Anyone who has dealt with immigration issues in connection with the H1B petition and status has likely heard references to a ten-day "grace period" afforded to H1B nonimmigrants at the conclusion of the authorized period of stay. There is no automatic ten-day grace period in...
In an unexpected and encouraging move, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced an initiative on August 2, 2011, to encourage immigrant entrepreneurs and start-up companies to the United States. This USCIS initiative will be especially helpful to people from countries like India and...
As was reported in our NewsFlash posted on MurthyDotCom July 28, 2011, (University of Northern Virginia: F-1 Students Must Read!) the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) has begun proceedings to terminate the SEVP certification of the University of Northern Virginia (UNVA). According to a...
A number of inquiries have come into the Murthy Law Firm from individuals who have received eMail communications from the U.S. Embassy in New Delhi, India. These eMails asked for confirmation of information provided in connection with past H1B visa interviews, regarding employment verification and...
The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has issued an interim policy memorandum that changes the timeframe for responding to various requests for evidence (RFEs). The interim memorandum became effective immediately for RFEs issued after July 7, 2011, the date of the memo. The purpose...
On July 28, 2011, the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) served the University of Northern Virginia (UNVA) with a Notice of Intent to Withdraw the school's eligibility to sponsor F-1 foreign students. This situation is similar to what Tri-Valley University (TVU) students faced in...
The American Competitiveness in the Twenty-First Century Act, known as AC21, became law more than a decade ago. As of this writing, the USCIS has issued neither proposed nor final regulations interpreting the provisions of AC21. Rather, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has...
Recently, BALCA rendered an opinion on two separate cases regarding the use of expired Prevailing Wage Determinations (PWDs) in PERM labor certification cases. The appeals body within the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) is the Board of Alien Labor Certification Appeals (BALCA). The useful information...
On July 15, 2011, the U.S. Department of State (DOS) issued a travel warning to U.S. citizens living in or traveling to Mexico. We advise MurthyDotCom and MurthyBulletin readers of this warning, as it voices concerns of possible violence aimed at the U.S. Consulate in...
Director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) John Morton released a June 17, 2011, memorandum intended to provide additional guidance to ICE personnel on exercising prosecutorial discretion. In this context, favorable prosecutorial discretion refers to the government's ability to choose not to enforce certain...
