It is the time of year when many former F-1 students are transitioning to H1B status. The Murthy Law Firm has some thoughts regarding travel considerations for F-1 students who need or want to go abroad while transitioning to H1B status. Many F-1 students wish...
Originally published May 5, 2013, this NewsBrief has been updated for MurthyDotCom readers.The term "cap gap" refers to the period of time between April 1st and October 1st each year when many F-1 students experience a gap from the end of their optional practical training...
Travelers entering the United States on the visa waiver program (VWP) face additional screening questions when completing the application for Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA). These ESTA restrictions are part of the VWP program and are based on an applicant's nationality and/or travel history. Background...
The American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) annual conference is a valuable source of up-to-date immigration information, often directly from key government officials. This year the AILA Annual Conference is in Las Vegas from June 22-25, 2016. The Murthy Law Firm lawyers attending the conference are...
Significant progress has been made toward India's inclusion in the expedited travel program known as Global Entry. After several years of effort, a memorandum of understanding (MOU) has been entered into between the United States and India, with the goal of facilitating legitimate travel between...
Answer If the H1B visa "stamp" is unexpired, it can be used to reenter with a new employer's I-797 petition approval. It is possible to travel with a new passport and use a visa in an old, expired passport. Just show both documents to the immigration...
Answer The SB1 is a returning resident immigrant visa; if an SB1 application is approved, it can be used by a green card holder to return to the U.S. following a stay abroad that lasted longer than one year, or beyond the validity period of the...
Many types of immigration forms submitted to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) require the applicant to provide biometrics at an office in the United States. The USCIS has recently confirmed, however, that in "rare circumstances," the agency has the discretion to allow such...
Answer Let's take this opportunity to remind everyone that H-4s are not automatically extended with the H1B filing! Also, if the error was discovered before you accumulated 180 days of unlawful presence, it typically would be very bad advice to simply file an NPT, wait, and...
Answer Yes, a dependent spouse may apply for an H-4 visa stamp while the principal spouse is in the U.S. This, of course, is assuming the principal spouse is in valid H1B status. There is no need for the principal spouse to have an unexpired H1B...
