The Citizenship and Immigration Services (CIS) Ombudsman, January Contreras, addressed matters of concern in May 2011 at an American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) meeting attended by a number of attorneys from the Murthy Law Firm. The CIS Ombudsman's role is to assist with U.S. Citizenship...
Many people change status from H1B to H-4 and, later, consider changing back to H1B. This issue was raised in a recent session of the MurthyChat. Some of the frequent questions and misunderstandings in the ability to file and change status and the implications and...
As many people face delays and denials of their nonimmigrant visa requests at U.S. consulates and embassies abroad, questions arise as to the status of dependent family members who are in the United States. It is important, therefore, to remind MurthyDotCom and MurthyBulletin readers of...
The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) issued a news release on May 12, 2011 announcing that ICE has added new degree programs to the list of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) degrees eligible for the 17-month optional practical training (OPT) extension for F-1...
The U.S. Department of State (DOS) recently published a final rule giving U.S. consular officers, posted at U.S. embassies and consulates abroad, increased power to revoke previously-approved nonimmigrant (temporary) visa foils (known as "stamps"). The changed regulations also provide for authority to temporarily revoke approved...
[Part 1 of this news article, H1B Portability: A Change in USCIS Policy? Part 1 of 2 (13.May.2011), is available on MurthyDotCom.]In Part 1 of this article, a narrowing of the USCIS's interpretation of the American Competitiveness in the 21st Century Act (AC21) was discussed...
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) published a Federal Register notice on April 28, 2011, that removes all designated countries from the National Security Entry-Exit Registration System (NSEERS), effective immediately. This decision was made due to the implementation of automated systems for the capture of...
[Part 2 of this MurthyBulletin article discusses the consequence of this variation on individuals who previously engaged in employment under a broader reading of AC21.]One significant change that had been brought about by the American Competitiveness in the Twenty-First Century Act (AC21) was the benefit...
Apparently, many people still use the term INS (for Immigration and Naturalization Service) when referring to the governmental entity responsible for immigration enforcement and benefits. As many of our readers are aware, the INS ceased to exist on March 1, 2003. The term is simply...
The H1B cap filings were light in early April 2011, which was anticipated. The fiscal year (FY) 2012 cap filing season began April 1, 2011. As explained here, the cap-subject filings may continue from the present through FY12, until the cap numbers are all utilized....
