Hi,
I recently graduated with a bachelors degree from an acredited American university. I am currently working with a company on my OPT (Optional Practical Training). The company decided to sponser me for an H1 visa so that I could continue my employement wth them. Unfortunately, the H1 quota got full before the company could begin the sponsership procedure.
Now a lawyer told me that the new sponsership procedure could begin only on the 1st of April 2006. My OPT expires on the 18th of Feb 2006 after which I have a grace period of 60 days that is uptill around 18th or 19th of April 2006 give or take a couple of days.
Is there any way that I can continue my employement in such a case. I hear that there is a premium process that can get a visa approved within 15 days of application. I have been given several advises - some people say that I can only begin to work 1st October 2006 regardless of when my visa gets approved, on the other hand I have been told that once a visa gets approved the US immigration authorities provide us with an immigration number and I can continue my employement based on that number.
Any help / advise on this issue would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks,
- D.

