# Some visa help please



## Ms B (May 9, 2008)

Hello, 

I am filling in my H1-B visa form and I have to state a requested start date for non-immigrant status. 

I am due to start my new job on the 2nd Feb and the letter of employment offer will say this, but I want to arrive in the US about 2 weeks before I start work so I can settle in. So I was wondering:

If I request a date slightly before the date on my offer letter, is this going to cause problems with the visa people?

If I request a date that is the same as the date my job starts but arrive in the US slightly before this, will I have trouble getting into the US?

Thanks,

B x


----------



## synthia (Apr 18, 2007)

Welcome to the forum! I don't know, but I can't imagine that you are required to arrive the day before your first day on the job, but I have no idea what you should put down for the start date. Maybe someone who has been through it can answer.

And congratulations on finding a job with an employer to sponsor you, because it isn't that easy.


----------



## Fatbrit (May 8, 2008)

You can arrive up to 10 days early.


----------



## Ms B (May 9, 2008)

Excellent, thanks for that.


----------



## EP GAZZ (Aug 26, 2008)

You can arrive 10 days before your start date.


----------



## Ms B (May 9, 2008)

Thank you both for your replies to my question. I am sure that you are both right, but can I just ask where you got the 10 days from?

Also my visa form asks: 
If the person named in Part 3 is outside the United States or a requested extension of stay or change of status cannot be granted, give the U.S. consulate or inspection facility you want notified if this petition is approved.

My options are: consulate, pre-flight inspection or port of entry.

I don't know what choosing any one of these would mean or which one I should choose, any advice? 

Thanks,

B


----------



## Fatbrit (May 8, 2008)

Ms B said:


> Thank you both for your replies to my question. I am sure that you are both right, but can I just ask where you got the 10 days from?
> 
> Also my visa form asks:
> If the person named in Part 3 is outside the United States or a requested extension of stay or change of status cannot be granted, give the U.S. consulate or inspection facility you want notified if this petition is approved.
> ...


Give me the form number, please. It'll be written on the top.


----------



## Ms B (May 9, 2008)

Fatbrit said:


> Give me the form number, please. It'll be written on the top.


Sorry it has taken me so long to reply. The number on the form is: 1615-0009 is this what you were after? It is an I-129 form.


----------



## Fatbrit (May 8, 2008)

Ms B said:


> Also my visa form asks:
> If the person named in Part 3 is outside the United States or a requested extension of stay or change of status cannot be granted, give the U.S. consulate or inspection facility you want notified if this petition is approved.


Okay--

I'm assuming you currently live in England, Wales or Scotland.

Type of office (tick box) is Consulate.
Office address = London
U.S. State or Foreign Country = United Kingdom
Person's Foreign Address = Your address in the UK

It worries me that you are completing the petition yourself. Usually the sponsoring company has a lawyer to do the paperwork.


----------



## Fatbrit (May 8, 2008)

Ms B said:


> Thank you both for your replies to my question. I am sure that you are both right, but can I just ask where you got the 10 days from?


I believe it's written on the I-797 NOA they send you after approval.


----------



## EP GAZZ (Aug 26, 2008)

Ms B said:


> Thank you both for your replies to my question. I am sure that you are both right, but can I just ask where you got the 10 days from?
> 
> Also my visa form asks:
> If the person named in Part 3 is outside the United States or a requested extension of stay or change of status cannot be granted, give the U.S. consulate or inspection facility you want notified if this petition is approved.
> ...


Well my visa is an H1 type so it is clear on that visa you can enter US 10 days before you can work on that visa.

To make entry easy we went to Canada on holiday before we came in, cleared customs in Toronto so walked in here like a domestic flight.


----------



## Ms B (May 9, 2008)

Thank you both for your responses. Do I have to arrive the day my visa starts or can I arrive any time after the date on the visa?

Fat Brit: They are doing most of the form filling but they needed some info from me like my home address, my employment history etc so those are the bits that I am filling in. But I wanted a clear understanding of the whole form before sending it back to them. Cool sheep.


----------



## EP GAZZ (Aug 26, 2008)

Ms B said:


> Thank you both for your responses. Do I have to arrive the day my visa starts or can I arrive any time after the date on the visa?
> 
> Fat Brit: They are doing most of the form filling but they needed some info from me like my home address, my employment history etc so those are the bits that I am filling in. But I wanted a clear understanding of the whole form before sending it back to them. Cool sheep.


No I do not think you have to ut not 100% sure on it.

One thing is certain there are dates before which you cannot enter eg my visa granted in a July was not usuable until October 1st as there are like two drafts a year on the visa.

The earlier the better to apply as you will find that it is heavily over subscribed as remember this is a major way in which Microsoft etc get in their staff from India of which there are many.


----------

