The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is again extending the response time flexibility, initially announced on March 30, 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This flexibility applies to applicants and petitioners responding to any of the following, issued from March 1, 2020 through January...
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has sent a proposed regulation to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) that, if implemented, would potentially make significant changes to the H1B program. The text of the rule has not yet been released but based on...
The latest trends and practical tips for when government agencies contact you regarding compliance during this pandemic are discussed by Murthy attorneys in this teleconference, which aired 02.Sep.2020. Whether ICE or FDNS contact you to determine your company's compliance with your H-1 and L-1 petitions,...
Employers of foreign nationals holding H1B, H1B1, and E-3 statuses are held to certain requirements stemming from the underlying labor condition applications (LCAs) filed with the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL). One such requirement is to maintain a file that is available for public inspection....
The Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) has issued a new broadcast message advising designated school officials (DSOs) that it will soon begin issuing notices to F-1 students participating in optional practical training (OPT) if the student does not mention information on the employer in...
In the typical employment-based permanent residence (commonly, "green card") case, the second stage of the three-stage process is the employer's Immigrant Petition for Alien Worker, filed on the I-140 form. One of the essential aspects of the I-140 is the requirement that the sponsoring employer...
Answer Yes, the USCIS is processing L-1 petitions. But, if the person is subject to the executive order and does not fit within any of the exceptions, a consulate will not issue the beneficiary an L-1 visa "stamp" until the executive order is lifted. (26.Aug.2020)Sheela Murthy...
Today, the U.S. Department of State (DOS) announced that it will temporarily relax one of the eligibility criteria for the interview waiver program at U.S. consulates, commonly referred to as the "drop box" option.Under the normal rules, one of the qualifying criteria is that the...
The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has reportedly cancelled its plans to furlough a large percentage of its staff at the end of this month. Due to budget constraints, however, the USCIS is cautioning stakeholders to expect longer wait times for certain services, such...
The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has announced that, due to delays in the production of employment authorization documents (EADs), a form I-797 approval notice that has a notice date on or after December 1, 2019 through and including August 20, 2020, can be...
