The U.S. Department of State (DOS) has issued the May 2014 Visa Bulletin. There is little to cheer for in this month's bulletin, with no unexpected forward movement in any of the categories. Further, the DOS again warns that retrogression may be necessary for the...
On April 10, 2014, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced the completion of the random selection lottery of H1B cap subject petitions filed for fiscal year 2015 (FY15). The USCIS has completed both the lottery for selection of the 20,000 advanced-degree exemptions (or,...
The USCIS Idea Community is an online tool created by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) to solicit public feedback and ideas on its services and initiatives. The "idea campaign" pertains to welcoming immigrants and citizenship preparation. The public is free to submit comments through...
As expected, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) received enough cap-subject H1B petitions during the first five business days of April than the 65,000 regular cap numbers available for fiscal year 2015 (FY15). The 20,000 advanced-degree exemption (or, "master's cap") was also exceeded during...
Portions of two more volumes of the new online policy manual of the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) have recently been released. The additions deal with fraud and willful misrepresentation grounds of inadmissibility, and the availability of corresponding waivers. Purpose of Online USCIS Policy Manual In January...
The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced its intent to voluntarily reopen certain denied I-601A waivers. This applies, as of March 18, 2014, to I-601A waiver cases that were denied prior to January 24, 2014, and only to those cases that were denied solely...
A week before the April 1, 2014 commencement of the fiscal year 2015 (FY15) cap season, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) issued a notice regarding related filing procedures and expectations. The USCIS confirms expectations that the number of H1B cap-subject filings will exceed the...
The National Foundation for American Policy (NFAP) recently released a study that documents and analyzes the dramatic increase in the percentage of L1B petitions denied by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) in recent years. The NFAP finds that the situation is even worse...
The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) online system known as e-Request was recently updated and expanded. The e-Request system allows individuals and petitioning employers to submit inquiries on applications and petitions that have been filed with the USCIS. Purpose and Scope of e-Request As detailed in the...
The Murthy Law Firm reminds readers that the H1B cap-filing season for fiscal year (FY) 2015 is drawing near. The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) will begin accepting cap-subject H1B petitions on Tuesday, April 1, 2014. Employers and individuals who have not made appropriate...
