There continue to be delays in processing H1B petitions. This issue involves both the California Service Center (CSC) as well as the Vermont Service Center (VSC). The matter is urgent for cap-subject cases as the H1B start date of October 1, 2012, which is requested...
The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) recently posted information helpful to foreign nationals facing immigration-related difficulties as a result of Hurricane Isaac. Natural disasters inevitably create disruptions that may make it impossible to meet all immigration requirements and deadlines. The USCIS generally makes reasonable...
The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) recently confirmed that the employment eligibility verification (I-9) form, available on the USCIS WebSite, remains valid despite its stated expiration date of August 31, 2012. The USCIS process for making changes to the I-9 and releasing a new...
The American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) continues to seek clarification from the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) regarding the need to amend the H1B petition for a worker whose work location has changed. As explained in this MurthyDotCom NewsBrief, expectations are clearly shifting from...
The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced on August 21, 2012, that for the third straight year it has approved 10,000 U visa petitions, the maximum quota allowed under the law. This clearly demonstrates the importance of this category, available to victims of certain...
The USCIS issued a policy memorandum on July 23, 2012 detailing current policies regarding available accommodations for religious beliefs as it relates to immigration photographs and fingerprinting requirements. The memo makes it clear that, while some accommodations are available, the USCIS will not waive photograph...
The USCIS announced today that the agency is expanding National Customer Service Center (NCSC) hours to include Saturdays. Customer service representatives will now be available Monday-Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., and Saturday, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. in each time zone. The NCSC can...
There are some important matters of interest to individuals present in the United States as religious workers, which were discussed at the 2012 American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) Annual Conference, held recently in Nashville, TN. These issues involve the upcoming sunset of certain portions of the...
During a session at the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) Annual Conference in Nashville, TN last week, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) provided initial feedback regarding the recently launched Electronic Immigration System (ELIS). Discussed here for our readers are the preliminary USCIS experiences...
The H1B quota for fiscal year (FY) 2013 was reached on Monday, June 11, 2012. The advanced-degree cap was reached a few days earlier, on June 7, 2012. The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) made an announcement regarding both cap limits on June 12,...
