H-1B Priority Date Transfer with New Employer

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Note: The Law Offices of Larry L. Doan in Los Angeles, CA, provides the following blog article and other information on this site, including our responses to comments, for the purpose of legal information only; it is NOT legal advice nor does it create an attorney-client relationship.

[The following paid consultation question is taken from the Guru’s past client files.]

Dear GuruImmigration,

My current employer has filed my green card under EB3 category…i recently got I-140 approval a month back and I have NOT filed my I-485 as I am still waiting on my priority date to be current….

Now the question I have is: If I change my employer, can I use this priority date with my future employer?

If yes

can I use this priority date with my future employer for EB2 category as I already have more than 5 years of experience?

I am software professional and I have will remain in same industry even though I change the employer.

sincerely appreciate your response..

Answer:

This is an interesting question. The same I-140 can be used, or “ported,” when you change employer as long as the I-485 has been pending for 180 days or more, and the new job is in the same or similar occupational classification as the job in the I-140 petition. So, after you are allowed to file the I-485 (when priority date is current) and it has been pending for 180 days or more, then the same I-140 can be used with the same priority date. However, USCIS may view the attempt to upgrade the same job position from EB-3 in the I-140 to EB-2 as not being the same or similar classification (EB-2 requires Master’s degree or number of years equivalent). That is, an entry level position in a particular field may or may not be considered similar occupational classification as a supervisory-level position in the same field. It really depends on analyzing the described job duties of the two positions before a more informed opinion could be given.

Best,

Larry L. Doan, Esq.

GuruImmigration

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