12 Dec 2019

Employer B filed an H1B change of employer petition for me, and it was just approved. I now wish to remain with Employer A. Is that possible?

Answer Generally speaking, there is no requirement that the beneficiary move to the new employer once the H1B change of employer has been approved. As long employer A's approved H1B petition remains valid, the H1B worker typically is permitted to remain with that employer. (11.Dec.2019)Sheela Murthy...

12 Dec 2019

I am in H1B status and my wife is in H-4 status. She was issued an H-4 EAD based on my approved I-140. If she moves to H1B status, and I then change to H-4 status, can I use my approved I-140 to apply for an H-4 EAD?

Answer No, you cannot use your own approved I-140 to qualify for an H-4 EAD. (11.Dec.2019)Sheela Murthy and other senior attorneys provide guidance that clarifies the law. For information on our FREE online services, click here.Access more FAQs here. Copyright © 2019, MURTHY LAW FIRM. All Rights...

05 Dec 2019

I am a U.S. citizen, and I recently married a Canadian citizen who is here in TN status. We just filed her I-130 and I-485 cases concurrently. It now looks like her employer may shut down soon, so she would fall out of TN status. If that happens before the I-485 is approved, can she still remain in the U.S.?

Answer Generally speaking, if an I-485 is timely filed, a person may remain in the U.S. in a period of authorized stay based on the pending I-485. (04.Dec.2019)Sheela Murthy and other senior attorneys provide guidance that clarifies the law. For information on our FREE online services,...

05 Dec 2019

My wife and I are in H1B status, and our 8-year-old son is a U.S. citizen. Can he sponsor us for a green card?

Answer Ordinarily, a U.S. citizen child cannot sponsor his parents for a family-based green card until he reaches the age of 21. (04.Dec.2019)Sheela Murthy and other senior attorneys provide guidance that clarifies the law. For information on our FREE online services, click here.Access more FAQs here. Copyright...

05 Dec 2019

I am a green card holder and will be applying for U.S. citizenship next year. If I get health insurance through Obamacare, will that prevent my citizenship application from being approved because of the new public charge rule?

Answer Several federal courts have blocked the new public charge rule from going into effect. Even if the rule eventually does go into effect, however, it normally would not have any impact on an application to become a U.S. citizen. There is no public charge analysis...

02 Dec 2019

USCIS Proposal for Substantial Fee Increase and Imposition of New Filing Fees

As previously reported on MurthyDotCom, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) published a new proposed rule on Thursday, November 14, 2019, outlining significant increases for many U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) filing fees. The increases will result in a weighted average increase of...

27 Nov 2019

I was in H1B status and, right before my I-94 expired, I applied for a change of status to H-4. Two weeks later, my former employer sent me my final paycheck. Is it a problem that I am receiving this payment even though I am no longer in H1B status?

Answer Generally speaking, so long as the foreign national was in valid H1B status at the time the work was performed, being paid after the H1B expiration date would not be a violation of immigration law. (27.Nov.2019)Sheela Murthy and other senior attorneys provide guidance that clarifies...