As of August 1, 2016, any civil surgeon completing a report of medical examination and vaccination record (form I-693) for an applicant who is 15 years of age or older, must test the applicant for gonorrhea. This policy change came with virtually no notice to...
With limited exceptions, foreign nationals are issued Social Security number (SSN) only if they are authorized to work in the United States. Therefore, many who lack work authorization obtain individual tax identification numbers (ITIN) from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) as an alternative. As explained...
The U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) is seeking to collect social media identifiers from visa waiver program (VWP) travelers. This proposal is part of ongoing security-related changes to the VWP. Individuals who use the VWP, or may wish to do so in the future,...
On August 31, 2016, a proposed Department of Homeland Security (DHS) international entrepreneur rule was published in the Federal Register. The proposed rule is aimed at expanding the limited immigration options for foreign entrepreneurs who, in turn, help the U.S. economy by creating jobs, generating...
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) issued an interim final rule setting forth a process for the public to petition the DHS for regulatory changes. This interim rule is scheduled to take effect on August 22, 2016. Background on the Regulatory Process Regulations are, in essence, the...
There is little-to-no movement of cutoff dates for the vast majority of categories in the September 2016 Visa Bulletin, which was released this afternoon by the U.S. Department of State (DOS). However, in the final action (FA) chart, the employment-based, second preference (EB2) and employment-based,...
The U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) continues its careful expansion of Global Entry, an international trusted traveler program. Effective July 12, 2016, any British citizen, holding a valid U.K. passport, is eligible to apply for a Global Entry permit. Program Background Global Entry is a voluntary...
Every year, the Citizenship and Immigration Services (CIS) Ombudsman submits a report to the U.S. Congress on the state of immigration services within the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). This report is a key component of the CIS Ombudsman's role. The Ombudsman's office reviews U.S. Citizenship...
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...
Originally published May 5, 2013, this NewsBrief has been updated for MurthyDotCom readers.The term "cap gap" refers to the period of time between April 1st and October 1st each year when many F-1 students experience a gap from the end of their optional practical training...
