A portion of the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) audit plan for PERM labor certification (LC) cases was recently released. The plan describes tiers of cases that are more likely to be subjected to audits, and also points out some of the potential triggers that...
The March 2014 Visa Bulletin has been released by the U.S. Department of State (DOS), offering little in the way of movement or surprises. Perhaps the most significant change is the retrogression of the family-based, second preference "A" (FB2A) category for anyone born in Mexico...
As evidenced from the inquiries we receive at the Murthy Law Firm, there are many individuals who are interested in the possibility of what is referred to as "upgrading" their permanent resident (commonly, "green card") cases to employment-based, second preference (EB2). This strategy is used...
The U.S. Department of State (DOS) has released the February 2014 Visa Bulletin. For the most part, there are no major changes in this latest visa bulletin from the previous month. One exception to this is the continued favorable developments for the employment-based, third preference...
The problems with the U.S. economy have brought renewed focus on options for attracting foreign investors. Similarly, the opportunities created by economic woes in the United States have attracted the attention, and money, of many foreign investors. However, a recent audit report by the U.S....
The U.S. Department of State (DOS) January 2014 Visa Bulletin has been released. There is little-to-no movement in most of the categories, but a noticeable exception is the advancement in the employment-based, third preference (EB3) category for all countries of chargeability, except India and the...
The U.S. Supreme Court heard an important case related to immigration on December 10, 2013. The case, Mayorkas v Cuellar de Osorio, involves the interpretation of provisions of the Child Status Protection Act (CSPA). A favorable decision in this case would facilitate family unity by...
In response to complaints from stakeholders, a recent statement from the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) indicates efforts to significantly reduce the processing time for form I-130 relative petitions filed by U.S. citizens on behalf of immediate relatives. The USCIS notes that processing times...
In mid-November 2013, attorneys from the Murthy Law Firm participated in the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) DC Chapter Fall Conference as speakers and moderators for many of the informative panels. One particularly thought-provoking session, moderated by Sheela Murthy, was a U.S. Department of Labor...
The American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) has alerted stakeholders of the issuance of inappropriate requests for evidence (RFEs) by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) National Benefits Center (NBC) in connection with family-based, second preference "A" (FB2A) petitions. These RFEs are asking petitioning family...
