On Friday, February 2, 2024, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) will officially publish a final rule in the Federal Register that is designed to improve the integrity and fairness of the H1B registration system. Notably, the H1B registration process is being altered so...
The Murthy Law Firm has received multiple reports that the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has been erroneously denying STEM optional practical training (OPT) applications filed by F-1 students, alleging that the applicant’s degree was not in a STEM designated field. This MurthyDotCom NewsBrief...
When individuals have a brush with criminal law, they are often afraid and, typically, very embarrassed. Such experiences generally are shared, if at all, only with those closest to the individual. Thus, it often feels as if there is no one to turn to for...
While scientists have been known to investigate whether it is physically possible for Santa Claus to travel around the world in just one night, they tend to overlook the legal implications of the jolly man’s travels to bring toys and gifts to children in the...
Most nonimmigrant visa categories that allow a foreign national to work or study in the United States for an extended period of time have a corresponding dependent visa category that can be used by immediate family members to accompany the principal worker or student. For...
On Monday, October 23, 2023, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) will publish a notice of proposed rulemaking in the Federal Register that, if implemented in its current form, would both codify a number of existing rules and make a number of significant changes...
Congress must pass a spending bill to extend government operations before October 1, 2023, or else a temporary shutdown of the federal government will go into effect. This would be the first shutdown of the Biden Administration. Annual Budget Process and History of Shutdowns The money needed...
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has extended the temporary protected status (TPS) designation of Ukraine for an additional eighteen months, to April 19, 2025. Following the Russian invasion of Ukraine, TPS designation was initially granted, as explained in the MurthyDotCom NewsBrief, DHS Opens...
The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has released a revised edition of form I-9, employment eligibility verification. The updated form I-9 has a revised format that allows eligible employers to indicate that an employee's identity and employment authorization documents were examined remotely per the...
Earlier this year, the U.S. Department of State (DOS) updated the guidance for how consular officers should determine whether a misrepresentation made by a foreign national is to be considered "material." Under the Immigration and Nationality Act, if a foreign national makes a misrepresentation regarding...
