Hi Everyone,

  I have a question. Please answer if you have any suggestions or similar experiences.

So here is my brief education history. Coming December will be my 8^th year in US. Never traveled to Nepal or outside of US for 8 years. F1 visa expired on 2010 but never been out of status. Graduated May 2012 with Bachelor’s degree. Initially came to WV (Jan 2006), transferred to community college in Boston after one year. Got associates degree from the community college (May 2008). Got OPT for a year. Went back to 4 year college in Boston (Sept 2009) and finished bachelor’s degree in 2012.

Right now I am working at a software development company as a software developer. Been working there since Feb 2011. Worked as an intern on CPT/Pre-Opt/OPT until June 2012 and turned fulltime. Company applied for H1b on April 2013 and got approved. I am planning to go to Nepal this December. Do you think I will have any issue getting the H1b stamped? Company will be providing documents I need from their side and I will do my best to gather all others documents that I need from my side. I am just worried that not going to Nepal at all for 8 years, changing couple of schools during that time and not graduating by F1 validity period will cause some issues.

Any suggestions would be helpful.

Thanks

I also had some what similar situation like your long time ago. I had obtained my stamping from Vancouver, Canada first time then that H1 was expired after few years and I got another H1B stamping from KTM when I went to get married. The consular was trying to trick me in to confessing that I worked illegally when I was in OPT but without a job for 9 months after graduating. Just be careful when answering such questions and have all docs, you will be fine. Good Luck.

Here is my latest update on H1-B interview., fresh h1-b
everything went well, just normal work related questions, current salary (working in opt), looked at my paystub, client, title, location, name of vendors, supervision onsite/offsite, education, degree, some family and spouse related question. At the end handed 221g form and didn't ask any extra document. officer said he need to get electronic verification of approval. he kept i-797 and passport. they will call me to pick my PP and could take about a week. my guess is PIMS related issue. monday and tuesday is holiday, my return trip is on sunday. not sure i will make it without postponing my return flight. on top of that there is nepal government's process on insurance, medical and etc.
there is nothing we can do but wait. or go to nepal for atleast one months and apply for visa on your first day of arrival, that is what i did, headed straight to nabil bank from airport.

I did my H1 stamping from Nepal 3 times without any issue. If you are a direct hire you should not have any issue however I know few (H1 was through deshi consulting) who had to wait few months for verification.

Good Luck eutaketo. But as a matter of fact, listening your brief history I felt like I know you,( 2006 West viginia))??

Yes, @atomic. You are right.

My experience on this might be a bit outdated (from '08), but I stepped outside the country after a decade and appeared on the H stamping interview in KTM. Nobody raised an eyebrow at the US consulate office. I was questioned by the official at Delhi PoE, however-- (I had a long transit and decided to get out of the airport!). I told him if there was a problem with me entering India due to my protracted stay in the US, I will return to the transit. He said he was just curious!  

I got my passport back with H1-B stamping on Nov 7. It took few extra days because of PIMS verification, and tihar holidays but it was not more than one week.
Also, I was little worried because USCIS denied my COS from F1 to H1 saying I was in violation of my student status as I was working on CPT and my college was in west coast, I am working in south but consular didn't raise any question on that.
It was an easy experience but had to make an emergency trip because of denial of change of status.

Thanks @gutae for the update. And Yeah, Congrats!

.........i was in the same boat exactly like you described, but my major was health care related and was direct hire.....interview lasted a min....asked how am i feeling and the uni i graduated from....i guess if ur major is related to the job ur hired u sud be fine.......

Hi eutaketo, I am pretty much in the same situation as yours and questioning if it would be risky or not to get the stamping done.

I don't think changing couple of school, or not finishing the school on time would be a problem at all. I understand that you were always on status while on F-1 but my question to you did while you were going to school, did you ever work using your social security as F-1 ?

@eutaketo,
How did this go?

A similar thread that might be relevant to you. Also, I think you should be fine as long as you have all the necessary documents - some important ones are: Co. Profile, their Income Statement, your I20s, their contact numbers, (all laid out nicely in a file).

All the best.
http://sajha.com/sajha/html/index.cfm?threadid=91240