Every year, the Citizenship and Immigration Services (CIS) Ombudsman submits a report to the U.S. Congress on the state of immigration services within the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). This report is a key component of the CIS Ombudsman's role. The Ombudsman's office reviews U.S. Citizenship...
On June 30, 2016, President Obama signed a law aimed at strengthening the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). The Freedom of Information Improvement Act of 2016 implements policies to increase the transparency by the U.S. federal government. These important changes come on the eve of...
Originally published May 5, 2013, this NewsBrief has been updated for MurthyDotCom readers.The term "cap gap" refers to the period of time between April 1st and October 1st each year when many F-1 students experience a gap from the end of their optional practical training...
Travelers entering the United States on the visa waiver program (VWP) face additional screening questions when completing the application for Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA). These ESTA restrictions are part of the VWP program and are based on an applicant's nationality and/or travel history. Background...
Significant progress has been made toward India's inclusion in the expedited travel program known as Global Entry. After several years of effort, a memorandum of understanding (MOU) has been entered into between the United States and India, with the goal of facilitating legitimate travel between...
There is a small, but growing trend of U.S. citizens electing to relinquish their U.S. citizenship. The motivations for expatriation vary, ranging from concerns over U.S. tax obligations to a desire for family unity. Regardless of the reasons, however, the most common voluntary renunciation of...
As part of the process of naturalizing to U.S. citizenship, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) generally reviews whether an applicant's permanent residence (commonly, "green card") was properly approved. If the USCIS determines that the green card should not have been issued, this typically...
Many types of immigration forms submitted to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) require the applicant to provide biometrics at an office in the United States. The USCIS has recently confirmed, however, that in "rare circumstances," the agency has the discretion to allow such...
Per a notice of proposed rulemaking published in the Federal Register on May 4, 2016, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is seeking to raise filing fees for most types of immigration filings. This notice specifies the amount of the proposed fee increases and explains...
The annual limits for the employment-based, fourth preference (EB4) category have been reached for applicants born in El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras. This development is reflected in the establishment of a cutoff date in the May 2016 Visa Bulletin issued by the U.S. Department of State...
