In the latest defeat of efforts toward positive immigration reform, the Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors (DREAM) Act failed to pass the Senate on December 18, 2010. This marked the last chance to pass immigration benefits measures during the 111th Congress. The DREAM...
MurthyDotCom and MurthyBulletin readers were provided with a three-part series of articles reminding them to check expiration dates related to their immigration cases. Readers should also regularly check another important date-related document - the monthly U.S. Department of State (DOS) visa bulletin. While many individuals...
International travel is quite common in December and January each year. Many foreign nationals see the holiday season as a good time to visit family abroad. Some of the important matters that must be considered with regard to international travel are outlined here for the...
Many of our readers participate in the popular, weekly MurthyChat, one of the free online services offered by the Murthy Law Firm. They may also search past chat transcripts for answers to their own questions. The chat reflects questions that are on the minds of...
The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced in late October 2010 that it has started using a redesigned naturalization certificate. This is part of ongoing efforts to enhance document security. Thus, the new version of the certificate of naturalization (Form N-550) contains a number...
The labor condition application (LCA) is important to many employers and foreign workers in the United States, as it is a part of the H1B petition filing process. The LCA is a form that requires U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) approval in order for an...
The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) posts processing information online. This is itemized by each service center and for each field office, based on case type. While this is helpful, further explanation is provided here to aid MurthyDotCom and MurthyBulletin readers in understanding the...
A U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) memorandum regarding the importance of social networking sites in fraud detection was recently disclosed. This memo discusses the use of social networking sites by Fraud Detection and National Security (FDNS) officers in investigating potential abuses of U.S. immigration...
Many of our readers participate in the popular, weekly MurthyChat, one of the free online services offered by the Murthy Law Firm. They may also search past chat transcripts for answers to their own questions. The chat reflects questions that are on the minds of...
The Board of Alien Labor Certification Appeals (BALCA) recently addressed the meaning of the term "business day" in connection with the notice-of-filing requirement in PERM labor certification (LC) cases. In this decision, issued October 12, 2010, BALCA allowed consideration of weekends, as the petitioning employer...
