The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) often issues a variety of inked stamps in the passports of foreign nationals. These stamps are simple in appearance, but the government has long used specialized security ink for such stamps. Starting in the summer of 2014, the...
For some time, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) has been taking steps to reduce the processing times for "stand alone" I-130 petitions filed on behalf of immediate relatives - that is, family-based cases filed for the parent, spouse, or (unmarried, minor) child of...
The U.S. Department of State (DOS) announced major changes to immigrant and nonimmigrant visa fees charged to applicants for visa "stamps" at U.S. embassies and consulates. The new fee structure took effect on September 12, 2014, and the DOS has provided instructions for those with pending...
The U.S. Department of State (DOS), through Charles Oppenhiem, Chief of the Visa Control and Reporting Division, provides key insights into the contents of the visa bulletin in monthly conversations with the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA). Chief Oppenhiem has provided information that is of...
The U. S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) confirmed in an August 27, 2014 teleconference with the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) that there are ongoing delays in processing employment authorization document (EAD) applications. Such delays have potentially serious implications for both individuals and employers....
The Murthy Law Firm has received confirmation from Charles Oppenheim, Chief of the Visa Control and Reporting Division for the U.S. Department of State (DOS), that the employment-based, second preference (EB2) category for India became "unavailable" on Wednesday, September 10, 2014, and will remain so...
The U.S. Department of State (DOS) has issued the October 2014 Visa Bulletin. This is the first visa bulletin of fiscal year 2015 (FY15). The contents of the October Visa Bulletin largely align with prior predictions. The employment-based, second preference (EB2) cutoff date for Indian...
Earlier today, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) advised the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) that, in recent weeks, certain applicants for permanent residency who have already successfully completed biometrics were inadvertently scheduled for a second biometrics appointment. Through AILA, the USCIS stated that...
As reported to MurthyDotCom readers following the release of the August 2014 Visa Bulletin, the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) has begun issuing analysis and predictions on the movement of cutoff dates each month, after the visa bulletin is released. These updates are based on monthly...
In order to remain competitive and retain needed workers from abroad, U.S. companies often sponsor permanent residence ("green card") cases. Most employer-sponsored cases are initiated through the PERM labor certification (PERM LC) process. What follows is information released by the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL)...
