As previously explained, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has temporarily suspended premium processing for certain H1B petitions, from May 26 through July 26, 2015. In announcing the suspension of this service, the USCIS noted that this would only apply to cases "…requesting an extension...
The U.S. Department of State (DOS) is experiencing technical problems that are causing delays in issuance of U.S. visa "stamps," as well as some U.S. passports. DOS advises that the problems are not limited to any specific country or visa category.The visa delays are the...
Officials with the U.S. Department of State (DOS) met with representatives from the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) on April 15, 2015, to discuss various topics related to visas. Some of the key issues discussed included visa revocations, misrepresentations by minors, and immigrant visa wait...
Effective April 1, 2015, the U.S. embassy and consulates in India will be retiring the Business Executive Program (BEP). This program, which was created in the 1990s, was a U.S. government effort to facilitate business travel through registration and recognition of established companies. BEP Service Benefits The...
As previously reported to MurthyDotCom readers, the U.S. Department of State (DOS) and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) issued a notice of request for information (RFI) in December 2014, seeking input from the public on ways to improve the nation's immigration system. Accordingly, the...
In response to questions from the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) during a January 21, 2015 teleconference, the USCIS Service Center Operations (SCOPS) Directorate has provided clarifications on some common immigration questions. More specifically, SCOPS addressed issues that may arise when applying to become a...
In February 2015, the U.S. Supreme Court will hear arguments in Kerry v. Din, an immigration-related case that deals with the doctrine of consular nonreviewability. This doctrine generally insulates embassies and consulates from having visa denials overturned by federal courts. This particular court promises to...
Since June 2013, same-sex couples have been eligible for the same type of U.S. immigration benefits as opposite-sex couples. This policy shift, however, has given rise to safety concerns for beneficiaries in certain types of cases involving same-sex couples; more specifically, the U.S. Department of...
Effective December 22, 2014, the exchange rate between the Indian rupee and the U.S. dollar, for purposes of paying visa applications fees in India, has changed. The new exchange rate is 64 rupees per U.S. dollar, up from the previous designated rate of 62 rupees...
The U.S. Department of State, National Visa Center (NVC) plays a key role in applications for immigrant visas that are utilizing the consular processing (CP) option. In a November 2014 meeting with the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA), the NVC provided some insights into how...
