05
Jul
2024
Immigration Terms
Did your immigration attorney use an unfamiliar immigration term? Look it up in our immigration term glossary!...
12:24 /
HQ
04
Jul
2024
Validity of H1B Visa “Stamp” Following a Change of Employer
In order to enter the United States in H1B status, a foreign national typically must first obtain an H1B visa foil (commonly referred to as a visa "stamp") from a U.S. consulate or embassy. This visa stamp generally will be annotated with the name of...
07:48 /
Consulates / For Families / For Individuals / NewsBrief / Nonimmigrant Family / Travel / Worker
03
Jul
2024
USCIS Medical Exam Texts
If you are a green card applicant and have received a text message from the USCIS requesting that you send your medical Form I-693 ASAP, you're not alone. Read our response to this common question....
03
Jul
2024
When might we hear word of whether there is going to be a second round of lottery selections for this year’s H1B cap?
Answer We will probably know within the next month or so. Last year, the USCIS announced near the end of July that a second round of selections would be coming, and then completed those selections by August 1st. (02.Jul.2024)Sheela Murthy and other senior attorneys provide guidance...
03
Jul
2024
I am in H1B status, and my family is in H-4. Our I-94s were all extended through 2027, but our visa stamps expired last year. My wife and kids wish to travel to India for a few weeks. Can they go for stamping, even though I plan to stay in the U.S., or do I have to apply first?
Answer Generally speaking, if the principal spouse is in valid H1B status, it is possible for the dependents to apply for H-4 visa “stamps.” There normally is no need for the H1B worker to obtain a new H1B visa unless and until s/he will be traveling...
03
Jul
2024
Shortly before my I-94 expired, I applied for my H-4 extension. The following week, the USCIS rejected my package because there was a missing page in my form I-539. I immediately refiled the application with the missing page, and I included the rejection letter. But, by then, my I-94 already had expired. Will the USCIS honor the original filing date?
Answer Ordinarily, if an application is filed and then rejected by the USCIS, the USCIS will not honor that as the filing date. The filing date is established only when a case is properly filed with the USCIS.Note that a rejected filing is different from a...
01
Jul
2024
Murthy Success: NIW Approval for Expert in Water Resources Engineering
The Murthy Law Firm regularly assists foreign nationals in filing self-sponsored immigrant petitions under the EB2 national interest waiver (NIW) category and in the EB1(a) for immigrants with extraordinary ability. In a recent NIW case, we filed the immigrant petition (form I-140) for a water...
28
Jun
2024
I-485 Approved When Outside U.S.
“What happens if my I-485 application is approved when I am traveling outside of the United States?” This short and helpful MurthyDotCom article has your answers!...
27
Jun
2024
Murthy Snapshot: DHS Proposed Rule Would Increase Cost of Some H1B and L-1 Extensions
On June 6, 2024, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) published a notice of proposed rulemaking in the Federal Register that, if implemented, would alter when the 9-11 response and biometric entry-exit fee for H1B and L-1 visas (oftentimes referred to as the "public...
26
Jun
2024
I am a U.S. citizen. My mother entered on her tourist visa a few months ago. She was planning on returning home, but I’m trying to convince her to stay in the U.S. If she agrees, can I sponsor her for a green card now? Or would she have to go back to India for me to sponsor her?
Answer A person cannot enter the U.S. on a B-1/B-2 visa with the intention of applying for adjustment of status (i.e., applying for a green card from within the United States). If, however, the person does not form the intention of applying for a green card...