- In late February, I received my J1 waiver approval after 7 months of waiting, and the department started working on my H1B change of status premium processing when I remain in the US.
- In Mid-March, USCIS suddenly suspended all H1B premium processing due to the COVID-19. Interestingly, with the J1 waiver approval, my J1 visa can no longer be extended, so H1B became the only option.
- On May 22, I was told that I cannot change my status within the US but have to apply for the H1B outside of the US through the consular processing. Working from China is an option. My visa expires on June 30, and I need to leave the country no later than July 30.
- On June 1, USCIS resumed H1B premium processing. I thought I could change to the H1B application inside the US then, yet found out that I still needed to go through the consular processing outside the US.
- On June 22, more restrictions on new H1B and re-entry of the country were released on various media.
- On June 26, I got the most polite separation letter there could possibly be from my job. Once I get a H1B and return to the US, I will get the job back. It is just unknown how long this will take.
- On June 27, I cleaned my office and returned most of my things except my work laptop because I need the video function for the last day Zoom meeting calls.
- On June 29, I started sending out Goodbye messages to my colleagues and collaborators.
- On June 30, my last day at work, I got the news that DOS granted me an exception to take back my J1 waiver, so that my J1 visa can be extended for another year, due to the very unique situation with COVID-19. My separation letter was retracted and my employment resumed immediately. Hallelujah~
- From May 23 to July 6, I got 8 international flight cancellations. All my July and August tickets are cancelled. International flight tickets are very expensive, uncertain, and hard to get. With the amazing visa exception, I no longer need to move all my packed belongings to the storage, nor to seek another expensive and uncertain ticket to leave the country.
- In the future, I will still need to leave the country at some point to change my visa, but this year is especially bad. Before June 30, I thought about various possibilities, but this bold and creative solution was beyond my imagination, and it turned out to be the best for the current situation.
To conclude, I am thankful for the peace and joy during this amazing journey. I am humbled and blessed to testify in this miracle that everything works together for the good just in time.