The U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has begun operating a new preclearance facility at Abu Dhabi International Airport, making it the 16th such facility to be established around the world. The preclearance process is intended to protect U.S. security interests by allowing the CBP...
The U.S. Department of State (DOS) recently made permanent a visa interview waiver program that was initiated as a temporary, pilot program in January 2012. This program allows some individuals seeking renewals of previously issued visas to have their applications adjudicated without having to attend...
The U.S. government is in a state of partial shutdown as of October 1, 2013 due to an inability to obtain congressional agreement on appropriations. As of October 1st, the Department of Labor iCert system is unavailable. This system is used for both PERM labor...
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has released information on the expansion of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Global Entry Program (GEP). The GEP, which is one of the Trusted Traveler Programs administered by the CBP, allows low-risk individuals to obtain a...
The U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) initiated the roll out, on April 30, 2013, of a completely new system for documenting arrivals and departures at U.S. airports and seaports. The schedule for the transition to all U.S. airports and seaports allowed for a four-week...
The U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) recently announced an end to the use of paper I-94 arrival / departure cards for most travelers. A March 21, 2013 press release states that the CBP will go live with this plan in the near future. This...
Attorneys at the Murthy Law Firm as well as Murthy Immigration Services, Pvt. Ltd. (MISPL) in India, are often contacted by visa applicants following denials resulting from applicants having been found ineligible due to fraud or misrepresentation. The section of law that covers fraud related...
The U.S. government budget cuts, known as sequestration, have dominated news reports in recent weeks. The cuts began on March 1, 2013, and many questions remain as to the impact on government operations and services. This summary of the available information from the U.S. Department...
The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) plans to discontinue the availability of the Legacy INS online filing option for the application to extend / change nonimmigrant status (form I-539). This change will be effective as of February 28, 2013. Those who wish to file...
The new visa application system, introduced in India in September 2012, requires nonimmigrant visa (NIV) applicants to create a profile at www.ustraveldoc.com/in after completion of the DS-160 form, and to generate the payment code to remit the visa application fee. Next, they must schedule the...
