visa transfer ranges between 3 and 8 weeks.

Advantages:

As soon as the new employer files your application with the USCIS, the visa holder is permitted to work for the new employer before the approval of change of employment.
H1B visa holder is allowed to apply for visa transfer with more than one company at the same time.
One can apply multiple times for H1B transfer.

Posted Monday, February 26, 2007 @ 9:44 PM