A suggestion recently came to the Murthy Law Firm from a reader who plans to visit Arizona in the near future. We were asked to provide hints and guidance for foreign nationals planning travel to Arizona, in light of the controversial new law there that...
It was recently announced that the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) intends to increase selected immigration filing fees. This follows substantial fee increases that went into effect in mid 2007. USCIS Director Alejandro Mayorkas held a June 9, 2010 press conference on this topic....
The U.S. Consulate at Hyderabad, India has posted a list of suggested documents for H1B and L-1 visa applicants. This list is extensive, and differs in many respects from the standard list provided by other U.S. consulates around the world. This article is intended only...
When there are marital difficulties, legal questions always arise; and the impact a separation or divorce might have on one's immigration can be dire. Many of the questions that come to us at the Murthy Law Firm relate to immigration status, since that status is...
The Murthy Law Firm recently overcame a rather novel issue involving India's Dowry / Spousal Abuse Law, known as Section 498A. The USCIS issued a notice of intent to deny (NOID) an H1B extension-of-status request because the individual had an outstanding arrest warrant in India...
The USCIS Service Center Operations (SCOPS) recently addressed a question regarding the ability to obtain eligibility for an additional six years of H1B time after spending one year abroad. The American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) requested clarification regarding brief trips to the U.S. during the...
The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) made a March 15, 2010 announcement of its intent to begin certifying U visa applications on behalf of victims of certain crimes. This is a major change in the processing of U visa applications. Prior to this change, U...
Many applicants for nonimmigrant visas are required to use a new U.S. Department of State (DOS) application form. The nonimmigrant visa electronic application (Form DS-160) is being phased in for use at consulates worldwide. It is currently required for visa applications at the consulates in...
The U.S. Department of State (DOS) has issued updated plans to expand web-based nonimmigrant visa applications. The DS-160 is a fully web-based form that will replace the current DS-156, 157, and 158 forms. The DS-160 is scheduled for worldwide implementation by April 30, 2010. This...
President Obama signed a continuing resolution on October 1, 2009, temporarily extending funding for the Conrad 30 program for physicians, the non-minister immigrant religious worker category and EB5 immigrant investor pilot programs until October 31, 2009.Regular readers of MurthyDotCom may recall that these programs were...
