The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the U.S. Department of Commerce (DOC) have published a notice inviting comments on President Obama's request for a plan to improve the entry process for international travelers arriving at U.S. airports. In the notice, the two agencies are...
In March 2014, the Citizenship and Immigration Services (CIS) Ombudsman recommended a U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) policy change regarding the narrow interpretation of a provision in the law that impacts J-2 spouses of J-1 physicians. Under the USCIS interpretation of the law, these...
Leon Rodriguez was sworn in as the new Director of the U. S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) on July 9, 2014, following his confirmation by the U.S. Senate in June. Director Rodriquez is the fourth USCIS Director, since the agency was created in 2003. New...
The Citizenship and Immigration Services Ombudsman (CIS Ombudsman) 2014 Annual Report was submitted to Congress on June 27, 2014. The report details various deficiencies found within the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), according to the Ombudsman's office, including problems with H1B and L-1 processing...
The U nonimmigrant category provides immigration benefits to foreign nationals who have been the victims of certain serious crimes. These individuals may be able to obtain immigration benefits under the U nonimmigrant category by assisting U.S. law enforcement in its efforts to prosecute the perpetrator/s...
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has continued to enhance the Study-in-the-States web portal. The Study-in-the-States WebSite was initiated in 2011 to assist international students and school officials. The most recent improvements include a mobile-ready version of the website. Study-in-the-States Initiative The Study-in-the-States Initiative was launched in...
The American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) has announced that it will now begin to issue a report each month intended to provide reliable predictions and analysis regarding the movement of cutoff dates in the visa bulletin. These reports will be based on discussions with Charles...
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Office of Immigration Statistics, recently reported that over 990,000 foreign nationals were granted U.S. permanent residence ("green card" status) in fiscal year (FY) 2013. These individuals, their respective countries of origin, and avenues to permanent resident status provide...
The U.S. Department of State (DOS) Visa Bulletin for August 2014 is now available. The August Visa Bulletin brings a continuation of forward movement in the employment-based, second preference (EB2) category for Indian and Chinese nationals. This movement is far less dramatic than the long...
Earlier today, the U.S. Department of State (DOS) released the August 2014 Visa Bulletin. Effective August 1st, the employment-based, second preference (EB2) category for India will move forward to January 22, 2009. EB2 China will advance to October 8, 2009. MurthyDotCom will publish a more complete...
