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O-1 FDNS site visit guide

Updated: Author: Alina Kanametova

Guide Guides 6 pages Anonymized Access on request

Instruction on USCIS site visits in O-1 cases: 6 pages from a DIY kit on what a visit involves and how to be ready for one.

O-1 EB-1A EB-2 NIW

About this document

A guide for employers and foreign workers on FDNS site visits for H-1B, O-1, and L-1 petitions filed on Form I-129. It explains why USCIS conducts unannounced visits, what triggers them, how to prepare records and staff, and what officers may ask during and after the visit. It also notes that O-1 and other H/L/O/P workers lose valid status when employment ends, with no grace period stated.

Key points

  • USCIS FDNS uses site visits to check facts in Form I-129 petitions for H-1B, O-1, and L-1 workers.
  • Visits may be triggered by offsite placement at a client location or by prior immigration fraud by the employer.
  • Employers should keep a copy of the filed petition and have a contact person ready with petitions, tax returns, W-2s, and payroll records.
  • Reception staff should know where to direct the FDNS officer and alert the employer representative and the worker immediately.
  • The officer may ask about job duties, pay, hours, qualifications, prior employment, immigration history, address, and dependents.
  • The officer may request payroll records, pay stubs, an organizational chart, tax returns, wage reports, and a tour of the worksite.
  • The document says not to guess if asked a question; the proper response is to say the answer will be provided later.
  • It states that O-1, H-1B, L-1, and P workers lose valid status when employment ends, with no grace period mentioned.

What is inside

  1. 1. Will USCIS visit the employer?
  2. 2. Why FDNS conducts a site visit
  3. 3. How to prepare for a site visit
  4. 4. What happens during the visit
  5. 5. What if the visit goes badly?
  6. 6. No grace period after layoff for O-1

When it helps

The document serves as background evidence on FDNS site visits tied to Form I-129 adjudication for O-1, showing what USCIS may check in an employer visit and what records or answers may be expected. It also states the status consequence after employment ends for O-1 workers.

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Source: Community (anonymized). The material opens on the site. Reference material, not legal advice.

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