But, you say, you thought that you were presumed innocent until proven guilty in America.  And you are right.  Yet, the Department of State has the right to suspend your visa.  Because this is not a legal ground of inadmissibility, it’s a medical ground of inadmissibility

If your I-94 (here) is still valid, you can continue to work in the USA.  However, if you go outside the USA, you will be required to revalidate your visa.  The post will send you to a medical doctor, who will evaluate whether you are “medically fit” (read not an addict) to do your job.

So have fun, drink, but don’t drive if you do drink.  Or at least, don’t get caught

Please contact Annie Banerjee at Banerjee & Associates for more information

For more information contact Banerjee & Associates 

Effective February 16, 2016, persons in employment authorized H-1B1 status from Chile and Singapore whose employers have timely filed to extend their stay automatically continue employment while USCIS decides the employer’s extension petition.  Similarly, persons in employment authorized E-3 status from Australia, and persons in employment authorized CW-1 status from the Commonwealth of Northern Mariana Islands also are entitled to seek this benefit.

H-1B1, E-3 and CW-1 nonimmigrants are now added to the list of many other employment authorized nonimmigrants for whom this benefit has been available, including A-3, E-1, E-2, G-5, H-1B, H-2A, H-2B, H-3, I, J-1, L-1, O-1, O-2, P-1, P-2, P-3, R-1 and TN.

The proposed rules amend existing regulations to incorporate USCIS policies that have been put in place since October 2000, the date of enactment of the America Competitiveness in the Twenty First Century Act (AC21). To date, the first rules that USCIS has proposed for AC21 would do the following:

• Clarify that a foreign national’s place in line waiting for a visa number, known as a Priority Date, is established on the date that a labor certification is filed with the Department of Labor. If no labor certification is needed, the priority date is the date on which USCIS receives the employer’s petition properly signed, together with the required fee.
• State that employment based petitions filed in the EB-1, EB-2 or EB-3 category provide a foreign national with a Priority Date for any subsequently filed EB-1, EB-2 or EB-3 petition, and if multiple immigrant visa petitions are filed for the same person, the foreign national beneficiary is entitled to the earliest priority date.
• Clarify that a Priority Date on an employment based immigrant visa petition is lost when USCIS revokes the petition for fraud or willful misrepresentation, or upon DOL revocation of the accompanying labor certification. Unless revoked, an employment-based petition is valid indefinitely.
• Provide employment authorization eligibility for EB-1, EB-2 or EB-3 beneficiaries if four conditions are met: 1) Their petition has been approved; 2) Their status is E-3, H-1B, H-1b1, O-1 or L-1; 3) No immigrant visa number is available in the category sought; and 4) USCIS chooses to exercise its discretion based on the person’s showing of compelling circumstances. Spouses can obtain employment authorization, too, if the principal beneficiary has been granted employment authorization.
• Provide a regulatory 10-day grace period to depart at the conclusion of their authorized stay in E-1, E-2 E-3, H-1B, L1 or TN classifications, and provide foreign nationals in any of those classifications who cease to continue their employment a one-time period of 60 days without losing status. Such persons remain eligible to file an extension petition during that period.
• Eliminate the regulatory requirement to adjudicate an Employment Authorization Document (EAD) within 90 days of filing, eliminate the current regulatory requirement that USCIS issue interim an EAD when EAD adjudication is delayed, and provide an automatic extension of EADs for up to 180 days for an applicant who has filed to renew his or her EAD.