The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced in late October 2010 that it has started using a redesigned naturalization certificate. This is part of ongoing efforts to enhance document security. Thus, the new version of the certificate of naturalization (Form N-550) contains a number...
The labor condition application (LCA) is important to many employers and foreign workers in the United States, as it is a part of the H1B petition filing process. The LCA is a form that requires U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) approval in order for an...
The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) posts processing information online. This is itemized by each service center and for each field office, based on case type. While this is helpful, further explanation is provided here to aid MurthyDotCom and MurthyBulletin readers in understanding the...
A U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) memorandum regarding the importance of social networking sites in fraud detection was recently disclosed. This memo discusses the use of social networking sites by Fraud Detection and National Security (FDNS) officers in investigating potential abuses of U.S. immigration...
Many of our readers participate in the popular, weekly MurthyChat, one of the free online services offered by the Murthy Law Firm. They may also search past chat transcripts for answers to their own questions. The chat reflects questions that are on the minds of...
The Board of Alien Labor Certification Appeals (BALCA) recently addressed the meaning of the term "business day" in connection with the notice-of-filing requirement in PERM labor certification (LC) cases. In this decision, issued October 12, 2010, BALCA allowed consideration of weekends, as the petitioning employer...
Many of our readers participate in the popular, weekly MurthyChat, one of the free online services offered by the Murthy Law Firm. They may also search past chat transcripts for answers to their own questions. The chat reflects questions that are on the minds of...
The Comprehensive Immigration Reform Act of 2010 (S. 3932) was introduced in the Senate on September 29, 2010. The bill is sponsored by Senators Robert Menendez (D-NY) and Patrick Leahy (D-VT). While Comprehensive Immigration Reform (CIR) has been claimed as a priority for many years,...
Employment-based permanent immigration (often referred to as the "green card process") is generally a three-part process, starting with a PERM labor certification (LC). The entire green card process is often lengthy and, in many situations, takes years to complete. The basic steps required prior to...
The beginning of each fiscal year marks the start of another U.S. Department of State (DOS) diversity visa (DV) "green card" lottery opportunity. The start of fiscal year 2011 (FY11) on October 1, 2010, means that it is time to begin another lottery cycle for...
