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...
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 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...
The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) recently announced new policy guidance in the USCIS Policy Manual on how country-specific facts and circumstances may impact the adjudication of discretionary benefit requests. Presidential Proclamation 10949 The new guidance follows the framework of the 04.Jun.2025 Presidential Proclamation 10949, "Restricting...
The USCIS recently expanded online filing options to allow certain immigration forms to be submitted as completed PDFs, rather than requiring applicants to manually enter information into an online form. This change offers greater flexibility for some applicants, but it also comes with important caveats...
The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) recently sent notices to many individuals about a new fee requirement affecting certain individuals who seek parole into the United States. It appears that most of notices were sent to those with a valid parole document, but some...
The Trump Administration has directed the U.S. Department of State to issue new guidance directing consular officers to consider a significantly expanded range of health conditions when evaluating visa applications, including common chronic conditions such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, obesity, and mental health conditions. Although...
In a significant policy shift, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has announced its plan to eliminate the ability to pay filing fees using personal checks, money orders, or other forms of paper payments, with few exceptions. For decades, these paper-based payments have been a...
The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) Policy Manual was recently updated, providing guidance related to family-based petitions. This update explains and clarifies eligibility criteria, filing procedures, interview scheduling, and other issues. Most notable is the USCIS decision to issue notices to appear (NTAs) –...
