Today, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has announced that it will "adjust USCIS fees by a weighted average increase of 20 percent to help recover its operational costs." The final rule is expected to be published in the Federal Register on August 3,...
On July 29, 2020, U.S. District Judge George Daniels issued an decision temporarily blocking the public charge rule during the COVID-19 pandemic. Earlier this year, the U.S. Supreme Court allowed the government to proceed with applying the public charge rule until all the legal challenges...
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced this afternoon that it will reject all initial DACA and advance parole applications either already pending or future initial requests, and shorten new renewals to one-year validity period, instead of the two-year period. DHS issued a Memorandum...
Most months, Charles Oppenheim, the U.S. Department of State (DOS) Chief of the Visa Control and Reporting Division, provides visa bulletin explanations and predictions. Following the release of the August 2020 Visa Bulletin, Mr. Oppenheim provided a few minor updates. EB1 Category In the August 2020 Visa...
Today, a representative from the office of U.S. Senator Patrick Leahy (D) announced that the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) had agreed to postpone furloughs of its staff until August 31, 2020. In the meantime, if Congress and the president are able to reach...
Answer No, one may not use a pending or approved I-130 petition as a basis to extend H1B status. (20.Jul.2020)Sheela Murthy and other senior attorneys provide guidance that clarifies the law. For information on our FREE online services, click here. Access more FAQs here. Copyright © 2020,...
Answer Ordinarily, a U.S. citizen who is at least 21-years-of-age is permitted to sponsor their parents for green cards. Once the naturalization process is complete, there is no requirement that the person wait any period of time before initiating this process. (20.Jul.2020)Sheela Murthy and other senior...
The U.S. Department of State (DOS) has released the August 2020 Visa Bulletin. All cutoff dates listed refer to the dates in the final action (FA) chart, unless otherwise specified. Visa Bulletin Summary Employment-Based, First Preference (EB1) Category The EB1 China and India categories continue to advance. The...
At the Murthy Law Firm, we receive many questions about immigration petitioning for relatives. While there are various nuances to this topic, we have simplified the initial, fundamental question: who may file for permanent immigration benefits to provide the "green card" for their relatives. These...
Answer To be included as a "dependent" on an employment-based I-485 petition, one must be MARRIED before the lead applicant receives approval of the I-485. (13.Jul.2020)Sheela Murthy and other senior attorneys provide guidance that clarifies the law. For information on our FREE online services, click here....
