The Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) has issued a new broadcast message advising designated school officials (DSOs) that it will soon begin issuing notices to F-1 students participating in optional practical training (OPT) if the student does not mention information on the employer in...
U.S. consular sections across India have resumed accepting drop box applications to renew F, M, J, H, and L visas from qualifying applicants. In addition to the standard drop box requirements, H and L visa applicants must qualify for one of the exceptions to the...
Today, the U.S. Department of State (DOS) announced that it will temporarily relax one of the eligibility criteria for the interview waiver program at U.S. consulates, commonly referred to as the "drop box" option.Under the normal rules, one of the qualifying criteria is that the...
The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has reportedly cancelled its plans to furlough a large percentage of its staff at the end of this month. Due to budget constraints, however, the USCIS is cautioning stakeholders to expect longer wait times for certain services, such...
The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has issued a reminder to universities and F-1 students employed pursuant to post-completion optional practical training (OPT) to ensure that changes in employer information are updated in the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS). Per the USCIS...
The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has announced that, due to delays in the production of employment authorization documents (EADs), a form I-797 approval notice that has a notice date on or after December 1, 2019 through and including August 20, 2020, can be...
The U.S. Department of State (DOS) has released the September 2020 Visa Bulletin. There is very little movement from the previous month. This is the final visa bulletin of the current fiscal year. All cutoff dates listed refer to the dates in the final action...
On July 29, 2020, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) confirmed that, following an injunction issued by the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, it would not apply the October 2, 2019 public charge rule "…for any period during which...
Effective Monday, August 17, 2020, the U.S. consulates in India will have a limited number of slots available for F and J visa applicants. Per the announcement, emergency student and exchange visitor appointment requests submitted prior to August 12 will be processed first. The consulates...
In the past week, there have been unconfirmed reports that the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) was planning on holding a second H1B lottery. This morning, the Murthy Law Firm began receiving notifications that some of our clients' registrations, which were submitted in March...
