Update on COVID-Related Delays at USCIS
The COVID-19 pandemic has greatly exacerbated delays and backlogs at the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). These delays have been especially pronounced with regard to the scheduling of...
View ArticleAirline Passengers from UK Must Test Negative for COVID-19
Today, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued a notice of agency order that requires airlines to obtain “negative pre-departure COVID-19 test results for all airline...
View ArticleTrump Extends Work Visa Restrictions
Over the weekend, President Trump extended the work visa restrictions he initially implemented via executive order on June 22, 2020. The executive order had been scheduled to expire on January 1, 2021,...
View ArticleLocal Conditions Determine When U.S. Consulates Will Reopen
The U.S. Department of State (DOS), which is responsible for all U.S. embassies and consulates, has provided an updated summary on its plan for the phased resumption of routine visa service across the...
View ArticleUSCIS Publishes Final Rule to Significantly Alter H1B Lottery Process
Today, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) published a final rule in the Federal Register replacing the H1B lottery registration system with one that prioritizes cases filed based on...
View ArticleNewsFlash! Rule That Hikes Prevailing Wages to Be Republished on Thursday
The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) announced today that, on Thursday, January 14, 2021, it will be republishing the rule that dramatically increases the salary requirements for H1B and PERM labor...
View ArticleEffective January 26th, All Airline Passengers Must Test Negative for COVID-19
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is issuing a new policy, effective January 26, 2021, which will require airlines to obtain negative pre-departure COVID-19 test results for all...
View ArticleMurthyAudio: Transition to the New Biden Administration
The remaining immigration policies of President Trump and the Biden Administration’s anticipated immigration plans are the topic discussed by Murthy Law Firm attorneys in the first podcast of 2021,...
View ArticleMotions to Reopen / Reconsider and Appeal
In some cases, it is possible to challenge a denial decision made by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) on an application or petition for an immigration benefit. This challenge is...
View ArticleNewsFlash! USCIS Suspends In-Person Services Jan 19th & 20th
The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced today that all in-person services will be suspended on January 19th and 20th in order to “ensure the safety of … employees and...
View ArticleNewsFlash! DHS and DOL Seeking to Radically Change H1B Process for Consulting...
This evening, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) released the text of a final rule that will change the definition of “employer” in the H1B context. Per this rule, end-clients would be...
View ArticleOverview of DOL Rule that Hikes Prevailing Wages
The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) has republished the rule that dramatically increases the salary requirements for H1B and PERM labor filings. The DOL initially published this regulation as an interim...
View ArticlePresident Biden Starts Implementing His Immigration Policies
Joseph R. Biden, Jr. was sworn in today as the 46th president of the United States, and he has already begun the process of undoing Trump’s immigration policies. To start with, by the end of the day,...
View ArticleBiden Administration Withdraws DHS Rule that Targeted Consulting Firms
In the final days of the Trump Administration, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) attempted to rush through a regulation that would have required both H1B employers and end-clients to...
View ArticleFebruary 2021 Visa Bulletin and Short-Term Predictions
The U.S. Department of State (DOS) has released the February 2021 Visa Bulletin. The visa bulletin also includes a number of predictions for the coming months. All cutoff dates listed refer to the...
View ArticleNewsFlash! USCIS Extends Flexibility for Responding to Requests Until March...
The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is again extending the response time flexibility, initially announced on March 30, 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This flexibility applies to...
View ArticleBiden to Sign Immigration Executive Order Tuesday
President Biden is expected to sign an executive order (EO) on Tuesday, February 2, 2021 to modernize the U.S. immigration system. No further details on the forthcoming executive order have been...
View ArticleBiden to Sign Three Immigration-Related Executive Orders Today
Today, President Joe Biden will sign three immigration-related executive orders (EOs). These EOs largely serve to undo various immigration policies and practices implemented by the Trump...
View ArticleNewsFlash! USCIS Will Not Implement Wage-Based H1B Registration System Before...
Tomorrow, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) will publish a rule in the Federal Register that will serve to delay implementation of the January 8, 2021 final rule that had been slated to...
View ArticleUSCIS Releases Details on FY22 H1B Cap and Electronic Registration System
This afternoon, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced that the H1B registration period for the fiscal year 2022 (FY22) will run from noon Eastern Time (ET) March 9 through...
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