Visa and status are two concepts that are commonly confused. Under immigration law, the two concepts are distinct, even though in discussions, the word visa and the word status are used interchangeably. Visa, in immigration law, refers to the visa stamp affixed to one's passport...
From time to time, F-1 students fail to maintain their status, often unintentionally. A foreign national student studying in the United States can fall out of status either as a result of an action on his or her own part, such as working without authorization...
The Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) is developing the next generation of the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS). The new system, known as SEVIS II, is designed to address the limitations of the current SEVIS system. The timeframe for the phased-in implementation...
The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) issued a news release on May 12, 2011 announcing that ICE has added new degree programs to the list of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) degrees eligible for the 17-month optional practical training (OPT) extension for F-1...
Issues arising from the Tri-Valley University (TVU) raid in January 2011 continue to plague former students of that institution. The Murthy Law Firm and lawyers from other firms have been involved in efforts to assist former TVU students as they seek to regain lawful status...
The U.S. Department of State (DOS) recently published a final rule giving U.S. consular officers, posted at U.S. embassies and consulates abroad, increased power to revoke previously-approved nonimmigrant (temporary) visa foils (known as "stamps"). The changed regulations also provide for authority to temporarily revoke approved...
[Part 1 of this news article, H1B Portability: A Change in USCIS Policy? Part 1 of 2 (13.May.2011), is available on MurthyDotCom.]In Part 1 of this article, a narrowing of the USCIS's interpretation of the American Competitiveness in the 21st Century Act (AC21) was discussed...
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) published a Federal Register notice on April 28, 2011, that removes all designated countries from the National Security Entry-Exit Registration System (NSEERS), effective immediately. This decision was made due to the implementation of automated systems for the capture of...
[Part 2 of this MurthyBulletin article discusses the consequence of this variation on individuals who previously engaged in employment under a broader reading of AC21.]One significant change that had been brought about by the American Competitiveness in the Twenty-First Century Act (AC21) was the benefit...
The saga of Tri-Valley University (TVU) continues with the indictment of the university president, Dr. Susan Xiao-Ping Su. This indictment follows the highly-publicized Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raid of TVU in January. Multiple Count Indictment of Dr. Su The May 2nd press release reveals that the...
