On June 17, 2024, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced a proposed program to promote family unity and remove certain roadblocks towards lawful permanent residency (i.e., a "green card") for certain undocumented noncitizen spouses of U.S. citizens. Below are the key points you...
The Office of Foreign Labor Certification (OFLC), which is responsible for adjudicating PERM labor certification applications for the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL), has retracted the approvals issued on an unknown number of labor certifications. The OFLC claims these approvals were issued in error. Background on...
This afternoon, the U.S. Department of State (DOS) released the July 2024 Visa Bulletin. All cutoff dates listed refer to those in the final action chart (i.e., Chart A), unless otherwise specified. Visa Bulletin Summary Employment-Based, First Preference (EB1) Category The cutoff date for EB1 India advances significantly,...
On June 4, 2024, the White House issued a presidential proclamation to temporarily limit the entry of foreign nationals across the southern border of the United States without valid documentation. Effective June 5, 2024, the Biden Administration is prohibiting the entry into the U.S. of...
In May 2015, a regulation was implemented to finally allow at least some H-4 dependent spouses to obtain work authorization. Given that the program has been in place for nearly a decade, seasoned H1B workers and H-4 dependents are typically aware of the requirements to...
On May 22, 2024, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) released updated guidance in the USCIS Policy Manual on the processing and adjudication of form I-130, petition for alien relative, which is filed in family-based immigration cases. Here are the key points you need...
The Murthy Law Firm regularly assists foreign nationals in filing self-sponsored immigrant petitions under the EB1(a) category as persons of extraordinary ability (EA). In one such case, the immigrant petition (form I-140) was filed for an expert in the field of computer networking and information...
In recent years, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has focused heavily on the issue of foreign nationals who have multiple H1B registrations filed in the annual H1B lottery. The USCIS continues to closely examine many of the previously approved H1B petitions, issuing notices...
A student in F-1 status, who is on Optional Practical Training (OPT), may have no more than a total of 90 days of unemployment during the regular one-year post-completion OPT period. A student eligible for an additional 24 months of OPT (for a total of...
The American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) recently sent a comment to the U.S. Department of State (DOS) regarding the pilot domestic visa renewal program, which ran from January 29, 2024, through April 1, 2024. In its comment, AILA offers numerous suggestions on ways to improve...
