Answer If your spouse was born in Sri Lanka, you can apply based on cross-chargeability using her country of birth instead of India. In other words, your pending green card case can be counted under your spouse’s country of birth rather than your own. (09.Jul.2025)Sheela Murthy...
Answer Unfortunately, this is a difficult scenario. The spouse with the green card must file an I-130 petition in the FB2A category, but this category is retrogressed by several years. The foreign national spouse potentially can come on a nonimmigrant visa of their own, such as...
Answer Yes, if the PERM was filed in time to qualify for the H1B extension under the 365-day rule, it is possible to obtain the extension based on the pending MTR or appeal. The MTR or appeal is enough to keep the case "alive" so that...
Answer The U.S. Department of Labor requires that the employer pay for the PERM labor certification and related expenses. The USCIS does not have the same view, so the expenses of the I-140 and I-485 (legal fees, filing fees, costs) can be paid for by the...
Answer In order to qualify as a multinational manager / executive under the EB1(c) category, the foreign national generally must work for the foreign entity while physically outside the United States for at least one year. (25.Jun.2025)Sheela Murthy and other senior attorneys provide guidance that clarifies...
Answer In marriage-based green card cases, the petitioner and beneficiary typically are interviewed together. However, if marriage fraud is suspected, the officer has the discretion to interview each spouse separately. (17.Jun.2025)Sheela Murthy and other senior attorneys provide guidance that clarifies the law. For information on our...
Answer Requesting retention of a priority date does not void or otherwise invalidate the original I-140 application. If Company A chooses not to withdraw the I-140, it continues to remain valid for immigration purposes, even if that priority date is retained and applied to another case....
Answer There is no procedural reason that filing for advance parole should delay your underlying green card application, and we have not seen this occur in practice. (11.Jun.2025)Sheela Murthy and other senior attorneys provide guidance that clarifies the law. For information on our FREE online services,...
Answer If an employer disagrees with the prevailing wage determination, they can first request a redetermination. If that is unsuccessful, they may request a director’s review. If that too is unsuccessful, the employer may appeal to the Board of Alien Labor Certification Appeals (BALCA). However, given...
Answer Yes, an H1B worker can continue working in H1B status throughout this family-based green card process. There is no conflict between the H1B and the I-130 because ‘immigrant intent’ is not an issue for H1B workers. (04.Jun.2025)Sheela Murthy and other senior attorneys provide guidance that...
