The U.S. Department of State (DOS) is making significant progress toward resolving the technical problems that were preventing visa issuance. As of this writing, 39 consular posts are reconnected to the biometric clearance system. The list of these consulates, which include Chennai, New Delhi and...
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) continues to receive more requests under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) than any other government agency. In fact, during fiscal year 2014 (FY14), the DHS received a record number of requests - 291,242. The majority of FOIA...
The U.S. Department of State (DOS) reports that progress has been made toward restoring the visa issuance systems. DOS updates state that 22 consular posts have been reconnected to the biometric data processing system, and work continues to reconnect more consular posts.The most recent update...
A technical failure at a U.S. Department of State facility in the United States has now resulted in visa "stamps" being unavailable worldwide. As a result of this technical failure, U.S. consulates are unable to conduct the required security checks of visa applicants - a...
The U.S. Department of State (DOS) is experiencing technical problems that are causing delays in issuance of U.S. visa "stamps," as well as some U.S. passports. DOS advises that the problems are not limited to any specific country or visa category.The visa delays are the...
Murthy Law Firm attorneys provide an overview of common issues related to upgrading from EB3 to EB2. They discuss educational equivalency issues, priority date retention and the use of exceptional ability to qualify for an EB2 upgrade. This June 3, 2015 teleconference is from our...
A nationwide, class action lawsuit has been filed against the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) for delays in the adjudication of employment authorization documents (EADs). This lawsuit, captioned Northwest Immigrant Rights Project (NWIRP) v. USCIS, asserts...
This morning, the U.S. Department of State (DOS) released the July 2015 Visa Bulletin. The employment-based, second preference (EB2) category for people born in India sees no movement, leaving the cutoff date at October 1, 2008. EB2 China, on the other hand, moves ahead by four...
Foreign nationals with long-pending adjustment of status applications (form I-485) should anticipate being issued requests for evidence (RFEs) as the visa bulletin cutoff date approaches the priority dates of their respective cases. These RFEs typically request submission of updated I-485 eligibility documentation, including new medical...
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has asked Congress to make changes to the employment-based, fifth preference (EB5) immigrant investor program. The goal of this request, which was made by DHS Secretary Jeh Johnson, is to better protect against fraud and to address various...
