Although most of the focus on the visa bulletin released by the U.S. Department of State (DOS) each month is reserved for the employment-based (EB) categories, the monthly visa bulletin also provides cutoff dates for the family-based (FB) categories. These categories tend to be less...
Every year, the Citizenship and Immigration Services (CIS) Ombudsman submits a report to the U.S. Congress on the state of immigration services within the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). This report is a key component of the CIS Ombudsman's role. The Ombudsman's office reviews U.S. Citizenship...
On June 30, 2016, President Obama signed a law aimed at strengthening the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). The Freedom of Information Improvement Act of 2016 implements policies to increase the transparency by the U.S. federal government. These important changes come on the eve of...
The U.S. Department of State (DOS) August 2016 Visa Bulletin is remarkable, but not surprising, in that it contains a February 1, 2014 cutoff date for the employment-based, second preference (EB2) worldwide category. This is the first time this category has ever had a cutoff...
The fiscal year 2017 (FY17) H1B cap season continues to wind down. The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) confirmed that the latest stage, the return of all H1B petitions that were not selected in the lottery, was completed on July 8, 2016. Given the...
The U.S. Department of State (DOS) released the August 2016 Visa Bulletin this afternoon, and, as expected, it establishes a cutoff date of January 1, 2010 for the employment-based, first preference (EB1) category for those born in India and China. The massive demand for visa numbers...
Originally published May 5, 2013, this NewsBrief has been updated for MurthyDotCom readers.The term "cap gap" refers to the period of time between April 1st and October 1st each year when many F-1 students experience a gap from the end of their optional practical training...
The U.S. Department of State (DOS) Visa Control and Reporting Division Chief, Charles Oppenheim, has confirmed that a cutoff date will be established in the employment-based, first preference (EB1) category in the August 2016 Visa Bulletin. The cutoff date will only apply to India and...
Travelers entering the United States on the visa waiver program (VWP) face additional screening questions when completing the application for Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA). These ESTA restrictions are part of the VWP program and are based on an applicant's nationality and/or travel history. Background...
The American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) annual conference is a valuable source of up-to-date immigration information, often directly from key government officials. This year the AILA Annual Conference is in Las Vegas from June 22-25, 2016. The Murthy Law Firm lawyers attending the conference are...
