The 2017 American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) Annual Conference on Immigration Law is under way this week in New Orleans - despite the sporadic downpours courtesy of Tropical Storm Cindy - drawing hundreds of immigration lawyers from across the country. Speakers at the conference this...
Charles Oppenheim, Chief of the Visa Control and Reporting Division for the U.S. Department of State (DOS), provides visa bulletin explanations and predictions almost every month. The update for the July 2017 Visa Bulletin provides predictions related to a number of employment-based categories for the...
On June 14, 2017, the Murthy Law Firm received the first few packages containing H1B filings returned as not having been selected in the fiscal year 2018 (FY18) random H1B lottery. More than a month has elapsed since the firm last received any new H1B...
Attorney Generally speaking, a pending COS application would not impact one's existing H1B status. As long as the H1B petition remains valid, one typically could continue working through the expiration date of one's I-94, or until the COS is approved, whichever occurs first. (19.Jun.2017)In frequent sessions...
Attorney In this situation, one could submit a request to the USCIS under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) and, typically, obtain a copy of much of the I-140 filing. (19.Jun.2017)In frequent sessions of our Chat, Sheela Murthy and other senior attorneys provide guidance that clarifies...
Attorney There is nothing prohibiting multiple filings. However, the general rule is that the last approval will govern one's status. So, once the desired application is approved, it is important to withdraw the unwanted application, to avoid ending up in the "wrong" (unwanted) status. Unfortunately, even...
Attorney An EAD based on a pending I-485 is unrestricted - one can work for multiple employers. However, assuming the I-485 is based on an employer-sponsored I-140, one must retain a "green card" job offer to preserve the I-485. (19.Jun.2017)In frequent sessions of our Chat, Sheela...
Reliable sources have been reporting a wave of denials of J-1 visas for international medical graduates (IMGs) applying at U.S. consular posts in Pakistan. The scenario involves Pakistani physicians requesting J-1 exchange visitor visas to begin U.S. medical residency programs at teaching hospitals in the...
The U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) has implemented new background check procedures for nonimmigrants who signed up for military service in exchange for an expedited path to citizenship as part of the Military Accessions Vital to the National Interest (MAVNI) program. These new procedures have...
Every year, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) releases a report that provides data on the entries, exits, and visa overstays that occurred in the previous fiscal year. On May 22, 2017, the DHS released the entry / exit report for fiscal year 2016...
