PIMS Process for H-1B Extensions, Amendments or Changes of Status

USCIS and the Department of State have developed a process that will facilitate the entry of nonimmigrant petition-based employment visa petitions (H, L, O, P, Q) into the DOS' PIMS system, where an extension of stay, change of status, or petition amendment is requested.

Background

Before issuing an H, L, O, P, or Q visa, consular posts must now first verify the approval of the underlying petition though the Consular Consolidated Database (CCD) in a new report called "PIMS" (Petition Information Management Service), even if the visa applicant has a paper Form I-797 approval notice. If the petition approval information is not in the CCD, the post must e-mail the Kentucky Consular Center's (KCC) Fraud Protection Unit (FPU), which will "research approval of the petition and, if able to confirm its approval, make the details available through the CCD within two working days."

Prior to this new process, only initial I-129 petition approvals were being entered into the PIMS system. Beneficiaries of an approved change, extension, or petition amendment were not entered into the system, and therefore were subject to a delay while the consular office sought confirmation of the approval through KCC.

Based on reports from NAFSA and AILA, USCIS and DOS developed this process to allow an approved change, extension, or petition amendment to be entered into the system.

Process

Upon approval of a petition where a change, extension, or amendment is requested, USCIS will send a duplicate copy to the State Department’s Kentucky Consular Center (KCC) for scanning and entry into the PIMS database if:

• The petitioner provides duplicate original petitions to USCIS
• Both duplicate original petitions contain original signatures on all forms as would otherwise be done for consular notification
• The duplicate petition is identified with a brightly-colored cover sheet marked "Please send this copy to KCC upon approval."
  

When Should a Petitioning Employer Use This Process?

If there is any chance that the beneficiary will need to obtain a visa at a consulate after a change, extension, or petition amendment, USCIS advises that the petitioning employer file a duplicate petition set with original signatures on the forms and cover sheet as described above.