The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has issued a policy memorandum, implementing indefinite policy changes to the processing of asylum applications and benefit requests from certain countries. The policy directs USCIS personnel to place holds on certain pending applications and conduct comprehensive reviews of...
Nineteen states have filed suit in federal court seeking to block a Trump administration policy that requires a $100,000 payment to accompany certain new H1B petitions. The states argue the measure is unlawful, was put in place without required procedures, and harms public and private...
Today, the U.S. Department of State (DOS) released the January 2026 Visa Bulletin. There is some forward movement, especially in the EB1 category. All cutoff dates listed below refer to the final action chart (i.e., Chart A), unless otherwise specified. Visa Bulletin Summary Employment-Based, First Preference (EB1)...
Answer USCIS allows only specific applications / petitions to be filed online. Some can even be filed by uploading a .pdf of the form. For more information, visit this USCIS website. (16.Dec.2025)Sheela Murthy and other senior attorneys provide guidance that clarifies the law. For information on...
Answer We still are routinely seeing applications approved for people who apply for a change of status from H1B to B-2 while in their 60-day grace period. However, the USCIS has archived its webpage that specifically states looking for jobs while in B-2 status is permissible....
Answer Among other requirements, an N-470 application requires that the applicant was present in the U.S. for an uninterrupted year as a lawful permanent resident. (16.Dec.2025)Sheela Murthy and other senior attorneys provide guidance that clarifies the law. For information on our FREE online services, click here....
MurthyDotCom regularly addresses common questions and misunderstandings about immigration law. Questions regarding H1B status and changing employers often arise that refer to "transferring" the H1B. This term is frequently used, even by some immigration attorneys. The H1B is not actually transferred from one employer to...
The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has released the details governing the new Gold Card program, an immigration initiative established by Executive Order 14351. The program will allow foreign nationals to pay a fee in order to apply for lawful permanent residency (i.e., a...
Answer The pilot program that resumed domestic visa renewals ended in early 2024. At the time, the U.S. Department of State indicated that they expected to bring it back, and even expand eligibility to more nonimmigrant visa applicants.In May 2025, several members of Congress sent a...
Answer No. F-1 students who timely file for a STEM OPT extension still receive up to 180 days of automatic employment authorization and valid F-1 status while USCIS processes the application. The 29.Oct.2025 rule only impacts certain EAD renewal categories and does not change the STEM...
