USCIS Updates Policy Guidance on Discretionary Decisions
The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) “policy manual” was recently updated to consolidate guidance related to applying discretion in USCIS adjudications. As noted in the corresponding...
View ArticleNY Court Blocks Trump Administration’s “Public Charge” Rule During the Pandemic
On July 29, 2020, U.S. District Judge George Daniels issued an decision temporarily blocking the public charge rule during the COVID-19 pandemic. Earlier this year, the U.S. Supreme Court allowed the...
View ArticleUSCIS Filing Fees to Increase by 20% on Average
Today, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has announced that it will “adjust USCIS fees by a weighted average increase of 20 percent to help recover its operational costs.” The final rule...
View ArticleUSCIS Clarified the July 29, 2020 Injunction Against the Public Charge Rule...
On July 31, 2020, USCIS posted a clarification to the July 29, 2020 ruling by the New York U.S. District Court blocking the Trump Administration’s public charge rule during the COVID-19 pandemic. The...
View ArticleCommon Misunderstandings Clarified: H1Bs and Change of Fields
One common area of misunderstanding in immigration law involves H1B workers who wish to move to a new position that is in a different field from the current H1B position. Foreign nationals and their...
View ArticleNewsFlash! Trump Signs Order Limiting Use of Foreign Nationals in Federal...
Today, President Trump signed an executive order that directs federal agencies to use U.S. workers, not foreign nationals, to fill federal government contractor positions. The order also directs the...
View ArticleUSCIS Ordered to Print Delayed Employment Authorization Documents
On July 22, 2020 a group of foreign nationals filed a class action lawsuit against the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) based on delays in the issuance of employment authorization...
View ArticleSelf-Petitioned, Employment-Based Options
Can I file a green card for myself? The Murthy Law Firm regularly receives inquiries like this from foreign nationals wondering whether it is possible to self-sponsor to become a lawful permanent...
View ArticleMurthyAudio: COVID-19 Update
Murthy Law Firm attorneys provide an update on how COVID-19 has affected U.S. immigration both in the U.S. and at U.S. consulates, which aired on 05.Aug.2020 as part of our teleconference series for...
View ArticleNewsFlash! DOS Adds More Exceptions to Executive Order Banning Entry of...
Today, the U.S. Department of State (DOS) updated the exceptions to the nonimmigrant workers who are prohibited from being admitted to the United States based on President Trump’s June 22, 2020,...
View ArticleUSCIS Confirms Suspension of Courtesy Faxes for Premium Processing RFEs and...
The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has confirmed temporary suspension of the issuance of courtesy faxes for requests for evidence (RFEs), notices of intent to deny (NOIDs), and...
View ArticleNewsFlash! USCIS Selects More H1B Lottery Registrations
In the past week, there have been unconfirmed reports that the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) was planning on holding a second H1B lottery. This morning, the Murthy Law Firm began...
View ArticleNewsFlash! Consulates in India Open for F and J Applicants, Limited...
Effective Monday, August 17, 2020, the U.S. consulates in India will have a limited number of slots available for F and J visa applicants. Per the announcement, emergency student and exchange visitor...
View ArticleInjunction on Public Charge Rule Limited to Residents of CT, NY, and VT
On July 29, 2020, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) confirmed that, following an injunction issued by the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, it would not...
View ArticleSeptember 2020 Visa Bulletin
The U.S. Department of State (DOS) has released the September 2020 Visa Bulletin. There is very little movement from the previous month. This is the final visa bulletin of the current fiscal year. All...
View ArticleNewsFlash! EAD Approval Notices Can Temporarily Be Used to Show Work...
The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has announced that, due to delays in the production of employment authorization documents (EADs), a form I-797 approval notice that has a notice...
View ArticleUSCIS “Reminds” Universities and F-1 Students to Update Employer Information
The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has issued a reminder to universities and F-1 students employed pursuant to post-completion optional practical training (OPT) to ensure that...
View ArticleNewsFlash! USCIS Cancels Plans to Furlough Staff
The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has reportedly cancelled its plans to furlough a large percentage of its staff at the end of this month. Due to budget constraints, however, the...
View ArticleNewsFlash! DOS Provides Small Expansion to Drop-Box Eligibility
Today, the U.S. Department of State (DOS) announced that it will temporarily relax one of the eligibility criteria for the interview waiver program at U.S. consulates, commonly referred to as the “drop...
View ArticleImmigration Benefits After Death of Qualifying Relative
204(l) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) governs the eligibility for certain continued immigration benefits to surviving family members through a deceased qualifying relative. 204(l) applies...
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