The U.S. Department of State (DOS) has temporarily suspended offering in-person service at passport agencies during the COVID-19 epidemic. The only exception for this is if the applicant needs a U.S. passport due to a "qualified life-or-death emergency."U.S. citizens may still apply in person at...
The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced today that in-person services at its field offices, asylum offices, and application support centers (ASCs) will remain suspended until at least May 3, 2020. In-person services may resume on May 4, 2020, depending upon what transpires with...
Under U.S. law, most men are required to register for military Selective Service, more commonly referred to as the "draft." This requirement often comes as a surprise to foreign nationals when they encounter questions about Selective Service registration during the process of applying for naturalization...
On March 11, 2020, President Trump announced a 30-day ban on all travel from the 26 European countries encompassing the Schengen Area, beginning Friday, March 13th. Certain individuals are exempt from the 30-day ban, including U.S. citizens, lawful permanent residents, and their direct family members....
Today, the U.S. Department of State (DOS) published a final rule in the Federal Register that aims to prevent women from being issued B-1/B-2 visas for purposes of "birth tourism" - that is, traveling to the United States for the primary purpose of obtaining U.S....
One motivating factor for many people in the decision to immigrate to the United States is the potential opportunities for their children. For years, parents of children born abroad faced the possibility of family separation if their children turned twenty-one years of age prior to...
William Barr, the U.S. Attorney General, recently certified a decision on a case, Matter of Castillo-Perez, in which he ruled that a foreign national who has two or more convictions for driving under the influence (DUI) is presumed to lack "good moral character" (GMC). A...
As previously reported on MurthyDotCom, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) published a new proposed rule on Thursday, November 14, 2019, outlining significant increases for many U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) filing fees. The increases will result in a weighted average increase of...
The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has released policy guidance, effective October 29, 2019, modifying certain residency requirements for obtaining U.S. citizenship. Notably, this policy impacts children born abroad to U.S. government employees and U.S. armed forces members. Under the new policy guidance, "children...
For the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) to approve an application for naturalization (form N-400), the applicant for citizenship generally must first pass a U.S. civics and history test, and demonstrate the ability to read, write, and speak English. The USCIS has announced that...
