Four Lessons on Instructions that Denials Carry
Foreign nationals frequently are confused by the specific instructions found in certain denial decisions issued in response to their immigration filings. The standard language used by these government...
View ArticleChanging From Adjustment of Status to Consular Processing
For most types of immigrant petitions, such as a family-based petition for an alien relative (form I-130) or an employment-based petition for an alien worker (form I-140), the petitioner must indicate...
View ArticleAugust 2018 Visa Bulletin: Some Movement in EB3, EB1 Retrogresses
This morning, the U.S. Department of State (DOS) released the August 2018 Visa Bulletin. The employment-based, third preference (EB3) category advance a bit for India, and surges forward for China....
View ArticleNewsFlash! New Memo Makes it Easier for USCIS to Deny Cases Without First...
This afternoon, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) issued a policy memorandum that provides officers with more discretion to deny an application or petition without first having to...
View ArticleUSCIS Notice to Appear (NTA) Memo Could Result in Harsh Consequences
On July 5, 2018, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) released a policy memorandum that dramatically expands the circumstances under which the USCIS intends to issue a notice to appear...
View ArticleF-1 Students: Be Prepared While Traveling on OPT
It is important that F-1 students working pursuant to optional practical training (OPT) present proper documentation to U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers at U.S. ports of entry (POEs)...
View ArticleUpdate to Murthy AAO Victory in Matter of V-S-G, Inc.
On May 14, 2018, the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) reaffirmed the I-140 petition approval in Matter of V-S-G, Inc. and, shortly thereafter, approved the applicant’s I-485....
View ArticleUSCIS Taskforce Aims to Denaturalize Those Who Used Fraud to Obtain U.S....
The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is opening an office in Los Angeles, California, that will be tasked with searching for people who committed fraud in order to obtain U.S....
View ArticleUSCIS Memo on Denying Cases Without RFE / NOID
On July 13, 2018, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) posted a policy memorandum that increases the discretion of USCIS adjudicators to deny applications, petitions, or requests for...
View ArticleMurthyAudio: CBP and Travel Issues for Employees
This teleconference, which aired July 11, 2018, provides an overview of immigration issues related to employees traveling to the United States from abroad. Discussed are situations employees may face,...
View ArticleNewsFlash! USCIS Delays Implementation of NTA Memo
This afternoon, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced a delay in the implementation of the June 28, 2018 memorandum expanding the situations in which a foreign national is to...
View ArticleAugust 2018 Visa Bulletin Check-In: Predictions for FY19
The U.S. Department of State (DOS) Chief of the Visa Control and Reporting Division, Charles Oppenheim, provides visa bulletin explanations and predictions most months. This month, Mr. Oppenheim...
View ArticlePrudential Revocation of Visas Following Arrest for Broad Range of Crimes
As discussed in the MurthyDotCom NewsBrief, Nonimmigrant Visa Revocation Update for Those with DUI (16.Feb.2016), the U.S. Department of State (DOS) can prudentially revoke a visa foil (commonly...
View ArticleProposed Fee Increase for F, M, and J Applicants
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has proposed an increase in application fees charged by Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP). The fee increases are related to the payments...
View ArticleSeptember 2018 Visa Bulletin: Temporary Retrogression and Short-Term Predictions
This afternoon, the U.S. Department of State (DOS) released the September 2018 Visa Bulletin. This is the final visa bulletin for fiscal year 2018 (FY18), and due to extremely high demand in certain...
View ArticleUnlawful Presence Memo for F, J, and M Nonimmigrants Presumably Now in Effect
In May 2018, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) issued a policy memorandum that would greatly expand the situations in which those in F, J, or M status may begin accruing unlawful...
View ArticleNewsFlash! USCIS Issues Final Version of Unlawful Presence Memo for F, J, and...
The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has released the final version of the policy memorandum that greatly expands the situations in which those in F, J, or M status may begin accruing...
View ArticleFraud Alert: DHS and Consulates Warn of New Telephone Scam
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has issued a warning in relation to a recent trend in telephone scams. The DHS warns that criminals are posing as government representatives, calling...
View ArticleSeptember 2018 Visa Bulletin Check-In: Updated Predictions for FY19
Charles Oppenheim, Chief of the Visa Control and Reporting Division for the U.S. Department of State (DOS), provides visa bulletin explanations and predictions most months. This month, Mr. Oppenheim...
View ArticleNewsFlash! USCIS Clarifies That Offsite STEM OPT Employment is Permitted
This afternoon, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) updated its STEM OPT webpage to clarify that STEM OPT workers can be placed offsite if certain requirements are met. The update...
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