The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) recently announced the second phase of the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) Immigration Records SysTem (FIRST). This system is designed to bring FOIA requests into the digital age. More details on FOIA are available in the MurthyDotCom NewsBrief,...
The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced this afternoon that, effective September 11, 2018, petitioners will temporarily be unable to request premium processing for most types of H1B petitions. This restriction is expected to remain in place until February 19, 2019.As of September 11th,...
The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has entered into a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) to share information and, ostensibly, to protect U.S. workers. This MOU is designed to make it easier to refer cases of potential discrimination in...
A federal judge for the United States District Court for the District of Columbia ordered the Trump Administration to fully restore the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. The judge ruled that the Administration's decision to rescind the DACA program was "unlawful and must...
On August 20, 2018, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) provided a status update to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, confirming that the agency is working to finalize a notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM), which is expected to...
The Fourth Circuit Federal Court of Appeals recently ruled in Levya Martinez v. Sessions, that a theft conviction under Maryland law is not a "crime involving moral turpitude" (CIMT). A conviction of a CIMT can have a serious impact on a foreign national's eligibility for...
This afternoon, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) updated its STEM OPT webpage to clarify that STEM OPT workers can be placed offsite if certain requirements are met. The update also alters certain reporting requirements for F-1 students working pursuant to STEM OPT and...
Charles Oppenheim, Chief of the Visa Control and Reporting Division for the U.S. Department of State (DOS), provides visa bulletin explanations and predictions most months. This month, Mr. Oppenheim provides updated predictions for fiscal year 2019 (FY19), which begins on October 1, 2018. Employment-Based, First Preference...
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has issued a warning in relation to a recent trend in telephone scams. The DHS warns that criminals are posing as government representatives, calling intended victims, and asking for funds to be sent via electronic transfer to resolve...
The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has released the final version of the policy memorandum that greatly expands the situations in which those in F, J, or M status may begin accruing unlawful presence. Strangely enough, the memo was not released until yesterday evening,...
