Change of status from F2 to H1B - How soon can I work?

Hello,

My H1B petition was picked in the 2017 lottery and I was on H1B from Oct 2017 to Feb 2018, but then got laid off. I could not find another job within 60 days, so returned to India. Now, my wife wants to do an MS in US. If I come to the US on F2 with her, and then find a sponsor for my H1B, how long will it take to change my visa status to H1B and start working?

Thanks,
Prashant

If you apply for H1B with COS under premium processing, you can get it done in 15 days…If you go the normal route, it may take very long time…like few months. Once you get approval of COS, you can start to work from the day of approval.