Mr. Don Heflin, the Minister Counselor for Consular Affairs at the U.S. Embassy in India, recently conducted a question-and-answer session to update the public on the state of visa appointments at U.S. consulates in India. Staffing Levels Mr. Heflin noted that staffing levels at the consulates have...
The D.C. Circuit Court recently ruled in favor of the U.S. government in a lawsuit brought by a worker's union, holding the F-1 optional practical training (OPT) and STEM OPT programs were lawfully enacted. The union unsuccessfully argued that the statute passed by Congress that...
The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced today that the response time flexibility, initially announced on March 20, 2020, is being extended. This extension applies to qualifying USCIS requests issued through January 24, 2023. Response Time Flexibility The USCIS has extended the response time flexibility for...
A foreign national may be found to be inadmissible (i.e., ineligible to enter the United States, adjust status from within the U.S., or apply for certain other immigration benefits) for a variety of reasons. Some categories of inadmissibility result in a permanent bar to the...
The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has announced that, as of September 26, 2022, a person's permanent resident card (i.e., "green card") will be extended for two years beyond the expiration date based on a properly filed application to replace permanent resident card (form...
Today, the U.S. Department of State (DOS) released the November 2022 Visa Bulletin. Unfortunately, the bulletin remains nearly identical to the October 2022 bulletin. All cutoff dates listed refer to the dates in the final action chart (i.e., Chart A), unless otherwise specified. Visa Bulletin Summary Employment-Based,...
If certain criteria are met, a group of ten or more applicants may schedule a group appointment at a U.S. consulate. An overview of the process of scheduling such an appointment at a U.S. consular post in India is provided here for the benefit of...
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has published a final rule in the Federal Register, which reaffirms long-standing guidance applicable for determinations of whether an individual is likely to become a public charge. A foreign national who is considered likely to become a public...
The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced yesterday evening that, effective immediately, it has initiated the third phase of expanding the availability of premium processing service for two categories of I-140 petitions that historically have not been eligible for premium processing. Specifically, the USCIS...
The United States allows for the issuance of a Social Security number (SSN) to an individual who is authorized to work in the U.S. One of the key purposes of the SSN is to serve as a tracking number for income tax and related matters....
