On December 23, 2016, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is implementing a substantial filing fee increase for nearly all case types. The raised fees apply to cases received by the USCIS on or after December 23rd. A more detailed overview of the raise...
Representatives of the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) recently addressed some common questions regarding the completion of the training plan for STEM OPT students (form I-983). A number of important topics were discussed, including the issue of potentially placing an F-1 STEM OPT student...
On October 24, 2016, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) issued a policy memorandum that adopts the Administrative Appeals Office (AAO) decision in Matter of R-C-C-S-D- as official guidance for USCIS personnel. The AAO decision held that a public language immersion school may qualify...
Publication of a new employment eligibility verification form (form I-9) is expected on the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) website by November 22, 2016. Employers are allowed to continue using the existing I-9 form, which has an expiration date of March 31, 2016, until...
President Barack Obama directed the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) to update and modernize the PERM Labor Certification (PERM LC) program in 2014. On September 12, 2016, however, a DOL official stated that the PERM regulations are currently under review, but that it is "highly...
Last night, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a stopgap bill to fund the federal government through Friday, December 9, 2016. This bill also serves to extend the employment-based, fifth preference (EB5) regional center program for the same time period. This stopgap bill was also...
The Citizenship and Immigration Services Ombudsman (CIS Ombudsman) held a teleconference on August 31, 2016 to discuss processing delays for certain types of cases. More specifically, the teleconference focused on adjudication delays of applications for employment authorization documents (EADs), change-of-status (COS) applications, and H1B petitions...
In order to assist MurthyDotCom readers in their navigation of the complex immigration maze, this brief outline describes the main government entities involved in the immigration process of foreign nationals coming to the United States. The immigration process includes the granting of immigration benefits, as...
The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) has issued a reminder to employers enrolled in the E-Verify program that, as of August 1, 2016, such employers must log into their respective accounts at least once every 270 days to remain in the program. If an...
On June 30, 2016, President Obama signed a law aimed at strengthening the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). The Freedom of Information Improvement Act of 2016 implements policies to increase the transparency by the U.S. federal government. These important changes come on the eve of...
