H1B for jobs at county or state government health agencies

[fifer16]

Hello,

I graduated with Masters in Public Health from US university. My OPT is expired, so I got back to F1 status. Most of the jobs in my field are offered either by County or State Government. I do know these agencies come under non-profit organizations. Job titles would be Public Health Officer/Epidemiologist/Health Promotion Manager/Health Educator. These jobs may or may not include research directly or indirectly. I read in one of the immigration forums, only research oriented jobs in non-profit organizations preferably Universities or higher education institutions will come get approved under non cap H1B quota. My question is IF and only IF these agencies are ready to sponsor me H1B, what would be the success rate in getting H1B approved? The reason I said 'IF and only IF' there are several administrative layers in those agencies to say YES for sponsorship of H1B. I also would like to share my recent experience about county job in health department. I was offered job as Epidemiologist in a local county. When I talked to an immigration lawyer, he said I would not be getting H1B approved since it is not a research job though it is a non profit government agency. I would like to know how far this is true. I am really looking for some help at this point. Any help would be appreciated in this regard. Thanks in advance!

Best

[kshis13]

basically your job description should say that a masters degree in public health is one of its requirements...if thats the case...i dont see any problem with your approval....

[fifer16]

@ kshis13. thank you for your reply. are you 100% sure about it? coz im hearing varied responses about my original question. pls let me know. thanks

[Attorney_25]

You want an exemption from the cap. This particular issue of whether your job qualifies for the exemption is a complex one and should be handled by an attorney. It s fairly challenging to fit into that exemption. If you feel your attorney has analyzed the situation incorrectly, then consult with another attorney who is experienced in this particular issue.

[fifer16]

@ Attorney 25 I thank you for your suggestion. I consulted one more immigration lawyer and she doesnt know the difference between OPT card and visa, she said I can send my personal check towards filing fee, which is not a good idea. Now I am looking for a good immigration lawyer who can represent me and of course who is VERY experienced and can be successful. I live in Missouri. If you or anyone knows of a lawyer in Missouri or mid west who can help me out it would be extremely nice.

[JoeF]

Immigration law is federal, so your lawyer can be anywhere in the US. No need for a local lawyer, unless you prefer face-to-face meetings. You are on a forum run by a very good immigration law firm...