The Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP), which is part of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), recently issued a broadcast message to advise SEVP-certified schools that they may need to adapt procedures and policies to alleviate health concerns associated with the COVID-19 epidemic....
The U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia recently ruled in IT Serve Alliance v. L. Francis Cissna that the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) overstepped its authority in issuing its February 2018 memorandum heightening the evidentiary requirements for H1B petitions filed by...
The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced today that, effective March 21, 2020, it will begin accepting all benefit forms and documents with reproduced signatures. Per the announcement, "[t]his means that a document may be scanned, faxed, photocopied, or similarly reproduced provided that the...
Attorneys at the Murthy Law Firm will hold a special teleconference on March 25, 2020 at 2:00pm (Eastern Time, U.S.). They will discuss the impacts that the COVID-19 pandemic is having on U.S. immigration. Visit this page the morning of March 25th for details on...
Due to the COVID-19 crisis, the U.S. Department of State (DOS) has suspended routine nonimmigrant and immigrant visa service at U.S. consulates in most countries around the globe. The DOS is unable to predict when normal service will resume. Applicants with urgent need to travel...
Last night, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced that it is suspending in-person services at its field offices, asylum offices, and application support centers (ASCs), until at least April 1st. This action has been taken in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The USCIS...
The U.S. Department of State announced today that, effective Monday, March 16, 2020, all nonimmigrant and immigrant visa appointments at U.S. Mission India posts - which includes the U.S. Embassy in New Delhi, and all U.S. consulates in India - have been canceled. This measure...
Answer Health insurance obtained through the Affordable Care ACT (ACA), commonly referred to as Obamacare, is not considered a positive or negative factor for public charge purposes. (26.Feb.2020)Sheela Murthy and other senior attorneys provide guidance that clarifies the law. For information on our FREE online services,...
The U.S. Supreme Court has lifted the injunction in Illinois that had prevented the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) from implementing the new public charge rule on residents of that state. The Supreme Court had previously lifted several nationwide injunctions against the rule. Accordingly,...
In most circumstances, anyone applying for a nonimmigrant visa must apply in person at a U.S. consulate or embassy and be interviewed by a consular officer. In the context of applying to renew a visa, however, the interview requirement may be waived under the visa...
