The Murthy Law Firm receives a number of inquiries from foreign nationals whose visa foils ("stamps") have been revoked by a U.S. consulate following a conviction, or even just an arrest, for driving under the influence (DUI), driving while intoxicated (DWI), or a related criminal...
For the seventh year in a row, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has approved 10,000 U visa petitions, the maximum allowed by law per year under this category. The U visa is reserved for victims of certain types of crime who cooperate with...
The rule proposed by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) on December 30, 2015, entitled Retention of EB1, EB2, and EB3 Immigrant Workers and Program Improvements Affecting High-Skilled Nonimmigrant Workers, includes a number of different provisions. While parts of the proposed rule are disappointing,...
Under a deadline set by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), as of November 25, 2015, all passports are required to meet machine-readable standards. Foreign governments are not required to accept passports that do not meet these standards. This includes Indian passports issued with validity...
On Friday, April 1, 2016, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) will begin accepting H1B cap-subject case filings for fiscal year 2017 (FY17). April 1st may seem a long time from today, but employers and potential H1B workers would be wise to begin the...
The U.S. Department of State (DOS) February 2016 Visa Bulletin was issued on January 8, 2016. This latest visa bulletin provides advancement of the final action (FA) cutoff date in the employment-based, second preference category for India, consistent with earlier predictions. Meanwhile, the date of filing...
As previously reported, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) issued a final guidance memorandum on July 21, 2015 that details the requirements for filing an amended H1B petition based on an H1B employee being moved to a different worksite location. This memo implements the decision...
Earlier today, both the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate passed an omnibus spending bill that serves to prevent a government shutdown. President Obama has indicated that he will sign the bill into law once it reaches his desk. Included within the massive...
The USCIS has improved their website with the addition of a virtual assistant named Emma. This is an effort to facilitate the public's ability to navigate the USCIS WebSite and gain access to general immigration information. Named after Emma Lazarus, author of the poem at...
Immigration law is highly complex, often considered on the level of federal securities law or tax law in its intricacy and complexity. Misunderstandings are common and, frequently, get mixed in with helpful tips exchanged online and elsewhere. A common misconception is a mythical grace period...
