No RFE
Complete H-1B → B-2 → H-1B bridge
Bridging Status After a Layoff
Background
Ms. W was working at a major tech company on an H-1B when a layoff put her into the grace period. By the time she came to us, the grace period was close to ending.
Challenges
The new employer's H-1B could not be filed until its LCA was certified, and with the grace period about to end, the time window was extremely short.
Strategy
We advised urgently filing a change of status from H-1B to B-2 first, using B-2 status to bridge the gap and buy time for the new H-1B petition. When the B-2 application received an RFE, we responded promptly to explain her intent in changing status.
Outcome
Both the B-2 and the H-1B were approved (B-2 filed 12/11/2025 · B-2 approved 05/20/2026 · H-1B approved without RFE 05/21/2026).