An employment-based applicant for adjustment of status must file I-485 Supplement J who is filing or has previously filed Form I-485 as the principal beneficiary of a valid I-140 in an employment-based immigrant visa category that requires a job offer, and you now seek, in connection with your Form I-485, to:
- Confirm that the job offered to you in Form I-140 remains a bona fide job offer that you intend to accept once your Form I-485 is approved; or
- Request job portability under Section 204(j) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) to a new, full-time, permanent job offer that you intend to accept once your Form I-485 is approved. This new job offer must be in the same or a similar occupational classification as the job offered to you in Form I-140 that is the basis of your Form I-485.
NOTE: In adjudicating Supplement J, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) does not make a determination whether you have current work authorization with an employer. The basis for adjustment of status to lawful permanent resident under a valid Form I-140 is not actual (current) employment. Rather, the basis is prospective employment. Therefore, the adjudication of Supplement J, for applicants requesting job portability under INA section 204(j), is primarily limited to a determination of whether you have a bona fide job offer from a U.S. employer that is in the same or a similar occupational classification as the position for which the underlying Form I-140 was filed and approved (or approvable if the I-140 filed together with I-485 is pending for 180 days or more).
A. Background
In 2000, Congress enacted the American Competitiveness in the Twenty-First Century Act of 2000 (AC21) which, in part, added INA 204(j). This provision allows certain employment-based adjustment of status applicants experiencing delays in the employment-based adjustment of status process some flexibility to change jobs or employers while their Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status (Form I-485) is pending.
If eligible under INA 204(j), the Immigrant Petition for Alien Workers (Form I-140) (and underlying permanent labor certification, if applicable) may remain valid and the beneficiary of an approved employment-based immigrant visa petition in the 1st, 2nd, or 3rd preference category may transfer, or “port,” to a qualifying new job offer that is in the same or a similar occupational classification as the job offer for which the petition was filed. The new job offer may be through the same employer that filed the petition or a different employer.
These provisions are referred to as “portability.” Employment-based adjustment applicants who use such benefits are considered to have “ported” the petition filed on their behalf to the new job offer.
An applicant who successfully ports the petition on which the adjustment application is based to a new job or employer retains the priority date of the underlying petition.
B. Eligibility Requirements
1. General Portability Requirements
To qualify for portability under INA 204(j), the adjustment applicant must meet the following eligibility requirements:
- The applicant is the beneficiary of an approved Form I-140 petition or of a pending petition that is ultimately approved;
- The petition is filed in the employment-based 1st, 2nd, or 3rd preference category;
- The applicant’s properly filed adjustment application has been pending with USCIS for 180 days or more at the time USCIS receives the request to port;
- The new job offer through which the applicant seeks to adjust status is in the same or similar occupational classification as the job specified in the petition; and
- The applicant submitted a request to port. If the applicant makes a request to port on or after January 17, 2017, the applicant must submit a Confirmation of Bona Fide Job Offer or Request for Job Portability Under INA Section 204(j) (Form I-485 Supplement J). If the applicant requested to port before January 17, 2017, the applicant could have requested to port through a letter, since Form I-485 Supplement J did not go into effect until January 17, 2017.
The new job offer may be with the same petitioner or with an entirely new employer, including self-employment. Applicants can submit the portability request and evidence with the adjustment application or in any in-person interviews or in response to a request or other notice from USCIS.
2. Approved Petition Required
If USCIS has approved an applicant’s Form I-140 petition and the applicant’s adjustment application remained unadjudicated for 180 days or more (from the adjustment application receipt date), the approved petition remains valid unless the petition’s approval is later substantively revoked. This applies even if the applicant changes jobs or employers so long as the new offer of employment is in the same or similar occupation. If the adjustment application has been pending for less than 180 days, the approved petition does not remain valid with respect to a new offer of employment.
The petition must have been filed on behalf of a beneficiary who was entitled to the employment-based classification, and it must be approved prior to a favorable portability determination of the adjustment of status application. If a petition is not approved at the time of a portability request, USCIS would look to whether the petition was approvable at the time that the petition was filed.
3. New Job in Same or Similar Occupational Classification
To determine whether a new job offer is valid for purposes of INA 204(j) portability, the new job offer must be in either the same occupational classification or a similar occupational classification as the job specified in the underlying Form I-140 petition.
Same Occupational Classification
The term “same occupational classification” means an occupation that resembles in every relevant respect the occupation for which the underlying employment-based immigrant visa petition was approved. Accordingly, USCIS evaluates whether the jobs are identical, resembling in every relevant respect, or the same kind of category or thing when determining whether two job offers are in the same occupational classification.
Similar Occupational Classification
The term “similar occupational classification” means an occupation that shares essential qualities or has a marked resemblance or likeness with the occupation for which the underlying employment-based immigrant visa petition was approved. When determining whether two job offers are in similar occupational classifications, USCIS evaluates whether the jobs share essential qualities or have a marked resemblance or likeness.
Factors to Consider
To determine if the new job offer is in the same or similar occupational classification as the job listed on the petition, officers evaluate the totality of the circumstances. As part of this evaluation, officers may consider and compare various factors and evidence relating to the jobs. Relevant factors include, but are not limited to:
- The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) occupational codes assigned to the respective jobs;
- Job duties;
- Job titles;
- The required skills and experience;
- The educational and training requirements;
- Any licenses or certifications specifically required;
- The offered wage or salary; and
- Any other material and credible evidence relevant to a determination of whether the new position is in the same or a similar occupational classification.
A change to the same or a similar occupational classification may involve lateral movement, career progression, or porting to self-employment, either in the same or a different geographic location.
With respect to porting to self-employment, all other eligibility requirements must be satisfied. First, as with all other portability determinations, the employment must be in a same or similar occupational classification as the job for which the original petition was filed. Second, the adjustment applicant should provide sufficient evidence to confirm that the applicant’s business and the job offer are legitimate. If the submitted evidence is insufficient to confirm the legitimacy, or the officer identifies fraud indicators that raise doubts about the legitimacy of the self-employment, the officer may request evidence to show that the self-employment is legitimate. Third, as with any portability case, USCIS focuses on whether the petition represented the truly intended employment at the time of the filing of both the petition and the adjustment application. This means that, as of the time of the filing of the petition and at the time of filing the adjustment application (if not filed concurrently), the original petitioner must have had the intent to employ the beneficiary, and the beneficiary must also have intended to undertake the employment upon adjustment. USCIS may take the petition and supporting documents themselves as evidence of such intent, but in certain cases requesting additional evidence or initiating an investigation may be appropriate.
4. Adjudication
When adjudicating the Supplement J, USCIS reviews the evidence of record in the totality of the circumstances to determine if the new job offer is in the same or similar occupational classification as the job listed on the underlying petition.
If the officer determines that the new job is in the same or similar occupational classification, the officer approves the Supplement J and continues with adjudication of the adjustment application. If USCIS determines that the new job offer is not in the same or similar occupational classification, USCIS denies the Supplement J. Therefore, USCIS denies the adjustment application and may add any other bases for denial (if applicable).
Note: This is post by Adhikari Law PLLC and should NOT be construed as a legal advice. Changes in immigration policies and procedures are complex and may require a consultation with an experienced immigration lawyer.
You can contact us at (+1) 202 600 7742, or email us at info@adhikarilaw.com if you will have any question on this topic.