Planning Tool

Start Date Calculator

Figure out a realistic - and defensible - start date for a foreign national hire, based on visa type, processing speed, and how much risk you're willing to carry. Every timing assumption below is editable, so you can see how the date shifts if Boundless (or the candidate) moves faster.

1Visa type

2Where will they apply?

3Processing speed

Premium processing guarantees USCIS action (approval, denial, or an RFE) within 15 business days - it does not guarantee approval, and an RFE resets the clock.

4When can they start?

4Consulate step

Wait for an interview appointment (weeks)

Interview to visa-in-hand (weeks)

Appointment wait times swing from days to many months depending on the post and visa category, and they shift often. There's no sane global default - check the specific consulate before quoting a client at travel.state.gov's Global Visa Wait Times. This doesn't include administrative processing (221(g)) delays, which aren't predictable enough to model.

5Assume an RFE?

6Assumptions

Prep time from case initiation (weeks)

Standard USCIS processing (weeks)

Premium processing (weeks)

Shipping confirmation lag (business days)

Receipt turnaround - premium (weeks)

Receipt turnaround - standard (weeks)

Shipping confirmation defaults to 1 business day after filing, assuming the case goes out overnight courier. Receipt turnaround is dynamic: premium-processed filings typically get an electronic receipt in ~4 days; standard filings wait longer for a mailed I-797C. Defaults reflect typical Boundless prep time and general USCIS trends - check current USCIS processing times for the specific service center before quoting a client.

7Anchor date

Planned case-initiation date

Projected timeline

Est. start

Case summary

Copy for Slack / email

How to read the Foreign-Hire Employee Start Date Calculator: it's a planning aid, not a legal opinion. AC21 portability (starting on a filing receipt rather than approval) has a clear statutory basis for H-1B change-of-employer cases only. It is not clearly established for E-3, and does not apply to L-1, O-1, or TN - those candidates must wait for approval, full stop. Government processing times shift regularly and vary by service center and case complexity; treat the defaults here as a starting point, not a guarantee, and confirm anything client-facing with a Boundless attorney.

4 meses

Contactar con Boundless

Aviso Legal: Este sitio web es un anuncio de servicios legales. El bufete de abogados responsable de este anuncio es Boundless Legal LLC, attorneys@boundless.com. Boundless Legal LLC está autorizado y licenciado por la Corte Suprema de Arizona, con número de licencia 70276. Los abogados de Boundless Legal LLC tienen licencia en el estado de Arizona. Boundless Legal LLC ejerce la abogacía en derecho migratorio federal ante el Servicio de Ciudadanía e Inmigración de los Estados Unidos (USCIS) y otras agencias federales. La información contenida en este sitio web es solo para fines informativos generales y no constituye asesoramiento legal. No se afirma que la calidad de los servicios legales a prestar sea superior a la calidad de los servicios legales prestados por otros abogados. Ver este sitio web o contactar a Boundless Legal LLC no crea una relación abogado-cliente. Los resultados anteriores no garantizan ni predicen resultados similares en asuntos futuros.