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When an individual is on an H-1B visa, there are important guidelines to follow when entering and departing the U.S. Failure to comply with these guidelines may jeopardize the validity of the H-1B status.

If you are applying for an H-1B petition as a change of status, traveling outside the U.S. will automatically invalidate your request to change to H-1B status. If the petition is later approved by USCIS, you will need to apply for an H-1B visa at a U.S. Consulate before entering the U.S. with H-1B status. It is not recommended to travel while an H-1B transfer is pending.

If you are applying for an H-1B extension, you can travel outside the U.S. without applying for an H-1B visa. However, you must notify USCIS to have the new Form I-797, Notice of Approval, mailed to you overseas. It is important to use the latest approval notice when entering the U.S. to ensure the I-94 is also extended.

If you are applying for an H-1B transfer, you can travel outside the U.S. if you have a valid passport, H-1B visa, and Form I-797, Approval Notice of H-1B. If your H-1B visa expires before your reentry to the U.S., you will need to stay abroad until your new visa is approved.

It is crucial not to travel during the 240-day automatic extension of work authorization after the current H-1B period has expired. Traveling during this time will require you to stay abroad until the extension is approved and apply for a new visa to reenter the U.S. in H-1B status.

During the H-1B renewal process, travel plans depend on processing times, which vary depending on the location of the applicant and where the H-1B petition was filed. It is advisable to check the processing times on the USCIS website for the specific filing location. While the process is pending, you can travel, but it is recommended to take necessary precautions before leaving the U.S. It is important to present the latest approval notice upon reentry to ensure an I-94 is issued with the updated expiration date. Therefore, notifying USCIS to have the new approval notice sent to you overseas is necessary.

Please note that these are general guidelines for traveling with a pending or transferring H-1B visa. It is highly recommended to consult with an attorney who can provide personalized advice based on the specific circumstances of each case.

The premium processing of derivative beneficiaries' applications is only expedited by USCIS as a courtesy.

No, multiple RFEs are not rare. It does not mean your petition will not be approved.

 At this moment, premium processing is only for cap-subject H-1B filed for “extension without change”.

Yes, you can definitely attend school, just as long as you maintain your job position that your visa is based on.

Only when there are multiple work locations.

Work for the new employer can begin as soon as USCIS receives the change of employer petition, but you can wait until you receive notification that your petition has been approved if you want to be safe.

You would be in a "period of authorized stay" [for how long?] even though you would no longer have H-1B status (assuming your current H-1B status has expired; if it is still valid, you would remain H-1B until the expiration and then).

If your I-140 is up to date and legitimate and your H-1B status is still in effect, your spouse may immediately submit an application for employment authorization.

This frequently occurs near land borders; it shouldn't be a problem until [potential scenarios?  Existing difficulties with status; is a record of travels required?]

The petition will not influence your extension application.

This simply implies that as opposed to petitions submitted on behalf of a beneficiary within the US, the beneficiary of the petition will utilize the permission to apply for a visa at a US consulate.

Sadly, any trip while a status change is pending results in the cancellation of the request.  There is no way to respond to the RFE in a way that would prevent the cancellation, even if the H-1B is authorized for consular processing.

While your application for a change of status is processing, you will typically be in a period of allowed stay. 

Contacting the office of your Congressperson may be beneficial if your priority date has remained current; USCIS is not faultless and occasionally loses track of applications.

A new LCA won't be required if the extra work site is within a reasonable commute of the previous location; but, if your hours or job tasks significantly alter, an H-1B amendment will still need to be submitted.  But if not, you'll likely need to submit a new LCA as well as an amended H-1B petition.

Your employer's filing of an appeal does not grant you any status; you are currently out of status and may be present illegally.  Any additional petitions or applications submitted after you lose your immigration status should be for consular processing only, excluding the appellate procedure.  If you choose to stay in the US, you will probably receive a Notice to Appear, which is the first step in removal proceedings. You should then decide how to move forward by speaking with a lawyer.

Although this seems like a reasonable course of action, you should be aware that there may be issues. For example, if your H-1B extension request is denied, you may end up in the US illegally.  Additionally, you should be aware that Customs and Border Protection may be more likely to refuse your admission as a B1/B2 visitor if you have been in the US for an extended period of time in an H-1B status.

You ought to be permitted to continue working through the expiration date of your first H-1B petition if your job is still open.  Rarely would USCIS deny an H-1B amendment application based on a negative "status" determination; in that instance, you would be in the US illegally and would need to depart.