As regular readers of MurthyDotCom and the MurthyBulletin are aware, the employment-based, second preference (EB2) cutoff dates in the U.S. Department of State (DOS) Visa Bulletin have advanced rapidly in recent months. Many individuals are closer to completion of the permanent residence (or "green card)...
The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is considering changes to the immigrant visa waiver process. These potential modifications are in response to recommendations for changes in processing Form I-601 applications made by the Citizenship and Immigration Services Ombudsman (CIS Ombudsman). While the changes are...
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) released a final rule that would establish a permanent global entry program (GEP), allowing faster clearance for certain pre-approved, low-risk travelers. This program will help streamline the processing of international visitors to the United States through selected international...
Many MurthyDotCom and MurthyBulletin readers have inquired as to whether the laws have changed to allow individuals in H-4 dependent status to obtain work authorization. At the time of this writing, there has been no favorable change to allow H-4 dependents to work. The renewed...
As the H1B cap filing season draws near, many F-1 students have concerns about how to best coordinate their eligibility for Optional Practical Training (OPT) with the timing of their employers' cap-subject H1B petitions. Our examination of this matter, as it applies to F-1 students...
The U.S. Department of State (DOS) Visa Bulletin for March 2012 continues the recent advancement trend for cutoff dates in the employment-based, second preference (EB2) category for India and China. The EB2 cutoff date in March 2012 is May 1, 2010. This cutoff date movement...
As many MurthyDotCom and MurthyBulletin readers are aware, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) will begin accepting H1B cap-subject filings for fiscal year 2013 (FY13) as of Monday, April 2, 2012. The significance of April 2nd is that it is the first business day...
Parts 1 and 2 of this article examine some of the major immigration developments in 2011, and analyze the potential impact of those developments for 2012. We previously discussed the forward movement of the EB2 India and China cutoff dates in the visa bulletin. Here...
The U.S. Department of State has released the Visa Bulletin for March 2012. As expected, the employment-based, second preference (EB2) category cutoff date continues to advance. The advancement of four months for EB2 India and China brings the March 2012 cutoff date to May 1,...
This series of articles examines some of the key immigration developments of 2011. We discuss how these developments could affect MurthyDotCom and MurthyBulletin readers in 2012 and make recommendations for strategic planning on the U.S. immigration law front in 2012. Our focus here is the...
