Protections for Same-Sex Couples in Consular Processing Cases
Since June 2013, same-sex couples have been eligible for the same type of U.S. immigration benefits as opposite-sex couples. This policy shift, however, has given rise to safety concerns for...
View ArticleSupreme Court to Review Consular Nonreviewability
In February 2015, the U.S. Supreme Court will hear arguments in Kerry v. Din, an immigration-related case that deals with the doctrine of consular nonreviewability. This doctrine generally insulates...
View ArticleAlternate Way for H1B Employers to Satisfy Bona Fide Termination Requirements
Employers of H1B workers must comply with strict requirements enforced by the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL). One such requirement is the obligation to pay wages until there has been a bona fide...
View ArticleDHS Announces Pilot ‘Known Employer’ Program
The United States is taking steps to facilitate legitimate cross-border travel by Canadians seeking to work in the United States, by creating a 'Known Employer' pilot program. This effort, which was...
View ArticleFY2015 First Quarter Statistics on PERM Filings
The first step in most employment-based, permanent residence (commonly, "green card") cases is the PERM labor certification (PERM LC), which is filed with the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL). The DOL...
View Article2015 Poverty Guideline and its Impact on Affidavits of Support
Each year, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is responsible for setting federal poverty guidelines, which are used to determine whether an individual or family qualifies for...
View ArticleNewsFlash! H-4 EAD Rules Move Closer to Reality!
The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has submitted the final rules to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) that would make certain H-4 spouses eligible to obtain employment...
View ArticleNewsFlash! March 2015 Visa Bulletin: EB2 India Moves to January 1, 2007
The March 2015 Visa Bulletin contains good news for the employment-based, second preference (EB2) category for India. The EB2 India cutoff date advances by a year and four months to January 1, 2007....
View ArticleH1B Cap Season Reminder: Multiple H1B Filings for Same Beneficiary
As the H1B cap season for fiscal year 2016 (FY16) draws near, more and more inquiries are coming into the Murthy Law Firm from employers and foreign nationals who want to know whether an individual may...
View ArticleH1B “Master’s Cap” Pitfalls: Cautionary Reminder
With the arrival of fiscal year 2016 (FY16) H1B cap season, foreign nationals and employers should be aware of some important nuances of the H1B advanced-degree exemption, often referred to as the...
View ArticleMarch 2015 Visa Bulletin: EB2 India Movement Exceeds Predictions
The U.S. Department of State (DOS) has issued the March 2015 Visa Bulletin and, as reported to MurthyDotCom readers in our February 9th NewsFlash. Notable in this latest visa bulletin is the...
View ArticleProgress on H-4 EAD Rule
Thousands upon thousands of foreign nationals are anxiously awaiting issuance of the final rule that will make certain H-4 spouses eligible to apply for employment authorization documents (EADs). A...
View ArticlePlanning Ahead in Case of USCIS Office Closures
Snowstorms and other weather emergencies impede traffic and cause a variety of businesses to close or limit operations. And, just like private companies, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services...
View ArticleAnalysis, Predictions, and Trends: March 2015 Visa Bulletin Update
Each month, the U.S. Department of State (DOS) explains key visa bulletin developments and, when possible, provides predictions for future cutoff date movement. The source of this helpful information...
View ArticleGreen Card Processing Insights from USCIS
In response to questions from the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) during a January 21, 2015 teleconference, the USCIS Service Center Operations (SCOPS) Directorate has provided...
View ArticleNewsFlash! H-4 EAD Rule Approved by OMB!
The Office of Management and Budget has approved the final rule that will allow certain H-4 spouses to apply for employment authorization documents (EAD)! The final rule will go into effect on May 26,...
View ArticleThe H-4 Right to Work: At Long Last!
Our work defines us and gives meaning to our lives. Some of us believe we are answering a calling that is greater than ourselves. Work is something most adults expect to do because it is a part of the...
View ArticleU Visa Limit Reached for Sixth Straight Year
For fiscal year 2015, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) approved 10,000 U petitions, which is the maximum number of U visas available each year. The U visa is a category reserved...
View ArticleOverview of the New H-4 EAD Rule
As reported in a 24.Feb.2015 NewsFlash on MurthyDotCom, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has finalized a regulatory change that will allow certain H-4 dependent spouses to apply for...
View ArticleUpdated I-485 Pending Inventory: January 2015
The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has released the quarterly charts that detail the numbers of pending employment-based (EB) adjustment of status applications (I-485 form). These...
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