TN Status: Employment Option for Canadian and Mexican Citizens
Thanks to the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), qualifying Canadian and Mexican nationals can work in the United States in a wide-range of positions under the NAFTA professionals (TN)...
View ArticleNewsFlash! Supreme Court Allows Full Enforcement of Latest Travel Ban
Today, the Trump Administration prevailed in the U.S. Supreme Court, which overturned an October 20, 2017 district court injunction blocking enforcement of the latest travel ban for certain...
View ArticleMurthy Victory at AAO Leads to USCIS Policy Change Recognizing Individual...
On November 11, 2017, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) issued a Policy Memorandum announcing that it has adopted the administrative appeals office (AAO) decision in Matter of...
View ArticlePotential Government Shutdown After December 8, 2017
Because a spending bill has yet to be passed, there is a possibility that the U.S. government will be forced to temporarily shut down, starting December 9, 2017. Such shutdowns are rare and there still...
View ArticleExtensive Delays in Processing EAD and AP Applications
There have been extensive delays in the issuance of employment authorization documents (EADs) and advance paroles (APs). At the Murthy Law Firm, we have noticed that I-765s for EADs are taking around...
View ArticleNewsFlash! Government Shutdown Temporarily Averted, EB5 Extended
Last night, the U.S. Senate passed a stopgap bill to fund the federal government through Friday, December 22, 2017. This bill also serves to extend the employment-based, fifth preference (EB5) regional...
View ArticleUSCIS Policy Memo on Requirements for Functional Managers
The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has issued a policy memorandum dated November 8, 2017 that provides guidance for officers adjudicating L1A petitions for function managers. This...
View ArticleAdditional Details on Murthy Legal Team’s Victory in Matter of V-S-G- Inc.
As previously reported, the big news for employment-based immigrants is the adopted decision of Matter of V-S-G- Inc., recognizing that an employee waiting for the approval of the adjustment-of-status...
View ArticleJanuary 2018 Visa Bulletin: Slight Movement
The U.S. Department of State (DOS) finally released the January 2018 Visa Bulletin this morning. Unsurprisingly, there is not much progress in the oversubscribed categories from the previous month’s...
View ArticleTroubling Immigration Rules, Including End of H-4 EAD, on Trump’s Rulemaking...
The Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA), which is part of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), periodically publishes an updated list of agency rulemaking activity. This list...
View ArticleSanta’s Visa Options for Coming to Town on Christmas Eve
While scientists have been known to investigate whether it is physically possible for Santa Claus to travel around the world in just one night, they tend to overlook the legal implications of the jolly...
View ArticleParole Program for Entrepreneurs Now in Effect, but Remains at Risk
A federal court in the District of Columbia has ruled unlawful the June 2017 decision by the Trump Administration to delay the implementation of the new entrepreneur parole rule. The federal court...
View ArticleJanuary 2018 Visa Bulletin Check-In: No Significant Revelations
Most months, the U.S. Department of State (DOS) Chief of the Visa Control and Reporting Division, Charles Oppenheim, provides visa bulletin explanations and predictions. For the January 2018 Visa...
View ArticleNewsFlash! Government Shutdown Again Temporarily Avoided, EB5 Extended
Once again, Congress has passed a short-term bill to fund the federal government for a few weeks. The federal budget is now extended through January 19, 2018. This bill also extends the...
View ArticleAlcohol-Related Arrests Create Immigration Problems
The holiday season provides many with opportunities to have a good time, and a few drinks, with friends. Those who choose to do so should arrange for a designated driver or other safe, sober...
View ArticleOnline Filings Allowed for N-400 Applications for Naturalization
The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) now allows most applicants for naturalization to file their N-400 forms online. Any applicant who is filing based on military service, filing from...
View ArticleKirstjen Nielsen Sworn in as DHS Secretary
On December 6, 2017, Kirstjen Nielsen was sworn in as the new U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary. Ms. Nielsen’s hiring comes months after former DHS Secretary John Kelly left his post...
View ArticleTransfer Notices for I-485 Applicants No Cause for Alarm
As previously announced, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is scheduling an in-person interview for any I-485 applicant who filed the I-485 adjustment-of-status application on or...
View ArticleLegislative Barriers Likely Prevent Trump from Eliminating AC21 H1B Extensions
In recent days, news of a potential change in policy related to the American Competitiveness in the Twenty First Century Act (AC21) has begun to spread throughout the legal and immigrant communities....
View ArticleNew Year’s Reminders for Employers (Part 1 of 2)
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 2018. It is always...
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