02 Jan 2025

A few weeks after I was arrested for driving while intoxicated, I received an eMail from the consulate saying that my H1B visa had been revoked. Do I need to leave the U.S. now?

Answer The prudential revocations of a visa due to a DUI only impacts the visa “stamp,” not a person’s status.That being said, please see our MurthyDotCom InfoArticle, Alcohol-Related Arrests Create Immigration Problems (29.Dec.2023), which summarizes some of the key problems that can be created by one...

19 Dec 2024

Increase of Automatic Extension Period for Certain EAD Renewals Made “Permanent”

On Tuesday, 10.Dec.2024, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced a final rule to permanently implement the rule that automatically extends the validity of certain employment authorization documents (EADs) based on a pending, timely filed application to extend employment authorization. The final rule will...

18 Dec 2024

I have been living in the U.S. in H1B status for several years. While living here, I have formed a very close relationship with an elderly couple, both of whom are U.S. citizens. My own parents are deceased, and this couple wishes to adopt me and sponsor me for a green card. Is this possible?

Answer Even if it is possible for the couple to adopt you – and this would be based on state law – this would normally not help, from an immigration law perspective. To sponsor an adopted child under U.S. immigration law, the foreign national typically must...

25 Nov 2024

Preparing for a Possible Travel Ban Under the Trump Administration

President-elect Donald Trump soon will be sworn in as the forty-seventh President of the United States, and many foreign nationals are nervously waiting to see how and when he will implement many of the disruptive immigration policies that marked his first term in office. One...

21 Nov 2024

Trump Administration Frequently Asked Questions

President-elect Donald Trump will begin his second term in office as President of the United States, effective January 20, 2025. Since the election, the Murthy Law Firm has received numerous questions about how his new administration will impact U.S. immigration law and policy. To assist...

20 Nov 2024

My H1B and my wife’s H-4 are both valid for another year. I am in the process of changing employers, and my new employer will be filing an H1B change-of-employer petition for me soon. Does my spouse need to file an I-539 to extend her H-4 status together with my H1B?

Answer Your spouse does not need to extend her H-4 status, given that her current I-94 is valid for another year. However, we usually recommend that the H-4 spouses file a new I-539 in these circumstances so that their H-4 end date matches the expiration of...

14 Nov 2024

New Administration: President-Elect Trump Taps Several Immigration Hardliners for Administration

Over the past several days, President-elect Donald Trump has selected several people to serve in his administration, which will start on January 20, 2025. All, unsurprisingly, have expressed views that parallel those the President-elect when it comes to immigration issues. Former ICE Director to Serve as...

24 Oct 2024

Temporary Initiatives for Lebanese Nationals

On 18.Oct.2024, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) published a notice in the Federal Register offering more specifics on the implementation of the Biden Administration’s directive that authorized deferred enforced departure (DED) for 18 months for eligible Lebanese nationals. Effective 26.Jul.2024, Lebanese nationals covered...

23 Oct 2024