Answer The executive order does not immediately impact H1B workers who are working on federal contracts. However, action may be taken in the future that will force such H1B workers off of these projects.Sheela Murthy and other senior attorneys provide guidance that clarifies the law. For...
On July 31, 2020, USCIS posted a clarification to the July 29, 2020 ruling by the New York U.S. District Court blocking the Trump Administration’s public charge rule during the COVID-19 pandemic. The USCIS has now confirmed that it will not apply the public benefit...
Today, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has announced that it will "adjust USCIS fees by a weighted average increase of 20 percent to help recover its operational costs." The final rule is expected to be published in the Federal Register on August 3,...
The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) "policy manual" was recently updated to consolidate guidance related to applying discretion in USCIS adjudications. As noted in the corresponding policy alert, "[f]or many immigration benefits, such as certain applications for lawful permanent residence and employment authorization documents,...
Today, a representative from the office of U.S. Senator Patrick Leahy (D) announced that the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) had agreed to postpone furloughs of its staff until August 31, 2020. In the meantime, if Congress and the president are able to reach...
Last week, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) sent out notices to more than two-thirds of its employees that they may be furloughed, effective August 3, 2020. The USCIS is seeking $1.2 billion in emergency funding from Congress; if this is not granted, the...
New H1B policy changes that have been impacted by litigation are discussed by attorneys from the Murthy Law Firm. Rescission of USCIS memos and guidance are included in this conversation, which aired on 01.Jul.2020 as part of our teleconference series for employers and their representatives.The...
The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is again extending the response time flexibility, initially announced on March 30, 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This flexibility applies to applicants and petitioners responding to any of the following, issued from March 1 through September 11,...
In May 2014, the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) made it possible for travelers to access their respective I-94 arrival / departure records. This database provides a person's most recent I-94 admission record as well as entry and departure records for the past five...
Most months, Charles Oppenheim, the U.S. Department of State (DOS) Chief of the Visa Control and Reporting Division, provides visa bulletin explanations and predictions. Following the release of the July 2020 Visa Bulletin, Mr. Oppenheim provided some information regarding the use of immigrant visa numbers...
