By default J-2 visa holders have to leave the country?
Short answer - my spouse and I do not fulfill the main conditions they specify for having to leave the country after the visa expires.
As a J-2 visa holder, who has been issued an EAD, I will need at some point get a company to sponsor me via H1B. Questions:
a) If I get the H1B visa, my J-2 visa status is abolished?
b) If the company then fires me, am I able to switch to J-2 visa again? Will I need to re-apply for the EAD?
c) Can H1B and EAD somehow co-exist?
In my understanding, it will be best to keep the J-2 visa for as long as possible, in order to have the flexibility of not being tied to one company. On the other hand, it might take couple of tries to get the H1b, so this tells me to apply relatively early on? Is that the only trade-off?