Congress appears ready to pass the Laken Riley Act, which authorizes the detention of certain foreign nationals charged with theft and other crimes in the United States. This law also denounces the Biden Administration for its border policies and calls for stronger border enforcement measures. New...
Answer You typically need to cancel the existing appointment, and schedule a new appointment with a new DS-160 (indicating the appointment is for H-4.) It may be possible to reuse the fee. (15.Jan.2025)Sheela Murthy and other senior attorneys provide guidance that clarifies the law. For information...
Answer It is possible to eMail USCIS lockbox support at lockboxsupport@uscis.dhs.gov to inquire about a filing that has not yet been receipted. You should include the form number, petitioner or applicant name, date of birth, and mailing address, as well as the lockbox the package was...
Answer The USCIS normally lists field office and Application Support Center closures on its USCIS Office Closing webpage. (15.Jan.2025)Sheela Murthy and other senior attorneys provide guidance that clarifies the law. For information on our FREE online services, click here. Access more FAQs here. Copyright © 2025, MURTHY...
Today, the U.S. Department of State (DOS) released the February 2025 Visa Bulletin. In February, there is slight bit of movement in some, but not all, of the oversubscribed categories. All cutoff dates listed refer to those in the final action chart (i.e., Chart A),...
Today, Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas announced Romania is being added as to the U.S. visa waiver program (VWP). On or around March 31, 2025, Romanian nationals who obtain pre-departure travel authorization through the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) will be eligible to...
The Murthy Law Firm often assists foreign nationals in fixing an erroneously issued I-94 card. In the years since U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) replaced the paper I-94 card with an online I-94 system, we have noticed a significant increase in instances of people...
Answer By law, certain H1B filing fees must be paid for by the employer, and cannot be reimbursed by the employee. But, in practice, all fees associated with the preparation and filing of an H1B petition must be covered by the employer. The U.S. Department of...
Answer No. To receive an automatic extension of an expiring EAD based on a timely filed I-765, the expiring EAD and newly requested EAD must be in the same eligibility category. So, if you wish to receive an automatic extension of the H-4 EAD, one of...
Answer Although the regulations do not explicitly forbid working as an independent contractor, the STEM OPT guidance requires a bona fide employer-employee relationship, including training, supervision, and wage requirement. Therefore, it seems likely that working as an independent contractor would be viewed as a violation of...
