Overview of USCIS Memo on H1B Petitions for Computer Programmers
The U.S. Citizen and Immigration Services (USCIS) released a policy memorandum, on March 31, 2017, that addresses whether the position of computer programmer qualifies as a “specialty occupation” for...
View ArticleDOL Announces PERM Case Management System Enhancement
Effective April 15, 2017, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) will begin allowing stakeholders to submit documents electronically, via the PERM case management system (CMS), for labor certification (LC)...
View ArticleUpdate on I-485 Supplement J Filings
As of January 17, 2017, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) requires most new employment-based I-485 adjustment of status applications to be accompanied by an I-485 supplement J....
View ArticleNewsFlash! H1B Cap Lottery Completed for FY 2018
This afternoon, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced completion of the H1B cap lottery selection process. The USCIS reported receipt of 199,000 H1B petitions, which is down...
View ArticleNewsFlash! Trump to Issue Executive Order Targeting H1B Program
President Trump is expected to sign an executive order (EO) today that is being dubbed the “buy American, hire American” order. The ‘hire American’ portion of the EO aims to reign in the hiring of...
View ArticleNewsFlash! Text of ‘Hire American’ Executive Order Released by White House
As expected, President Trump signed an executive order (EO) entitled Buy American and Hire American. The ‘hire American’ section of the EO has no direct impact on existing immigration laws. Rather, it...
View ArticleTrump Nominates DHS Insider to Serve as New USCIS Director
President Trump has announced his intentions to nominate Lee Francis Cissna to serve as the new Director of the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). Mr. Cissna currently serves...
View ArticleH1Bs Cannot Be “Transferred”– Misconceptions Around H1B Employment Change
MurthyDotCom regularly addresses common questions and misunderstandings about immigration law. Questions regarding H1B status and changing employers often arise that refer to “transferring” the H1B....
View ArticleNewsFlash! Only Final Action Dates Can Be Used in May 2017
The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced today that only the cutoff dates in the ‘final action’ (FA) chart of the May 2017 Visa Bulletin may be used for purposes of applying for...
View ArticleSix Things Every H1B Employer Must Include in Its Public Access Files
It is no secret that the Trump Administration aims to ratchet up compliance and enforcement efforts against H1B employers. This makes it all the more important for companies that employ H1B workers to...
View ArticleH1B Cap Lottery Update for FY18
On April 7, 2017, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced that the H1B cap for fiscal year 2018 (FY18) was reached. The USCIS then completed the H1B lottery selection process on...
View ArticleRevised USCIS Policy Related to Changes from B-1/B-2 to F-1 Status
In recent months, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has reinterpreted a long-existing rule in a manner that impacts applications to change from B-1/B-2 business / visitor status to...
View ArticleMay 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), provides visa bulletin explanations and predictions nearly every month. The update for the...
View ArticleUSCIS Cannot Approve Petition for Job Paying Less Than Minimum Wage
The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) issued a policy memorandum on April 12, 2017, adopting the Administrative Appeals Office (AAO) decision in Matter of I-Corp. This decision...
View ArticleImmigration Hardliners Appointed to Top Advisory Positions at DHS
Two individuals, formerly associated with hardline anti-immigration groups, have received high-level positions within the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Julie Kirchner, the former...
View ArticleUSCIS Completes Data Entry Process for H1B Petitions Selected in FY18 Lottery
The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) issued a news alert on Wednesday, May 3, 2017, informing stakeholders that the data entry process has been completed for all cases selected in the...
View ArticleSpending Bill to Extend Several Immigration Programs Until End of Fiscal Year
This afternoon, the U.S. Senate passed a spending bill to fund the federal government through September 30, 2017, which is the last day of fiscal year 2017. The House passed the spending bill...
View ArticleFiling Labor Certification During Sixth Year of H1B
Attorneys at the Murthy Law Firm are often asked whether it is too late for an employer to file a PERM labor certification (PERM or LC). The question generally comes from individuals who are...
View ArticleJune 2017 Visa Bulletin: EB1 India and China Retrogress
The June 2017 Visa Bulletin was released by the U.S. Department of State (DOS) this afternoon. For the month of June, there is no movement in the dates for filing (DF) chart. In the final action (FA)...
View ArticleRedesigned Green Cards and EADs with Improved Security Features
As of May 1, 2017, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has begun issuing redesigned versions of permanent resident cards (i.e. I-551 forms, commonly referred to as “green cards”) and...
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