This afternoon, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced that enough initial registrations were submitted to the fiscal year 2021 (FY21) H1B cap. By March 31, 2020, the online accounts will be updated to show one of the following for each registration:Submitted -...
The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced today that, because of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, it will extend the deadlines for responding to requests for evidence (RFEs) and notices of intent to deny (NOIDs). For RFEs and NOIDs dated between March 1 and May...
Answer Unemployment benefits normally are not taken into consideration for public charge purposes. But, as an H1B worker, you may not be eligible for unemployment benefits in your state. You should check with your state unemployment agency to determine whether you might qualify. (25.Mar.2020)Sheela Murthy and...
Answer Assuming your I-94 is still valid, you likely are eligible for a 60-day grace period (or until the end of your I-94 period, whichever comes first). If you need to stay in the U.S. beyond that point, you may be able to apply for a...
The U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia recently ruled in IT Serve Alliance v. L. Francis Cissna that the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) overstepped its authority in issuing its February 2018 memorandum heightening the evidentiary requirements for H1B petitions filed by...
The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced today that, effective March 21, 2020, it will begin accepting all benefit forms and documents with reproduced signatures. Per the announcement, "[t]his means that a document may be scanned, faxed, photocopied, or similarly reproduced provided that the...
Effective immediately, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is temporarily suspending the availability of premium processing service for all form I-129 and form I-140 petitions. The USCIS will continue to provide premium-processing service for cases for which the I-907 request for premium processing has...
Due to the COVID-19 crisis, the U.S. Department of State (DOS) has suspended routine nonimmigrant and immigrant visa service at U.S. consulates in most countries around the globe. The DOS is unable to predict when normal service will resume. Applicants with urgent need to travel...
Answer For the time being, the USCIS service centers are still in operation. This means that many types of applications and petitions, including H1B petitions, should continue to be processed. However, biometrics appointments are on hold. Therefore, if your wife has not yet had her biometrics...
Answer Unemployment benefits generally are not taken into consideration for public charge purposes. However, you would need to check with your state's unemployment agency to see if you qualify for this benefit. (18.Mar.2020)Sheela Murthy and other senior attorneys provide guidance that clarifies the law. For information...
