Transferring H-1B employment to a brand new sponsoring firm after preliminary approval however earlier than the precise begin date is mostly permissible. This course of, typically known as “porting,” permits people holding an authorized H-1B petition to start work for a brand new employer upon submitting a brand new H-1B petition with the US Citizenship and Immigration Providers (USCIS). The brand new petition have to be filed earlier than the present petition’s validity interval expires. A profitable port means the brand new employer takes over the remaining validity interval granted underneath the preliminary approval.
The flexibility to transition between sponsoring employers gives important benefits. It gives professionals with higher profession flexibility, permitting them to pursue new alternatives with out restarting the customarily prolonged and sophisticated H-1B software course of. For employers, this portability facilitates entry to a broader pool of expertise and a faster onboarding timeline. Traditionally, tighter rules surrounding H-1B transfers created difficulties for each staff and employers, probably hindering job progress and innovation. Elevated flexibility within the system streamlines the method and contributes to a extra dynamic and responsive labor market.
