{"id":1394,"date":"2022-03-04T13:57:02","date_gmt":"2022-03-04T13:57:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.h1btransfersusa.com\/blog\/?p=1394"},"modified":"2022-03-04T13:57:04","modified_gmt":"2022-03-04T13:57:04","slug":"faqs-on-interfiling-at-the-i-485-adjustment-of-status-stage","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.h1btransfersusa.com\/blog\/faqs-on-interfiling-at-the-i-485-adjustment-of-status-stage\/","title":{"rendered":"FAQs on Interfiling at the I-485 Adjustment of Status Stage"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>For many years, the <strong>EB2 India category<\/strong> reliably had a cutoff date more favorable than its EB3 counterpart. Since October 2020, however, there has been some back-and-forth, with the <strong>EB3 India<\/strong> cutoff date surging ahead of EB2, then EB3 stalling and the <strong>EB2 cutoff date<\/strong> again passing it. This has led to a spike in interest in <strong>interfiling<\/strong>. In these FAQs, our answers some <strong>frequently asked questions <\/strong>on interfiling.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3>What is interfiling? Is this different from \u201ctransferring the basis\u201d of my I-485? Also, is this different from \u201cupgrading\u201d or \u201cdowngrading?\u201d<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>If a foreign national has a <strong>pending I-485<\/strong> and wishes to change the basis for the I-485 (e.g., substitute an EB2 I-140 for the EB3 I-140 submitted with the<strong> I-485 application<\/strong>), the USCIS refers to this process in its policy manual as a transfer of the underlying basis.<strong> Immigration lawyers<\/strong> typically refer to this process as interfiling.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The more informal terms, &#8220;<strong>redesigning<\/strong>&#8221; and &#8220;downsizing&#8221; in the I-485 setting, are inseparable from interfiling and allude to moving to start with one <strong>employment-based category <\/strong>then onto the next.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3>What are the requirements to transfer the basis of my I-485 from one category to another?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>To qualify to interfile, the <strong>USCIS requires <\/strong>that ALL the following conditions are satisfied:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul><li>The candidate should have continuously maintained eligibility to <strong>adjust status<\/strong>.<\/li><li>The<strong> I-485 application <\/strong>should be pending.<\/li><li>The candidate must be eligible for the category requested.<\/li><li>The priority date should be current on the date the <strong>interfiling request<\/strong> is submitted.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3>How do I request to transfer the basis of my I-485?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>To transfer from one <strong>employment-based category<\/strong> to another, the request should be submitted in writing and typically include a signed and completed<strong> I-485 supplement J form<\/strong>. The USCIS declared that requests for transfers between two employment-based categories should be sent to a special address through <strong>September 30, 2022<\/strong>. That information can be found here, in the section entitled &#8220;<strong>Transfer of Underlying Basis<\/strong>.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3>Will the USCIS acknowledge my transfer request?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>The USCIS won&#8217;t give a written response to t<strong>ransfer requests<\/strong>. However, the USCIS will give a <strong>receipt notic<\/strong>e for the I-485 supplement J form.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3>Do I have to be invalid nonimmigrant status to transfer the basis of my I-485?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>No, this isn&#8217;t a requirement. The candidate generally should be in valid <strong>nonimmigrant status<\/strong> at the time the I-485 application is filed. For <strong>interfiling<\/strong>, however, if the individual is in a period of authorized stay, or possibly even outside the U.S. (having traveled on advance parole or while on an <strong>H or L status<\/strong>), this normally should not prevent the individual from submitting an interfiling request.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3>Can I transfer the basis of my I-485 from EB3 I-140 to EB2 I-140 and then change jobs?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Pursuant the American Competitiveness in the <strong>Twenty-First Century Act (AC21)<\/strong>, an individual might move to a position that is in the \u201csame or similar occupational classification\u201d as the one outlined in the underlying <strong>PERM labor certification <\/strong>once the I-485 has been pending for at least 180 days. This<strong> 180-day &#8220;clock&#8221;<\/strong> restarts upon the submission of an interfiling request. (i.e., Yes, AC21 portability may still be possible after interfiling, but only if the applicant waits at least <strong>180 days<\/strong> from the date of the interfiling request.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>There is the worry that this <strong>USCIS guidance<\/strong> conflicts with the language of AC21. Hence, the<strong> American Immigration Lawyers Association<\/strong> (AILA) has requested clarification from the USCIS on this matter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3>I filed my I-485 concurrently with an EB3 I-140, and both the I-485 and I-140 are still pending. Can I interfile an EB2 I-140?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Potentially, this is permitted. However, in a situation like this, it isn&#8217;t clear whether the USCIS will <strong>first adjudicate<\/strong> the EB3 I-140 and then adjudicate the <strong>EB2 petition<\/strong>, or if the USCIS will only adjudicate the EB2 I-140. We await clarity on how the USCIS will handle such cases.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"has-text-align-right\">[<a href=\"https:\/\/www.h1btransfersusa.com\/blog\/us-reaches-cap-for-fy22-h-1b-petitions-starts-accepting-applications-for-fy23\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><span class=\"has-inline-color has-vivid-purple-color\">US reaches cap for FY22 H-1B petitions, starts accepting applications for FY23<\/span><\/a>]<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<h3>Instead of interfiling, am I better off just filing another I-485 application?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>As a general rule, the USCIS suggests that candidates interfile, rather than submit a new <strong>I-485 adjustment of status application.<\/strong> However, there might be situations where filings a second I-485 might be a superior choice. This is something you should discuss with your lawyer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3>Will my EAD\/AP still be valid if I interfile?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Submitting an <strong>interfiling request<\/strong> should not affect the validity of one&#8217;s current <strong>EAD\/AP<\/strong>. Similarly, if one&#8217;s EAD and AP applications are pending when an interfiling request is made, the <strong>USCIS <\/strong>should continue to process those applications per normal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3>If I upgrade from EB3 to EB2, am I allowed to later downgrade back to EB3 if needed?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Historically, the USCIS has allowed an <strong>individual <\/strong>to interfile between categories more than once if needed.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>For many years, the EB2 India category reliably had a cutoff date more favorable than&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":750,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[57],"tags":[217,1027,1358,1028,241,1266,1357,1356,159,1263,1264,1260,247,1010,1330,1262,11],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v15.0 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>FAQs on Interfiling at the I-485 Adjustment of Status Stage<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"For years, the EB2 India category reliably had a cutoff date favorable to its EB3 counterpart. 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