27 Jan 2022

Until recently, MurthyDotCom was posting updated visa bulletin predictions each month. There have not been any such postings lately. Do you expect to provide these again in the near future?

Answer At the end of 2021, Charles Oppenheim retired from his position as the Chief of the Visa Control and Reporting Division for the U.S. Department of State (DOS). Until his retirement, Mr. Oppenheim had been providing visa bulletin updates most months. We would then, in...

21 Oct 2021

In October 2020, I filed an I-140 EB2-to-EB3 downgrade case, along with my I-485 application. Now, it looks like the EB2 India cutoff date may advance past the EB3 cutoff date. If that happens, will the USCIS automatically adjudicate my case as an EB2 case?

Answer No. If the I-485 was filed based on the EB3 I-140, the USCIS normally would continue to process it as an EB3 case. In order to have the case processed under the EB2 category, one option may be to interfile the previously approved I-140 to...

21 Oct 2021

My I-485 application was filed in the EB3 India category and has been pending for more than 180 days. If I want to use AC21 to port to a similar position with a different employer, does my priority date still have to be current on the date I move to that employer?

Answer No, there is no requirement that the priority date still be current in order for a person to use AC21 to port to a same / similar position. (21.Oct.2021)Sheela Murthy and other senior attorneys provide guidance that clarifies the law. For information on our FREE...

30 Dec 2020

I failed to include the correct filing fee when I filed my I-485 in October, so the USCIS rejected it. Now, my priority date is no longer current. Can I refile now with the correct fee?

Answer If the I-485 application was properly rejected, one typically would not be able to refile the I-485 until the priority date is again current. (30.Dec.2020)Sheela Murthy and other senior attorneys provide guidance that clarifies the law. For information on our FREE online services, click here....

15 Oct 2020

I am filing an EB3 downgrade case. I read online that, if I use my I-485 EAD (as opposed to staying on H1B,) I will no longer be eligible to upgrade back to EB2. Is that true?

Answer For our clients who are on H1B, we normally recommend that they remain on H1B until the green card is issued, if possible. The main reason for this is as a simple precaution in case the I-485 is denied. (i.e., If an I-485 applicant maintains...

08 Oct 2020

I am filing my I-485 this month for me and my whole family based on the EB3 dates for filing chart. My daughter is almost 21 years old. Will this protect her from aging out?

Answer Unfortunately, filing an I-485 based on the dates for filing chart is not sufficient to prevent a child from aging out. That rule only applies when the I-485 is being filed based on the (less favorable) final action chart. To determine whether your child will...