The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has updated the USCIS Policy Manual with additional guidance that expands the extraordinary circumstances exception to the Child Status Protection Act's (CSPA) "sought to acquire" requirement. This update stems from a February 14, 2023, policy update that expanded...
The Fraud Detection and National Security Directorate (FDNS) of the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is responsible for conducting site visits, when needed, at the homes of married couples in spousal permanent residence ("green card") cases. This is an effort to identify and investigate...
It is not uncommon to hear of situations where a pregnant lawful permanent resident (LPR) or green card holder who travels abroad for temporary travel and gives birth while outside the United States. The newborn does not have a green card or other U.S. travel...
Earlier this year, the U.S. Department of State (DOS) updated the guidance for how consular officers should determine whether a misrepresentation made by a foreign national is to be considered "material." Under the Immigration and Nationality Act, if a foreign national makes a misrepresentation regarding...
[Read Part 2 of this MurthyDotCom NewsBrief.]At the Murthy Law Firm, we are often asked by potential clients whether they can hire us for their immigration matters. The answer to this question often depends upon the type of immigration case. Given the importance of using...
Today, the U.S. Department of State (DOS) released the August 2023 Visa Bulletin. Several categories retrogress in the latest visa bulletin, although at least some of the backlogs should start clearing up in October, when the new fiscal year begins. All cutoff dates listed refer...
For a variety of reasons, there are situations in which individuals who hold lawful permanent resident (LPR) status may wish to relinquish their green cards. Personal circumstances change over time and new opportunities present themselves, making it necessary or desirable to relocate outside of the...
A foreign national may become subject to inadmissibility for a variety of reasons. Those deemed inadmissible are not eligible for immigrant or nonimmigrant visas, admission to the United States, extension of nonimmigrant status, or adjustment of status to that of a lawful permanent resident (LPR)....
Many MurthyDotCom readers will consider options for naturalizing to U.S. citizenship at some point in their immigration journeys. This often gives rise to questions regarding family members, including one’s children. This is a broad overview of how children born outside of the United States may...
The concept of priority dates is confusing for many. There are statutory limits to the number of foreign nationals who may be granted permanent residency (commonly, green cards) under all employment-based (EB) and most family-based (FB) categories. For these types of green card cases, priority...
