The results of the U.S. Department of State (DOS) diversity visa (DV) lottery for fiscal year 2014 (FY14) are now available. The DV lottery is a DOS program that runs on an annual basis. Eligibility for participation is limited to people from designated countries with...
This MurthyDotCom NewsBrief marks the end of updates to our readers on developments related to the fiscal year 2014 (FY14) H1B cap season. The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has begun returning H1B cases that were not selected in the FY14 lottery. The USCIS...
The U.S. Department of State (DOS) Visa Bulletin for June 2013 is now available. The contents of the employment-based (EB) categories in the June 2013 Visa Bulletin are set forth below for the benefit of MurthyDotCom readers. Visa Bulletin Summary Employment-Based, First Preference (EB1) This category remains current...
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has ordered a higher level of scrutiny of F-1 students at the U.S. ports of entry (POEs), according to the Associated Press [Foreign Students to Face New Checks at U.S. Borders, Julia Preston, New York Times, 03.May.2013]. The...
The U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) is transitioning the nation's sea and air ports of entry (POEs) to the automated I-94 arrival / departure card system. At the same time, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is updating forms and procedures to adapt...
The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is still processing H1B cap-subject filings for fiscal year 2014 (FY14), as of this writing. Questions regarding the status of these filings continue to come into the Murthy Law Firm. This NewsBrief updates MurthyDotCom readers on the process,...
Colleges and universities certified to sponsor foreign students for F-1 classification often receive applications from potential students who meet these schools' academic standards, but lack sufficient proficiency in English. To address this matter, many Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP)-authorized schools have created various types...
In Part 1 of this NewsBrief, MurthyDotCom readers were provided with an update and partial summary of the comprehensive immigration reform (CIR) proposal, S.744, Border Security, Economic Opportunity and Immigration Modernization Act of 2013. In Part 2 some of the key provisions are summarized that...
There is an important change of status restriction on J-2 dependents of J-1 international medical graduates (IMGs). The following NewsBrief from the Murthy Law Firm discusses this nuance, which may otherwise come as a surprise to a J-2 spouse who seeks to transition to a...
There has been significant news coverage regarding the introduction of S.744, a comprehensive immigration reform (CIR) bill titled the "Border Security, Economic Opportunity, and Immigration Modernization Act of 2013." This two-part article updates MurthyDotCom readers on the status of this proposed CIR legislation and provides...
