Answer The U.S. Department of Labor requires that the employer pay for the PERM labor certification and related expenses. The USCIS does not have the same view, so the expenses of the I-140 and I-485 (legal fees, filing fees, costs) can be paid for by the...
The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has announced a change in the validity period of the report of medical examination and vaccination record (form I-693). Per the updated policy, an I-693 signed by a Civil Surgeon after 01.Nov.2023 will remain valid only for the...
Yesterday, President Trump signed a proclamation barring the admission of nationals of twelve countries, and partially restricting admission of nationals from seven other countries, as of Monday, 09.Jun.2025. This total travel ban will apply to nationals of the following twelve countries:Afghanistan Chad Equatorial Guinea ...
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has reportedly frozen the Enumeration Beyond Entry (EBE) program under which noncitizens could request a social security number on various U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) forms, including Form I-765, Application for Employment Authorization; Form I-485, Application to...
Recent regulatory changes have reinforced the long-standing position of the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) that a certified labor condition application (LCA), in itself, does not establish that the position qualifies as a specialty occupation or that the LCA properly supports the H1B petition....
Murthy Law Firm’s Assistant Managing Attorney, Anna Stepanova, was interviewed recently by a CBS News affiliate in Colorado regarding the recent wave of student visa revocations. The story focused specifically on the F-1 visa revocations at Colorado State University and the University of Colorado. Not...
Many international students in the U.S. are facing a troubling situation: they are receiving sudden eMails from the government and their designated school officials (DSOs) saying their F-1 visas have been revoked and their SEVIS records terminated. Understandably, this causes tremendous fear and confusion. Students...
Answer Typically, the USCIS does not reroute a case sent to the wrong address. Rather, the USCIS usually rejects such cases and returns them to the applicants. (02.Apr.2025)Sheela Murthy and other senior attorneys provide guidance that clarifies the law. For information on our FREE online services,...
This afternoon, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced that the agency had received enough registrations for unique beneficiaries to meet the regular H1B cap and the advanced degree exemption (i.e., the master’s cap) for fiscal year 2026 (FY26). All employers that submitted online...
Answer This question on the online I-539 is a bit confusing. To indicate you are in H1B status, you must select the “1B1 - H-1B1 Specialty Occupation” option. (26.Mar.2025)Sheela Murthy and other senior attorneys provide guidance that clarifies the law. For information on our FREE online...
