The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has confirmed temporary suspension of the issuance of courtesy faxes for requests for evidence (RFEs), notices of intent to deny (NOIDs), and denials due to the pandemic. The USCIS will continue to issue such notices via regular mail...
Today, the U.S. Department of State (DOS) updated the exceptions to the nonimmigrant workers who are prohibited from being admitted to the United States based on President Trump's June 22, 2020, executive order. For example, the DOS now provides an exception for H1B, L1A, and...
Murthy Law Firm attorneys provide an update on how COVID-19 has affected U.S. immigration both in the U.S. and at U.S. consulates, which aired on 05.Aug.2020 as part of our teleconference series for employers and their representatives.The MP3 is available here, and is listed in...
Answer The executive order does not immediately impact H1B workers who are working on federal contracts. However, action may be taken in the future that will force such H1B workers off of these projects.Sheela Murthy and other senior attorneys provide guidance that clarifies the law. For...
On July 22, 2020 a group of foreign nationals filed a class action lawsuit against the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) based on delays in the issuance of employment authorization documents (EADs) following the approval of applications for employment authorization (form I-765). On August...
Today, President Trump signed an executive order that directs federal agencies to use U.S. workers, not foreign nationals, to fill federal government contractor positions. The order also directs the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) to finalize guidance that prevents employers from moving H1B workers to...
One common area of misunderstanding in immigration law involves H1B workers who wish to move to a new position that is in a different field from the current H1B position. Foreign nationals and their employers often mistakenly believe that there has to be a similarity...
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,...
The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) "policy manual" was recently updated to consolidate guidance related to applying discretion in USCIS adjudications. As noted in the corresponding policy alert, "[f]or many immigration benefits, such as certain applications for lawful permanent residence and employment authorization documents,...
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...
