06 Jul 2018

NewsFlash! USCIS to Place Far More Foreign Nationals in Removal Proceeding, Per New Memo

Thursday evening, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) issued a policy memo that appears to greatly expand the situations in which a foreign national is to be issued a notice to appear (NTA). An NTA is a charging document that initiates removal (i.e. deportation)...

11 Jun 2018

My current passport expires in two years. If I apply for a B-2 visitor visa stamp now, will the consulate still potentially approve it with a full ten-year validity period?

Answer A B-1/B-2 visa is normally issued for 10 years, even if the passport will expire sooner than that. One can travel with two passports after the original passport expires (i.e. the new passport and the expired passport that contains the unexpired visa stamp). (11.Jun.2018)In frequent...

11 Jun 2018

I helped my mother apply for a B-2 visitor visa a few years ago. She has visited me a couple of times in Washington D.C. over the past few years. Now she wishes to visit my sister, who lives in California. Can she use the existing B-2 to fly into an airport in California? Or, does my sister have to sponsor them for a new B-2 visa?

Answer A B-2 visa is not "sponsored" by anyone. Once the visa is issued, it can be used to request admission for any valid B-2 purpose at any U.S. port of entry. (11.Jun.2018)In frequent sessions of our Chat, Sheela Murthy and other senior attorneys provide guidance...

23 Apr 2018

I am on H1B. Is there any way to have my mother accompany me to the U.S. as my dependent?

Answer One's mother would not be eligible for H-4 status, but it may be possible to obtain extended B-2 status as a "household member." Please see the MurthyDotCom NewsBrief, B-2 Visas for Household Members of Long-Term Nonimmigrants (05.Dec.2016). (23.Apr.2018)In frequent sessions of our Chat, Sheela Murthy...

14 Feb 2018

USCIS Now Accepting Payments Via Credit Card for Most Fee-Based Forms

The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced today that, effective immediately, the agency now accepts credit card payments for 41 fee-based forms. Some of the more prominent forms include immigrant petition for alien worker (form I-140), application to register permanent residence or adjust status...