Answer The "green card" process can typically be started at any time, regardless of one's current nonimmigrant status. (02.Oct.2017)In frequent sessions of our Chat, Sheela Murthy and other senior attorneys provide guidance that clarifies the law in real time. For details on chat participation, click here.Access...
Answer Typically, there is no requirement that the foreign national be employed by the company sponsoring the PERM case until the green card is actually issued. In many circumstances, it can be helpful for the case to have the person employed by the sponsoring company from...
The U.S. Department of State (DOS) has issued instructions for entry in the fiscal year 2019 (FY19) diversity visa (DV) lottery. The DV lottery, often called the "green card" lottery, grants 50,000 immigrant visas each year to qualified applicants. Registration for FY19 begins at noon...
Answer One is normally permitted to remain in the U.S. in a "period of authorized stay" based on a pending I-485. (25.Sep.2017)In frequent sessions of our Chat, Sheela Murthy and other senior attorneys provide guidance that clarifies the law in real time. For details on chat...
On September 1, 2017, the U.S. Department of State (DOS) revised its Foreign Affairs Manual (FAM) policy guidance to consular officers regarding "misrepresentation" under the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) § 212(a)(6)(C)(i). In particular, the DOS changed its policy on when a consular officer can...
The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has approved 10,000 U visa petitions for fiscal year (FY) 2017, the maximum allowed per year by law under this category. The U visa is reserved for victims of certain types of crime who cooperate with law enforcement...
Answer The USCIS announcement about the resumption of interviews for Employment-Based Adjustment Applications, starting in October 2017, is not actually a new policy but resumption of an old policy. It used to be that it was standard for all I-485 applications to be scheduled for interview...
As expected, President Trump signed a bill into law on Friday, September 8, 2017, to fund the federal government through December 8, 2017. The bill includes numerous other provisions, including emergency disaster relief funding, as well as the extension of the employment-based, fifth preference (EB5)...
The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced today that the more favorable 'dates for filing' chart in the October 2017 Visa Bulletin must be used for family-based cases. Unfortunately, as usual, only the 'final action' chart may be used in October for employment-based cases....
The October 2017 Visa Bulletin, which is the first visa bulletin of fiscal year 2018, has been released by the U.S. Department of State (DOS). In addition to laying out the cutoff dates for October 2017, this month's visa bulletin also includes predictions for the...
