Gaining and Losing a Priority Date in Employment-Based Green Card Cases
A foreign national seeking to become a lawful permanent resident of the United States (i.e., a “green card holder”) typically should be familiar with the concept of a priority date. For all...
View ArticleCap-Gap Extensions of F-1 Status and OPT
The typical H1B cap-filing season raises questions about extensions of F-1 student status and optional practical training (OPT) before the beginning of H1B status. Many foreign national students tend...
View ArticleApril 2024 Visa Bulletin
Today, the U.S. Department of State (DOS) released the April 2024 Visa Bulletin. This month’s visa bulletin also provides some predictions for movement in the coming months. All cutoff dates listed...
View ArticleOverview of H2A Temporary Agricultural Worker Program
The H2A program was created in response to the shortage of agricultural workers in the United States. This program allows U.S. farms and agricultural businesses to bring foreign nationals to the U.S....
View ArticleMurthy Snapshot: Impact of Interfiling on a Child’s CSPA Eligibility
On March 11, 2024, the U.S. Department of State (DOS) released the April 2024 Visa Bulletin. For India and China, EB3 remains ahead of EB2 on the final action date chart, which may lead to increased...
View ArticleImportance of Accurate & Consistent Birth Documents in Immigration Filings
The Murthy Law Firm routinely receives calls from individuals asking how to deal with birth documents that have incorrect information. Foreign nationals seeking to apply for U.S. immigration benefits...
View ArticleNewsFlash! USCIS Extends FY2025 H1B Registration Period Until March 25
The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced this evening that the registration period for the fiscal year 2025 cap is being extended until noon Eastern Time (U.S.) on March 25,...
View ArticleUSCIS Updates Policy Guidance for Expedite Requests
On March 21, 2024, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) updated the USCIS Policy Manual clarifying certain criteria for expedite requests. The update also provides additional guidance...
View ArticleMurthy Takes Action: Firm Pushes for Path to Green Card for Ukrainian Parolees
The attorneys in our firm regularly track governmental policies and take action to improve the immigration process for our clients and the immigration community at large. To that end, the Murthy Law...
View ArticleOptions if Not Selected in the H1B Lottery
For those not selected in the H1B cap-subject lottery, some options are discussed in this article, including transferring to another F-1 program of study, finding cap-exempt employment or determining...
View ArticleNewsFlash! USCIS Completes Selections for FY25 H1B Lottery
This afternoon, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced that that the agency had received enough registrations for unique beneficiaries to meet the regular H1B cap and the...
View ArticleMurthy Snapshot: USCIS Increases Automatic Extension for Certain EAD Renewals
The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) soon will publish a temporary final rule in the Federal Register that will increase the automatic extension period of certain employment...
View ArticleMurthy Snapshot: Self-Employment for F-1 OPT Students
A student in F-1 status with initial optional practical training (OPT) authorization may meet the employment requirements by engaging in self-employment as an alternative option from the standard...
View ArticleMay 2024 Visa Bulletin
This afternoon, the U.S. Department of State (DOS) released the May 2024 Visa Bulletin. The employment-based categories show no forward movement from the previous month. All cutoff dates listed refer...
View ArticleConsolidation of B-1/B-2 Interview Waiver Appointments in New Delhi
Starting March 2024, the U.S. Embassy in India has consolidated B-1/B-2 interview waiver appointments in New Delhi, leading to limited appointment availability at U.S. consular posts in India....
View ArticleUSCIS Updates Form N-400, Application for Naturalization
The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) recently announced that any foreign national filing an application for naturalization (form N-400) now may request an original or replacement...
View ArticleReminder: USCIS Strictly Enforces OPT Filing Deadlines
The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) strictly enforces the requirement to file the optional practical training (OPT) application within 30 days of the date the designated school...
View ArticleMurthy Success Story: NIW Approval for Expert in Public Safety Technology
The Murthy Law Firm regularly assists foreign nationals in filing self-sponsored immigrant petitions under the EB2 national interest waiver (NIW) category. In one such case, the immigrant petition...
View ArticleUSCIS Adopts DOL’s Definition of “Science or Art” for Schedule A Cases
The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) recently announced the incorporation of the U.S. Department of Labor’s (DOL) definition of “science or art” into its policy manual for Schedule A,...
View ArticleUSCIS Statistics Demonstrate Integrity Measures Resulted in Improved H1B...
The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) recently highlighted various key statistics related to the registrations submitted in this year’s H1B lottery, arguing that the changes made to the...
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