With the general election approaching, foreign nationals should understand that appearing on a voter roll does not establish eligibility to vote. Lawful permanent residents, individuals in non-immigrant status, and other noncitizens generally may not vote in U.S. federal elections. Voting when prohibited by law, or...
The U.S. Department of State (DOS) has released the November 2026 Visa Bulletin. Several employment-based and family-based cutoff dates advance, while others remain unchanged. Unless otherwise noted, the cutoff dates below are from the final action chart (Chart A), which governs when an immigrant visa...
A consular interview is an important step for many applicants seeking a U.S. nonimmigrant visa. Procedures and questions vary by visa category and consular post, but preparation can help applicants to present accurate information about their travel plans and qualifications. This article explains what to...
In the typical employment-based permanent residence (commonly, "green card") case, the second stage of the three-stage process is the employer's Immigrant Petition for Alien Worker, filed on the I-140 form. One of the essential aspects of the I-140 is the requirement that the sponsoring employer...
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has issued a proposed rule that would eliminate the regulation requiring U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) generally to defer to an earlier eligibility determination when reviewing a Form I-129 filing involving the same parties and underlying facts....
The employer’s legal requirements for a layoff of an H1B worker and trends in Requests for Evidence are discussed by Murthy Law Firm attorneys in the October 2026 podcast.The MP3 is available here and soon can be found in the archive of our podcasts and...
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) released a proposed rule on October 7, 2026, that would require Student and Exchange Visitor Program-certified schools to pay $70,000 before first recommending an F-1 student for optional practical training (OPT), and $30,000 before a subsequent OPT recommendation after...
Some applicants who have provided biometrics are seeing an unsettling update in their USCIS online case history: “Case Required USCIS To Send A Notice.” The accompanying message may say, “On [date], we issued a notice for your Form [form type], Receipt Number [number].” In cases...
International travel can present challenges for foreign nationals whose visa stamps have expired, even when they remain in valid nonimmigrant status in the United States. In limited circumstances, however, automatic visa revalidation (AVR) may allow certain travelers to seek readmission to the United States without...
UPDATE TO: October 2026 Visa Bulletin USCIS has confirmed that applicants may use the Dates for Filing charts for both family-sponsored and employment-based adjustment-of-status filings in October 2026. Check your category, country of chargeability, and priority date before filing Form I-485. https://www.uscis.gov/green-card/green-card-processes-and-procedures/visa-availability-priority-dates/adjustment-of-status-filing-charts-from-the-visa-bulletin...
