The Murthy Law Firm is proud to report that we were able to secure employment-based immigrant visas for a family at a U.S. consulate based on the portability provisions in the American Competitiveness in the Twenty First Century Act (AC21). While moving to a new...
There has been a great deal of confusion surrounding recent changes to the U.S. Department of State (DOS) visa bulletin system. There are now two cutoff charts each for the family-based (FB) and employment-based (EB) preference categories. As previously discussed, however, those seeking to file an...
The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has released guidance on how to pay the application for naturalization (N-400) filing fees by credit card. The N-400 is the only form that allows for fee payment by credit card. This change is part of President Obama's efforts...
The rule proposed by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to revise and reauthorize the STEM optional practical training (OPT) program was published in the federal register on October 19, 2015. The proposed rule would increase the duration of STEM OPT extensions to 24...
The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has announced that, effective October 19, 2015, there will be a change in the filing location for a limited group of form I-140 employer petitions. This change is simply an effort to balance workloads between the Texas Service Center...
The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has completed its review of the proposed rule on STEM optional practical training (OPT). In the near future, it is very likely that the rule will be published in the federal register and stakeholders will be given at least...
As previously reported (02.Oct.2015), the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) submitted a new proposed rule on STEM optional practical training (OPT) for review by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). Notice of the submission is available online, but, at present, no specifics regarding the...
A new self-check function has been added to the U. S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) Systematic Alien Verification Entitlements (SAVE) program. The SAVE system is used by federal, state, and local agencies to check a person's immigration status when s/he is applying for a...
As the controversy over the October 2015 Visa Bulletin continues, the U.S. Department of State (DOS) has released the November 2015 Visa Bulletin. There is no movement in this month's visa bulletin under the dates for filing (DF) chart. But, some cutoff dates do move...
A federal judge has rejected a motion filed by the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to dismiss a lawsuit that challenges a pattern of delays by the CBP in releasing documents requested under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). The U.S. District Court for...
