Congress approved a spending bill this afternoon that will fund the federal government's operations through the evening of Wednesday, December 16, 2015. President Obama is expected to sign the bill into law later this evening.This bill delays a possible government shutdown, at least for a few...
Congress approved a spending bill late this afternoon that will fund the federal government's operations through December 11, 2015. This serves to avoid a government shutdown, at least for the next two months.The bill passed today was also used to extend the regional center (RC)...
On August 10, 2015, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) released a draft memorandum regarding certain legal requirements for the employment-based, fifth preference (EB5) immigrant investor category. The memo specifically addresses two key EB5 requirements: job creation and sustaining the EB5 investment over the two-year...
Maria M. Odom, the Citizenship and Immigration Services Ombudsman (CIS Ombudsman), has submitted her office's 2015 Annual Report to Congress. This annual report includes lists of problems within the immigration system identified by the CIS Ombudsman's office, as well as recommended solutions. Background on the CIS Ombudsman The...
On July 15, 2015, the White House released a report outlining recommendations for changes to the U.S. immigration system, in order to "…bring the system into the 21st century." The report identifies avenues for making improvements to the immigration system and is titled, Modernizing and Streamlining...
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has asked Congress to make changes to the employment-based, fifth preference (EB5) immigrant investor program. The goal of this request, which was made by DHS Secretary Jeh Johnson, is to better protect against fraud and to address various...
As announced last week on MurthyDotCom, the U.S. Department of State (DOS) visa bulletin for April 2015 is available. The employment-based, second preference (EB2) category for India and China continues to advance. As predicted, however, the news is far less encouraging for the employment-based, third preference (EB3)...
Each month, Charles Oppenheim, Chief of the Visa Control and Reporting Division at the U.S. Department of State (DOS), provides the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) with some additional insight and predictions regarding the visa bulletin. This month, Chief Oppenheim provides a glimmer of hope...
President Barack Obama addressed the nation on November 20, 2014, in a televised speech to outline his proposed changes to immigration policies through executive action. These changes are part of a multi-pronged effort by the White House to make needed improvements by executive action to...
On October 1, 2014, the Chief of the Immigrant Visa Control and Reporting Division, U.S. Department of State (DOS), Charles Oppenheim, provided explanations and predictions related to employment-based categories for visa bulletin developments expected during the next few months of fiscal year 2015 (FY15). This...
