A foreign national who becomes a U.S. permanent resident based on marriage to a U.S. citizen, which is less than two years in duration, is granted permanent residence status on a conditional (temporary) basis. Ideally, the couple will jointly file the petition to remove the...
Parts 1 & 2 of this MurthyDotCom NewsBrief examine some of the key immigration developments of 2012. Among the topics covered are how these developments could affect our readers in 2013 and recommendations for strategic planning on the U.S. immigration law front in 2013. The focus here...
At the Murthy Law Firm, cases often come to our attention when a seemingly minor oversight or discrepancy causes enormous immigration problems for a spouse. Some of these difficulties may even render such a spouse ineligible for nonimmigrant status or for the green card. Below...
During the holidays there is generally a rise in retail reports of shoplifting. This may be attributable to the overall increase in shopping during the holiday season, when storekeepers must be particularly watchful. Store displays at this time of year may also prove especially tempting...
Questions have arisen surrounding some recent applications for adjustment of status (I-485) cases filed for derivative (dependent) beneficiaries. The receipt notices issued for some of these cases reflect the date of the I-485 filing in place of the correct priority date. The USCIS has explained...
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) recently issued correspondence stating that the relationship between long-term, same-sex partners will be recognized as a family relationship in a specific, limited context. The letter from Janet Napolitano, DHS Secretary, addressed the term family relationship as a factor...
The severely retrogressed cutoff date in the U.S. Department of State (DOS) Visa Bulletin for October 2012 has created many difficult situations. There are numerous individuals who were able to obtain permanent residence during the brief period in fiscal year 2012 (FY12) when cutoff dates...
The U.S. Department of State (DOS) Visa Bulletin for September 2012 is the final visa bulletin of fiscal year 2012 (FY12). This visa bulletin is far less eventful than those from earlier in the year. The contents, however, reflect prior events with ongoing unavailability in...
Individuals who have filed the application for adjustment of status (I-485) frequently apply for an advance parole (AP) document to facilitate foreign travel. For many of these individuals, travel abroad is complicated and may entail considerable risk. Historically, this was particularly true for individuals who...
The Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA) recently issued a precedent decision, which significantly changes prior interpretations regarding travel on advance parole (AP) after an individual has been unlawfully present in the United States. Under the BIA decision, Matter of Arrabally and Yerrabelly, an individual who...
