28 Jan 2019

I am in the United States in H1B classification. My employer has filed an amendment of my H1B petition. Can I travel while my H1B amendment is pending?

Answer Yes. Current USCIS and USCBP policy does permit international travel while an H1B amendment is pending. One should have the appropriate documents (valid visa, valid passport, approved petition, and amended petition receipt notice), and be prepared to explain the situation. Despite this ostensibly permissive U.S....

14 Jan 2019

My EB3 I-140 is approved and my I-485 is pending. Is leisure travel / vacation outside the U.S. allowed using my advance parole (AP) document?

Answer Yes, generally there are no restrictions on traveling based on AP while one has a pending I-485. (14.Jan.2019)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...

22 Dec 2018

NewsFlash! Partial Government Shutdown Now in Effect

A partial shutdown of the federal government is now in effect because Congress was unable to pass a new budget or continuing resolution. This also means that several immigration programs are temporarily suspended, including the regional center portion of the employment-based, fifth preference (EB5) immigrant...

18 Dec 2018

Possible Government Shutdown After December 21, 2018

Congress must pass a spending bill to extend government operations by midnight of December 21, 2018, or else another temporary shutdown of the federal government will go into effect. This would be the third shutdown of 2018.The crux of the current budget dispute revolves around...

19 Nov 2018

My passport expires in less than two years. If I apply for a visitor visa now, will it still be issued with a validity period of 10 years?

Answer One normally still could receive a full-validity-period visa, even if the passport expires in 2 years. (19.Nov.2018)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 more...

08 Oct 2018

I am in H1B status and have an approved I-140. I plan to move back to India for the time being. Will I still be able to use my I-140 in the future?

Answer Yes, an approved I-140 can be converted to "consular processing" by the employer, and later used to obtain an immigrant visa and "green card," as long as the employer is still offering the same job. (08.Oct.2018)In frequent sessions of our Chat, Sheela Murthy and other...