USCIS Extends Suspension of Premium Processing for R-1 Religious Workers

Posted by Murali Bashyam on Jan 13, 2008 in News, Religious Workers | 0 comments U.S.  Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced that the suspension of premium processing services for religious worker (R-1) visa petitions will be extended until July 8, 2008.  A previous six-month suspension was announced on June 18, 2007.   The Premium Processing Service provides faster processing of certain employment-based petitions and guarantees a 15-calendar...
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Priority Dates, Immigrant Visa Availability – What Does It All Mean?

Posted by Murali Bashyam on Jan 8, 2008 in I-140 Petitions, I-485 Adjustment of Status, Labor Certification (PERM), News, Visa Bulletin | 57 comments Having been immigration lawyers for over a decade, we have provided advice to thousands of immigrants on a variety of immigration matters. One of the most difficult areas of immigration law to explain to an intending immigrant is the concept of priority dates and immigrant visa numbers. If you have had a consultation with a lawyer on obtaining permanent residency, you may have heard a lawyer say,...
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News Bits and Upcoming Events in 2008

Posted by Murali Bashyam on Jan 5, 2008 in News, Other | 0 comments To read the USCIS application and receipting update as of December 14, 2007, please go to THIS LINK. On January 1, 2008, the fee to apply for any non-immigrant visa to enter the United States, including tourist, business, student and other visas, will increase to $131 world-wide.  This increase will also apply to Border Crossing Cards.  To read more, please go to THIS LINK. The...
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Immigration in 2007 – Gas Prices Went Up, Priority Dates Went Down

Posted by Murali Bashyam on Jan 5, 2008 in News, Other | 0 comments It was an interesting year in the world of immigration. In April, we had over 130,000 H1B applications filed for less than 65,000 H1B cap numbers. That showed how much our economy depended on and needed professional workers from overseas. Then the Department of Labor issued a Visa Bulletin that showed the first three employment-based categories as being current, only to revoke it a short time...
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DHS Removes I-485 Receipt Notice from H/L Travel Requirements

Posted by Murali Bashyam on Jan 5, 2008 in I-485 Adjustment of Status, News, Other | 0 comments On October 31, 2007, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) issued a final rule that removed the requirement that a person who has an I-485 adjustment of status application pending and travels using H or L status have an I-797 receipt notice for the I-485 adjustment application before leaving the United States.  Under the old rule, the person must have an I-797 receipt notice...
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