15 May 2019

June 2019 Visa Bulletin: EB1 India Retrogresses, EB5 India Retrogression Coming Soon

The June 2019 Visa Bulletin has been released by the U.S. Department of State (DOS). The most notable movement is that the employment-based, first preference (EB1) category for India retrogresses significantly, albeit only temporarily. In addition, the latest visa bulletin cautions that the employment-based, fifth...

13 Jul 2018

NewsFlash! New Memo Makes it Easier for USCIS to Deny Cases Without First Issuing RFE or NOID

This afternoon, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) issued a policy memorandum that provides officers with more discretion to deny an application or petition without first having to issue either a request for evidence (RFE) or notice of intent to deny (NOID). This memo...

11 May 2018

Updated Rulemaking Agenda Again Lays Out Trump’s Harsh Plans for Foreign Nationals

At the end of 2017, MurthyDotCom summarized a number of concerning immigration regulations under consideration by the Trump Administration in the NewsBrief, Troubling Immigration Rules, Including End of H-4 EAD, on Trump’s Rulemaking Agenda (2017.Dec.15). While none of the rules has yet come to light,...

07 May 2018

May 2018 Visa Bulletin Check-In: Short-Term Predictions

Most months, the U.S. Department of State (DOS) Chief of the Visa Control and Reporting Division, Charles Oppenheim, provides visa bulletin explanations and predictions. For the May 2018 Visa Bulletin, Mr. Oppenheim only provides some very minor, short-term predictions. Family-Based Preference Categories For most family-based (FB) preference...

23 Mar 2018

NewsFlash! President Trump Signs Bill Funding Federal Government Through September 2018

This afternoon, President Trump signed a federal spending bill that keeps the government open through September 30, 2018. This bill also extends the employment-based, fifth preference (EB5) regional center program for the same time period. The bill does not, however, provide any protections to beneficiaries...