I got the H1B visa today!

I got an official email from the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) this morning.

<<The following is the latest information on your case status:
Receipt Number: xxxxxxxxxxx

Application Type: xxxx, PETITION FOR A NONIMMIGRANT WORKER

Current Status: This case has been approved. On October 3, 2006, an approval notice was mailed. If 30 days have passed and you have not received this notice, you may wish to verify or update your address.

To update your address, please speak to an Immigration Information Officer during business hours.

If you have questions or concerns about your application or the case status results listed above, or if you have not received a decision or advice from USCIS within the projected processing time frame*, please contact the National Customer Service Center.

Sincerely,
The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS)>>

Yipeee! With barely 2 weeks left of my OPT (Optional Practical Training) period and no sign of my work visa coming through, I was extremely worried. But now it looks like my H1B visa has been approved. Which means its legit for me to continue working in the US after my OPT period expires - since thats when my H1B visa kicks in.

Couldnt have done it without my awesome immigration attorney Andres Zamberk or my cool boss who pushed her boss - the newspaper publisher to go out of his way to get clearance from Lee Enterprises - the corporation that owns the Southern - to sponsor my work visa.

I'm apparently the first foreign national that Lee Enterprises has sponsored in terms of a work visa. I find that astounding and humbling at the same time, considering Lee owns 56 daily newspapers in 23 states!