DHS OIG Report Highlights Flaws Related to Issuance of Green Cards
On November 16, 2016, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Office of Inspector General (OIG) released a report analyzing concerns related to the issuance of I-551s or lawful permanent resident...
View ArticleEmployers Should Correct Mismatched Data in VIBE
For an employment-based case filed with the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), it is not uncommon for the petitioning employer to be issued a request for evidence (RFE) asking for...
View ArticleDOE Response to MLF Attorneys on Validity of Degree Issued Prior to...
The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) generally will only recognize a U.S. degree that is issued by an accredited institution. Moreover, the accreditation must be granted by an...
View ArticleNewsFlash! USCIS Agrees to Accept Previous Editions of Most Forms Until Feb...
The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) issued the following announcement this afternoon: When new fees for most of our forms went into effect on December 23, 2016, we published updated...
View ArticleOFLC Suspends PERM Denials Based on Ads Describing Salary as “Competitive”
The Office of Foreign Labor Certification (OFLC), which is part of the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL), has notified the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) that it has suspended issuing...
View ArticleUSCIS Clarifies: Original Signatures Still Required on Forms
The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) recently clarified that original signatures are still required for nearly all USCIS forms. This notice comes following the release of an...
View ArticleState Department Publishes Statistics on FY17 Immigrant Visa Waiting List
The U.S. Department of State (DOS) adjudicates visa applications for aspiring immigrants whose cases will be processed at a U.S. embassy or consulate overseas – that is to say, foreign nationals...
View ArticleNew Year’s Reminders for Employers (Part 1 of 3)
With the arrival of another new year, now is a good time for employers to review a number of immigration-related matters and documents to help ensure smooth business operations in 2017. It is always...
View ArticleInsignificant Movement in February 2017 Visa Bulletin
There is virtually no movement of significance in the employment-based categories of the February 2017 Visa Bulletin, which was released by the U.S. Department of State (DOS) earlier today. The few...
View ArticleSEVP Quarterly Report on International Students in the U.S.
Each quarter, the Student Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) releases a report that provides key data from the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS) on the makeup of international...
View ArticleEB5 Regional Centers
Most foreign nationals who apply for permanent residency (commonly, a “green card”), through the employment-based, fifth preference (EB5) immigrant investor category, meet the investment requirement by...
View ArticleReminder: New Regulation for High Skilled Workers Goes Into Effect Tuesday,...
On January 17, 2017, a final immigration rule, primarily impacting high-skilled workers, goes into effect. The rule is intended to “improv[e] the ability of U.S. employers to hire and retain...
View ArticleNewsFlash! Text of Final International Entrepreneur Rule Released
Today, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) released an advance copy of the final international entrepreneur rule. It will be published in the Federal Register on Tuesday, January 17, 2017, and is...
View ArticleNew Framework from AAO for NIW Adjudication
On December 27, 2016, the Administrative Appeals Office (AAO) issued a precedent decision in Matter of Dhanasar that modifies the framework for how the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS)...
View ArticleNew Year’s Reminders for Employers (Part 2 of 3)
Part 1 (09.Jan.2017) of this MurthyDotCom NewsBrief provides a number of tips and reminders for companies to verify that they have remained in compliance with certain key employment and immigration...
View ArticleIsraeli Citizens Soon to be Granted Access to E-2 Treaty Investor Visa
After years of having to overcome various bureaucratic hurdles, it appears that Israeli citizens are on the verge of being granted access to the E-2 (treaty investor) visa. According to the...
View ArticleFebruary 2017 Visa Bulletin Check-In: Explanations and Predictions
Charles Oppenheim, Chief of the Visa Control and Reporting Division for the U.S. Department of State (DOS), supplies visa bulletin explanations nearly every month. This month’s update regarding the...
View ArticleDHS Proposes Massive Increase in EB5 Investment Requirements
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) published a proposed rule, on January 13, 2017, in the Federal Register, that would make a number of modifications to the employment-based, fifth...
View ArticleNewsFlash! Trump Signs Executive Orders Related to Border Wall and ‘Sanctuary...
Earlier today, President Trump signed two immigration-related executive orders. The first calls for construction to begin on a border wall between the United States and Mexico. The second order serves...
View Article221(g) Administrative Processing Refusals for H1B Visa Applicants
There are three typical outcomes for visa applicants at U.S. embassies and consulates overseas: approval, outright refusal, or refusal under § 221(g) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA). A...
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