The company can discuss a conditional hiring plan, but must not promise that a transfer request provides work permission or a guaranteed start date. Confirm the available process and evaluate any independent authorization the new employee holds. Actual United States work requires a lawful basis even if the company has already paid fees or scheduled an interview.
What a sponsor can honestly tell a candidate
An offer can state an anticipated start with explicit conditions and a process for revising it. Explain the current case stage, the unresolved transfer question and who will provide the next official instruction. A qualified estimate is useful only with its assumptions visible; neither a target date nor a corporate payment guarantees approval, admission or eventual citizenship.
The official FAQ currently says that after the application and processing fee are received, the process should take weeks, while also making the outcome depend on timely submissions, vetting, eligibility and visa availability. Track each actual response deadline and the records needed to meet it; there is no general rule that every request restarts one common processing clock. Treat any guaranteed timeframe from a third party as a commercial claim rather than information, and verify against the official source.