Received an RFE on H1B transfer for the first time in 10 years of H1B; Please see my 3 questions below

USA H1B Visa
1

I just received an RFE within 10 days from receipt date for an H1 transfer to a top consulting firm (McKinsey/Bain/BCG).

  1. Firstly, isn’t that time frame pretty fast for Normal (non-premium) processing?
  2. Given that am an Ivy League grad, who only worked at top American companies, with absolutely NOTHING questionable or shady on my profile, has it become normal for someone with this profile to still get an RFE? (I’ve never received an RFE or even the slightest inconvenience the last 10 years on H1B), need some advice here.
  3. Once the attorney provides RFE response, can they still port my application to premium processing if it opens on Feb 19? By doing so, will USCIS then adhere 15 day timeline even if there was an RFE on my case?

Thank you!!

2

  1. Firstly, isn’t that time frame pretty fast for Normal (non-premium) processing?
    Ans: If your luck is hunting you behind you, it could happen.

  2. Given that am an Ivy League grad, who only worked at top American companies, with absolutely NOTHING questionable or shady on my profile, has it become normal for someone with this profile to still get an RFE? (I’ve never received an RFE or even the slightest inconvenience the last 10 years on H1B), need some advice here.
    Ans: Your trust your company, USCIS may not. When you come across USCIS, ask this question as no one in the public can answer this.

  3. Once the attorney provides RFE response, can they still port my application to premium processing if it opens on Feb 19? By doing so, will USCIS then adhere 15 day timeline even if there was an RFE on my case?
    Ans: Yes

3

Sorry to hear about this.

#1. Yes, it is very fast to generate an RFE on a non-premium application but also evidence that since past year, an RFE is being generated for every applicant at a probability rate of 88%. Maybe USCIS wants to show administration that they are being thorough by simply triggering an RFE.
#2. This is indeed the new normal and you are not alone
#3. 15-day timeline will be adhered to, that’s not a problem. However, you must personally review the attorney response to RFE. It needs to be technically detailed.

Best wishes

Dr. Sandeep Shankar
hopehumanity@gmail.com