H1B status may be extended beyond six years in certain limited circumstances.  If the employer has filed an I-140 Immigrant Petition as part of trying to obtain lawful **permanent resident status** (a green card) and the I-140 has been approved, an H1B extension can be filed.  H1B status can be extended for three years if the employee is the beneficiary of an approved I-140 petition, but their priority date is not yet current (an immigrant visa number is not available).

Similarly, if the employer has filed a PERM application (the first step in the employment green card process) with the Department of Labor or an I-140 with USCIS and those petitions have been pending for more than 365 days, the H1B can be extended.  In these situations, the extensions are only available in one year increments.

The DOL’s online occupational classification system helps the adjudicating officer make the determination. The DOL uses what’s known as the Standard Occupational Classification to properly group and classify jobs. Check the **[BLS website](http://www.bls.gov/soc/)** to learn where in this classification system you fit.

Be aware, however, that this system can sometimes be outdated, and IT jobs often lack up-to-date definitions. The best measure is to change jobs where the titles and job descriptions are as similar as possible.

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