Effective April 1, 2015, the U.S. embassy and consulates in India will be retiring the Business Executive Program (BEP). This program, which was created in the 1990s, was a U.S. government effort to facilitate business travel through registration and recognition of established companies. BEP Service Benefits The...
As previously reported to MurthyDotCom readers, the U.S. Department of State (DOS) and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) issued a notice of request for information (RFI) in December 2014, seeking input from the public on ways to improve the nation's immigration system. Accordingly, the...
In response to questions from the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) during a January 21, 2015 teleconference, the USCIS Service Center Operations (SCOPS) Directorate has provided clarifications on some common immigration questions. More specifically, SCOPS addressed issues that may arise when applying to become a...
In February 2015, the U.S. Supreme Court will hear arguments in Kerry v. Din, an immigration-related case that deals with the doctrine of consular nonreviewability. This doctrine generally insulates embassies and consulates from having visa denials overturned by federal courts. This particular court promises to...
Since June 2013, same-sex couples have been eligible for the same type of U.S. immigration benefits as opposite-sex couples. This policy shift, however, has given rise to safety concerns for beneficiaries in certain types of cases involving same-sex couples; more specifically, the U.S. Department of...
Effective December 22, 2014, the exchange rate between the Indian rupee and the U.S. dollar, for purposes of paying visa applications fees in India, has changed. The new exchange rate is 64 rupees per U.S. dollar, up from the previous designated rate of 62 rupees...
The U.S. Department of State, National Visa Center (NVC) plays a key role in applications for immigrant visas that are utilizing the consular processing (CP) option. In a November 2014 meeting with the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA), the NVC provided some insights into how...
The U.S. Consulate in Toronto, Canada, has implemented a new, streamlined E-2 visa application process for renewal cases. The revised process should make renewal applications faster and less burdensome for qualifying applicants. Overview of E-2 Visas The E-2 (treaty investor) visa is only available to a foreign...
The United States has entered into a reciprocal agreement with China regarding the duration of commonly utilized nonimmigrant visa categories. This agreement, effective November 12, 2014, applies to B-1/B-2 business and tourist visitors, F-1 and M-1 students, as well as J-1 exchange visitors. Chinese nationals...
The National Visa Center (NVC) has changed the requirements regarding supporting documentation submitted in immigrant visa applications. As of November 12, 2014, the NVC has begun accepting photocopies of civil documents, rather than requiring originals. Background on the NVC In cases where a foreign national wishes to...
