USCIS started to send notice of intent to revoke (NOIR) for H1B applications that were approved in the past as soon as the Trump government came to power.

The most common cause for NOIR is when your first lottery selected H1B was approved for an in-house project for an IT consulting company.

It does not matter whether you are currently working for the same first H1B employer or not.

What is Notice of Intent To Revoke?

Referring Wikipedia and presenting the NOIR in layman’s language, NOIR is nothing but a denial of your H1B petition.

NOIR can be issued for any past H1B approvals which may or not be valid today.

USCIS does give you a chance to prove why they should not revoke your H1B approval. If you and your employer can frame a strong response with the help of an attorney, it is possible that your NOIR is taken back by USCIS.

What Can Happen If you Get NOIR?

Getting a notice of intent to revoke on your first H1B can have a serious effect on your current approved H1B as the initial cap count is now invalidated by USCIS.

Many people have received this NOIR even when their H1B was approved in the lottery starting from 2015 to today.

USCIS FDNS unit – Fraud Detection and National Security unit is making H1B site visits and specifically asking if the first H1B approval was for an in-house project or not. FDNS unit is going back at least 5 years to check for H1B approvals.

Many people have specifically received NOIR after the USCIS site visit as the inspecting officer reported that

Earlier H1B petition was approved in error (i.e., it should not have been approved) due to in-house project OR

Inspector finds a change in your job details which makes the H1B un-approvable now.

Issued NOIR as you did not file H1B amendment for new Job function – MSA change

Your approved H1B transfer will also be invalidated if the first lottery selected in revoked. You can no longer work for the current employer.

Example:

H1B lottery application approved for employer A in 2015. You filed an H1B transfer in 2017 and started working for employer B in 2017. You filed another H1B transfer to employer C in 2019 and have started working after H1B approval.

If you get a Notice of Intent to Revoke your first employer A’s H1B which has already expired in the past, and USCIS finally revokes it, you cannot work for current employer C.

You cannot even go back to work for employer B in this case even though their H1B might be valid at this time.

Hear what RN Law attorneys Rahul Reddy has to say with respect to USCIS NOIR for H1B applications: Listen from time 1:24 to 4:15.

Time to Respond to NOIR

USCIS gives a specific time frame to respond to NOIR notice which is usually 30 days. If you do not respond within the allowed time, your H1B will be automatically revoked.

You can ask for extra time to respond if the documents requested would take more than allowed time.

Your current H1B applications stay valid and you can keep working after issuance of NOIR until the NOIR is finally implemented and H1B is revoked.

How to Respond to a NOIR?

You should answer each and every question asked in the NOIR letter by USCIS. Usually, the NOIR would ask to prove the

You should submit documents related to your job preferable in addition to what you had submitted in your first H1B application.

Make sure that you do not make the mistake of writing vague job descriptions as happened in this H1B QA Analyst job which was ultimately denied by USCIS.







RFE vs NOIR vs NOID

RFE (Request for Evidence) is different than NOIR.

RFE and NOID (Notice of intent to Deny) are issued for currently pending H1B applications that have not yet received any result.

NOIR is issued for H1B applications that have already been approved in past.

Form 221g NOIR – US Embassy

Your H1B petition can also get a NOIR if the US embassy visa officer thinks that you are not eligible for H1B even after USCIS has approved your petition.

This has been reported by one of our guest who got the form 221g NOIR after H1B interview at Mumbai consulate even when he was working full time with US employer.

Form 221g for h1B revocation

Another H1B worker got a Notice of intent issued by the Mumbai US embassy after working in the US for more than 6 years and multiple extension approvals by USCIS.

Can I get NOIR after 5 years of first H1B? USCIS can issue NOIR anytime. Many people have received NOIR notice for their first H1B that was approved in lottery around 2015. What will happen to current H1B after NOIR? The the NOIR is finally approved, your current H1B also stands invalidated.

NOIR Appeals

Sample appeal rejected by AAO office in one case where the IT consultant was issued NOIR:

Source: USCIS NOIR