As was widely reported in the media, the U.S. Department of State (DOS) temporarily closed twenty-two embassies and consulates in early August 2013, due to al-Qaida related security concerns. Nineteen posts were closed through August 10, 2013. Subsequently, nearly all of the embassies and consulates...
The U.S. Department of State (DOS) has issued a set of Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) addressing issues pertaining to the availability of immigration benefits to same-sex spouses. Similar to the FAQs recently published by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), as discussed in the NewsBrief, Clarification...
The U.S. Department of State (DOS) Visa Bulletin for September 2013 advances the cutoff date in the employment-based, second preference (EB2) category for India by more than five months, to June 15, 2008. Movement in the employment-based, third preference (EB3) category is even more substantial....
In recent months, attorneys at the Murthy Law Firm have received a number of phone calls from individuals seeking assistance in evidencing their prior work experience to support their respective I-140 employment-based immigrant petitions. It appears the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has begun...
On August 2, 2013, the U.S. Department of State (DOS) issued a Travel Alert, warning U.S. citizens of "the continued potential for terrorist attacks, particularly in the Middle East and North Africa, and possibly occurring in or emanating from the Arabian Peninsula." To that end,...
On July 26, 2013, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) issued new and more detailed answers to Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) on how immigration benefits based on same-sex marriages will be addressed following the landmark U.S. Supreme Court decision in U.S. v. Windsor. These...
The Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA) recently sustained an appeal of a family-based petition for a same-sex couple. In this case, Matter of Zeleniak, the BIA found that same-sex married couples may be eligible to apply for immigration benefits under the Immigration and Nationality Act...
The State Council of Higher Education for Virginia (SCHEV) ordered the University of Northern Virginia (UNVA) on July 15, 2013 to close its operations in the United States. This action places UNVA students in limbo, with regard to both their academic and immigration status. With...
As reported in the June 27, 2013 MurthyDotCom NewsFlash! U.S. Senate Passes CIR Bill; Still Faces Major Obstacles in House, the U.S. Senate passed S.744, a comprehensive immigration reform (CIR) bill entitled, the Border Security, Economic Opportunity, and Immigration Modernization Act. That bill cannot become...
As predicted, the family-based, second preference "A" category (FB2A) for spouses and minor children of lawful permanent residents (LPRs, or "green card holders") is current under the August 2013 Visa Bulletin. A more thorough review of this category is provided in the MurthyDotCom NewsBrief, FB2A Could...
