The Citizenship and Immigration Services Ombudsman (CIS Ombudsman) 2014 Annual Report was submitted to Congress on June 27, 2014. The report details various deficiencies found within the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), according to the Ombudsman's office, including problems with H1B and L-1 processing...
The U nonimmigrant category provides immigration benefits to foreign nationals who have been the victims of certain serious crimes. These individuals may be able to obtain immigration benefits under the U nonimmigrant category by assisting U.S. law enforcement in its efforts to prosecute the perpetrator/s...
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has continued to enhance the Study-in-the-States web portal. The Study-in-the-States WebSite was initiated in 2011 to assist international students and school officials. The most recent improvements include a mobile-ready version of the website. Study-in-the-States Initiative The Study-in-the-States Initiative was launched in...
The American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) has announced that it will now begin to issue a report each month intended to provide reliable predictions and analysis regarding the movement of cutoff dates in the visa bulletin. These reports will be based on discussions with Charles...
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Office of Immigration Statistics, recently reported that over 990,000 foreign nationals were granted U.S. permanent residence ("green card" status) in fiscal year (FY) 2013. These individuals, their respective countries of origin, and avenues to permanent resident status provide...
The U.S. Department of State (DOS) Visa Bulletin for August 2014 is now available. The August Visa Bulletin brings a continuation of forward movement in the employment-based, second preference (EB2) category for Indian and Chinese nationals. This movement is far less dramatic than the long...
Earlier today, the U.S. Department of State (DOS) released the August 2014 Visa Bulletin. Effective August 1st, the employment-based, second preference (EB2) category for India will move forward to January 22, 2009. EB2 China will advance to October 8, 2009. MurthyDotCom will publish a more complete...
The U. S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) Vermont Service Center (VSC) has announced a pilot program to use two-sided printing for certain types of notices. The purpose of this initiative is to reduce costs and waste. Stakeholders should be careful to review both the...
On July 6, 2014, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) announced that travelers boarding flights bound for the United States from certain airports with direct flights to this country will face enhanced security measures. Travelers are advised to be particularly aware of the potential inspection of electronic...
The U.S. Embassy in New Delhi, India held Student Visa Day on June 19, 2014. A press release on the event notes that a record number of individuals have applied for student visas in India thus far in fiscal year (FY) 2014. In fact, the embassy...
