There are some small, yet pleasant surprises in the February 2015 Visa Bulletin, just released by the U.S. Department of State (DOS). Although the cutoff for employment-based, second preference (EB2) category for India was expected to remain stagnant until the summer, it is now being moved...
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 (DOS) and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) issued a notice of request for information (RFI), on December 30, 2014, asking for input from the general public on streamlining and improving the nation's immigration system. This RFI is a result...
Effective January 27, 2015, changes will be made to the issuance of decisions and correspondence, as well as documents related to permanent residence. The changes impact which parties will receive written communication or notices and documents from the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). Parties Involved...
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...
One of the components of President Obama's executive actions on immigration includes efforts to facilitate lawful permanent residents (LPRs, or "green card" holders) in becoming citizens of the United States. To that end, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) issued a memorandum to Leon...
The President's November 20, 2014 announcement of various executive actions related to immigration has created excitement and hope for foreign nationals living in the United States. The uncertainty of the changes in rules and regulations, however, also makes foreign nationals prime targets for criminals who...
Each month, Charles Oppenheim, Chief of the Visa Control and Reporting Division at the U.S. Department of State (DOS), provides the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) with some additional insight and predictions regarding the visa bulletin. This month, Chief Oppenheim provides a glimmer of hope...
As has been widely reported, the State of Texas has filed a lawsuit seeking to block portions of President Obama's executive actions related to immigration. This has created some unease and confusion among foreign nationals who stand to benefit from some part of the President's...
Immediately following President Obama's November 20, 2014 announcement of his executive actions related to immigration reform, the Murthy Law Firm began to receive queries asking when the changes would go into effect. While the timeline on immigration benefits for undocumented aliens has been fairly well...
