The fiscal year 2017 (FY17) H1B cap season continues to wind down. The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) confirmed that the latest stage, the return of all H1B petitions that were not selected in the lottery, was completed on July 8, 2016. Given the...
The Murthy Law Firm is pleased to report that we were recently successful in reversing a denial issued on an adjustment of status (form I-485) application, leading to our client being issued her long-awaited green card. The applicant faced significant challenges due to a problematic...
The U.S. Department of State (DOS) released the August 2016 Visa Bulletin this afternoon, and, as expected, it establishes a cutoff date of January 1, 2010 for the employment-based, first preference (EB1) category for those born in India and China. The massive demand for visa numbers...
... and my husband is now ready to file his application for adjustment of status (I-485 form). If I file my I-485 as his derivative beneficiary, will it terminate my OPT authorization? Answer Generally, an F-1 student does not lose eligibility for F-1 benefits just because s/he...
This MurthyDotCom NewsBrief has been updated for our readers. The latest version can be found here. ...
Answer It is nearly impossible to estimate cutoff date movement with any accuracy (other than the type of very short-term predictions provided by the Department of State). What we do know is that the cutoff dates will move forward in October, hopefully to some point around...
Answer The visa can only be granted for one petition. But, the other petition is supposed to be noted on the visa; the consular officer must be made aware that there is a second petition. (11.Jul.2016)In frequent sessions of our Chat, Sheela Murthy and other senior...
Answer Yes. A person in H-4 can go to school (full time or part time) without impacting the EAD. The EAD provides work authorization, but it does not obligate the H-4 spouse to actually be working. And, it certainly does not impact the ability of an...
Answer An H-4 spouse who has worked using a valid EAD may be eligible for unemployment benefits. But, it would be necessary to look at the unemployment requirements in your particular state. Note, however, that a contractor is self-employed, and therefore is generally not eligible to...
Answer You should discuss your situation with your DSO and inform him/her about having to be outside of the U.S. for an extended period. Since you have to leave the U.S. for five months or more, you will need to come back to the U.S. with...
