NewsFlash! Supreme Court to Hear Travel Ban Case
This afternoon, the U.S. Supreme Court agreed to hear the legal challenge to the latest travel ban imposed by President Trump. The travel ban applies to citizens of Iran, Libya, Syria, Somalia, Chad,...
View ArticleCurrent Administration & Immigration
Redirecting to https://www.murthy.com/current-administration-immigration/ (If it does not redirect, please click this link.) https://www.murthy.com/current-administration-immigration/ The post Current...
View ArticleGovernment Shutdown Now in Effect
A partial shutdown of the federal government is now in effect because Congress was unable to pass a new budget or continuing resolution. This also means that several immigration programs, including the...
View ArticleNew USCIS Guidance on Definition of TN Economist Profession
The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) released a policy memorandum that limits the definition of an economist for purposes of TN classification. Under the new policy, only professionals...
View ArticleNewsFlash! Senate Reaches Agreement to End Government Shutdown
This afternoon, Democrats and Republicans in the U.S. Senate came to an agreement on a stopgap bill to fund the federal government through February 8, 2018. The U.S. House of Representatives is...
View ArticleCBP Adds VWP Features to I-94 Website
The U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has added a couple of new features to the I-94 website for the benefit of foreign nationals traveling pursuant to the visa waiver program (VWP). The website...
View ArticleH1B Cap Exemptions for Physicians
A large percentage of foreign nationals who come to work as physicians in the United States do so pursuant to H1B status. Ordinarily, the foreign national must be counted against the H1B cap before...
View ArticleNewsFlash! No Procedural Changes for Upcoming H1B Cap Filings
The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has confirmed to the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) that, for the upcoming fiscal year 2019 H1B cap season (i.e. H1B lottery cases...
View ArticleNewsFlash! White House Unveils Proposed Immigration Reform Plan to Congress
This evening, the Trump Administration sent Congress a proposal for an immigration reform bill that would provide relief to 1.8 million “dreamers” (i.e. undocumented foreign nationals brought to the...
View ArticleFebruary 2018 Visa Bulletin Check-In: Predictions for Impact of In-Person...
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 February 2018 Visa...
View ArticleCBP Releases Guidance on Search of Electronic Devices
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) issued an updated directive on border searches of electronic devices belonging to individuals entering or exiting the United States. The directive provides...
View ArticleFiling a Nunc Pro Tunc Request to Reinstate Status in the U.S.
There are times when it is necessary to request that the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) forgive someone’s failure to timely file a request to change or extend status. A request to...
View ArticleH1B Cap Season Reminder: Multiple H1B Filings for Same Beneficiary
As the H1B cap season for fiscal year 2019 (FY19) 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 ArticleSpecial Renewal Requirements for Green Cards Issued to Minors
A lawful permanent resident (LPR), commonly referred to as a “green card” holder, is generally expected to renew the green card prior to the expiration date of the card, which is typically ten years...
View ArticleGovernment Faces Yet Another Possible Shutdown After February 8, 2018
In what has become almost routine, the federal government is teetering on yet another potential government shutdown. The deadline for passing a spending bill to extend government operations is midnight...
View ArticleTrump Orders Creation of National Vetting Center to Screen Foreign Nationals
On February 6, 2018, President Trump ordered the creation of a National Vetting Center, saying it is needed “…to better identify individuals seeking to enter the country who present a threat to...
View ArticleNewsFlash! Government Reopening Following Hours-Long Shutdown
This morning, President Trump is expected to sign a bill that will reopen the federal government through March 23, 2018. This bill will also extend various immigration programs, including the...
View ArticleAAO Broadly Construes “Related Entities” in Context of Multiple H1B Cap Cases...
A new non-precedent decision from the Administrative Appeals Office (AAO) provides a broad interpretation for the meaning of “related entities” in the context of multiple H1B filings for the same...
View ArticleMarch 2018 Visa Bulletin: Movement Consistent with Predictions
The U.S. Department of State (DOS) has released the March 2018 Visa Bulletin. The movement in the final action (FA) chart is in line with the short-term predictions made last month. Overview of...
View Article2018 Poverty Guideline: Impacts 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...
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