How should a worker index job-offer records without equating an offer with immigration authorization?
A job-offer index should distinguish the employer, proposed duties, terms and any associated government process. It makes the actual commercial proposal reviewable without treating an employer’s hiring decision as immigration permission.
Sources: Form I-129: petition structure for temporary workers · Checked October 25, 2026
What this guide covers
- Describe the offered position separately from immigration authorization
- Identify the employing entity and the work arrangement
- Track revisions to duties, location and proposed dates
- Match petition papers to the job they actually concern
- Prepare a coherent employer-worker handoff
At a glance
- Employing entity and actual duties answer different evidence questions.
- Preserve the original source behind each job offer record index entry.
- A completed organizer does not establish eligibility or replace current official instructions.
Describe the offered position separately from immigration authorization
A job offer describes proposed employment; it is not itself an immigration approval or proof that work may begin. The I-129 and I-140 pages address different petition processes, so an offer should be indexed with the petition or inquiry it actually supports rather than assigned a visa category by assumption. Record the role, the offering entity and the proposed employment terms as source facts. Keep any existing approval, admission record or employment authorization document in a separate part of the file, where its own wording can be reviewed.
Identify the employing entity and the work arrangement
The company name on an offer may differ from a payroll brand, a staffing agency or the client where services would be performed. Preserve those names and describe the relationship only to the extent the records establish it. Read who signed the offer, the signer's stated role, the work location and whether the document describes remote, client-site or other arrangements. If the source merely names a client, do not rewrite that client as the employer. A reviewer needs the actual organizational structure, including uncertainties that must be clarified through the employer.
Track revisions to duties, location and proposed dates
Offers can change before a proposed start. Keep the original offer and any written amendment linked by date, identifying whether duties, compensation, reporting structure or location changed. An email discussing a possibility should not silently replace a signed offer in the working index. For illustration, a later message about moving to another office creates a question about the proposed arrangement; it does not prove that the move was accepted or that any required immigration action occurred. Version labels help the employer and adviser review the same description of the position.
Match petition papers to the job they actually concern
Petition records should be matched by the actual petitioner, beneficiary and reference information appearing on the notice. A receipt confirms that a particular request was received; an approval notice addresses the request described there. Neither should be treated as a blanket approval of every later offer or assignment. When comparing an old job with a proposed one, place the descriptions side by side and identify the changed facts without drawing a legal conclusion about transferability. The current category-specific instructions and the individual's circumstances determine what additional review is necessary.
Prepare a coherent employer-worker handoff
An effective handoff package contains the operative offer, its amendments, the relevant petition or authorization records and a concise list of questions about the proposed work. Employment evidence and a dependent's separate immigration papers should remain distinguishable even when the same family is organizing both. Ask which entity and person need to supply missing records, rather than substituting the worker's recollection for an employer statement. The resulting index helps counsel understand the opportunity and the existing record; it does not establish a start date, permission to work or an immigration strategy.
| Record group | Question to review |
|---|---|
| Employing entity | Identify the legal organization offering the work. |
| Actual duties | Preserve the job description used for the real position. |
| Offer history | Keep revisions to dates or terms separately identified. |
| Agency matter | Connect any petition or authorization record without assuming it covers the proposal. |
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Version: October 25, 2026.
Go to the source
Sources & verification
Follow the institution that owns the requirement and check its current instructions.
Common questions
Does a signed offer authorize work?
An offer is a commercial record. The immigration authorization question requires its own current evidence and review.
Sources: Form I-129: petition structure for temporary workers
Should an earlier offer version be deleted?
Preserve relevant revisions so the chronology of employer terms can be understood.
Sources: Form I-140: immigrant worker petition and the evidence structure
Why identify the legal employing entity?
A brand name or recruiter may differ from the actual employer connected to the proposed process.
Sources: Policy Manual: evidence
Can generic duties be substituted for the actual role?
No. The file should describe the real work and preserve uncertainty instead of creating a more convenient description.
Sources: Policy Manual: evidence
About this guide
By Immigrant Insider editorial desk. Updated .
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