H1B extension and visa transfer during the time

[arunpkrishnan]

Hi, I am in the US on H1B visa. My visa expires on march 31, 2012. My employer has filed for Extension Premium and I am yet to receive my receipt number. Is it possible for me to change jobs in the US now? If not when can I do that? Do I have to wait till I receive receipt number or till Petition is approved? Kindly let me know.

[shervin143]

If the new employer can file the transfer before your current I-94 expires, then you can go for it without any risk. It will take 10 days to get the LCA approved and then the documents should reach USCIS before your current I-94 expiry date (Also it needs time to prepare the form I-129). If this is not posible, then it is advisable to file the transfer after the extension gets approved. You are allowed to file the extension based on the receipt notice (pending extension) after the current I-94 expires. But in that case, the transfer will have to be filed as a bridging and if the extension gets denied, the transfer will also get denied as the bridge breaks. Search and read the posts on bridging.