I’m a J-1 holder subject to the home-residency requirement. Do I need to obtain the waiver before I can even file for H-1B?
I hold a J-1 visa and am preparing H-1B. The problem is my J-1 is about to expire, and I’d like to file for H-1B right away.
So I need a home-residency waiver — do I need to apply for the waiver before filing?
To save time, I’d like to file H-1B first, but since I could be rejected in the lottery, I’m debating whether I really need to get the waiver first.
Even after the H-1B lottery and filing the paperwork, you don’t need to get the J-1 waiver immediately, but the waiver must be in place before H-1B is approved. If you have a status-maintenance concern, please go through the H-1B lottery and file the paperwork first.