A U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officer will often ask an H1B worker entering the United States whether the worker has ever paid their employer a portion of their salary. U.S. immigration law generally forbids an H1B worker from covering fees associated with the...
A May 2025 internal Immigration and Customs Enforcement memo revealed that the agency has authorized its officers, in certain situations, to forcibly enter private residences using administrative warrants, without obtaining warrants signed by judges. The policy represents a significant departure from longstanding federal law enforcement...
The Murthy Law Firm recently succeeded in helping a client obtain a green card through a marriage-based process, despite a complicated immigration history that initially appeared to present insurmountable obstacles. This client graciously granted permission for the Murthy Law Firm to share his story to...
In a significant development for international travel, a U.S. Department of State (DOS) memorandum has revealed a plan to indefinitely freeze visa processing for citizens of 75 countries, effective 21.Jan.2026. This move represents a major expansion of the current administration’s immigration and border policies.According to...
The U.S. Department of State (DOS) has released the February 2026 Visa Bulletin. There is little-to-no movement in the upcoming visa bulletin. All cutoff dates listed refer to the final action chart (i.e., Chart A), unless otherwise specified. Visa Bulletin Summary Employment-Based, First Preference (EB1) Category In the...
On Monday, 12.Jan.2026, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security is scheduled to publish a final rule in the Federal Register that will increase the premium processing fees. This fee increase will go into effect on 01.Mar.2026.Per the final rule, premium processing fees that are currently...
A person who is a conditional permanent resident (CPR) as the result of a marriage to a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident is required to file a petition to remove conditions on residence (form I-751) within ninety days of the expiration of the conditional...
The Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) is a pre-screening tool that most visa waiver program (VWP) travelers must obtain before boarding a flight or ship bound for the United States. While ESTA has been a fixture of VWP travel for years, recent policy changes...
Tips for the upcoming H1B cap season and latest trends from the USCIS, including the weighted selection process, are discussed by Murthy Law Firm attorneys in the podcast recorded 29.Dec.2025. This was prepared and dropped early, due to the important topics here for U.S. employers.The...
The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced updated policy guidance on 12.Dec.2025, regarding significant changes to its photograph reuse policy for immigration benefit applications. For the benefit of MurthyDotCom readers, a summary of the new policy is provided. Background on Photograph Collection Before issuing a secure...
