They can delay preparation because the final application must reflect the actual proposed job. The useful next milestone is employer agreement on material terms, not a promised filing date based on incomplete information. Government processing or admission cannot be scheduled with certainty from an internal offer deadline.
Use a decision deadline and a fallback date
Ask HR and the manager to resolve the issue list by a practical date, then allow time to review the profession and credentials before final documents are signed. If they cannot agree, move the target work date rather than rushing an inaccurate package. Keep the applicant informed about which dependency remains open.
Even after the employer settles the terms, the employee must have the necessary authorization before beginning U.S. work. Three calendars run at once and only one of them is yours.
The employer controls when it settles the disputed terms. The applicant controls when documents and credential evidence are ready. Government steps — a request at a port of entry, preclearance, or an employer’s Form I-129 filing — run on their own schedule and cannot be compressed by an internal deadline.
Hypothetical example: a poultry scientist is told the start date is fixed while HR and the manager are still disagreeing about whether the role includes production supervision. Moving the start date is the smaller cost. Set a decision date for the employer and a separate readiness date for the applicant, then place the target work date after both.
Admission is temporary and generally granted for up to three years, and it may be extended.