The Trump administration has ordered all U.S. consular posts to temporarily halt the scheduling of visa “stamp” appointment slots at consular posts for F, J, and M visa applicants. Foreign nationals who have already scheduled such visa appointments should not be impacted by this announcement.The...
The American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) recently met with U.S. Department of State (DOS) officials in Washington D.C., to discuss important developments affecting visa processing and immigration procedures. Summarized here are key takeaways from this meeting to help our clients and others in the community...
On 26.Feb.2025, the U.S. Department of State (DOS) issued updated guidance in the Foreign Affairs Manual (FAM) removing the policy that a consular officer’s recommendation for approval of a foreign national’s nonimmigrant visa (NIV) waiver request be consistent with a prior adjudication of the individual’s...
Last month, the U.S. Department of State quietly changed the eligibility requirements for nonimmigrant visa applicants in India seeking an interview waiver (commonly referred to as “dropbox” appointments). These changes, which appear to have been made without a formal announcement, are outlined on the U.S....
President-elect Donald Trump will begin his second term in office as President of the United States, effective January 20, 2025. Since the election, the Murthy Law Firm has received numerous questions about how his new administration will impact U.S. immigration law and policy. To assist...
Over the past several days, President-elect Donald Trump has selected several people to serve in his administration, which will start on January 20, 2025. All, unsurprisingly, have expressed views that parallel those the President-elect when it comes to immigration issues. Former ICE Director to Serve as...
As explained in the MurthyDotCom InfoArticle, Differences Between: Lawful Status, Period of Authorized Stay, & Unlawful Presence (19.Apr.2022), leaving the U.S. after a prolonged stay beyond the expiration date of one's I-94 can trigger an automatic three- or ten-year bar. In 2012, the Board of...
In general, anyone eligible to work in the United State is authorized to receive a Social Security number (SSN). The purpose of the SSN is to serve as a tracking number for income taxes and related matters. For foreign nationals, it can be useful to...
In order to enter the United States in H1B status, a foreign national typically must first obtain an H1B visa foil (commonly referred to as a visa "stamp") from a U.S. consulate or embassy. This visa stamp generally will be annotated with the name of...
Starting March 2024, the U.S. Embassy in India has consolidated B-1/B-2 interview waiver appointments in New Delhi, leading to limited appointment availability at U.S. consular posts in India. Applicants, however, still can submit applications at designated centers across India. This move aims to streamline the...
