The spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) is the most serious global health security threat in decades. Many countries are imposing much-needed restrictions to slow the spread of COVID-19. However, these restrictions are causing unprecedented disruptions. As the situation surrounding COVID-19 escalates at a rapid pace, we at MPLG
Are We Still a Nation of Immigrants? Not So Much, Says USCIS By Kalpana Peddibhotla/MPLG Founder For more than 130 years, the iconic Statue of Liberty – bearing the inscription “Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free” – has epitomized America’s core value of serving as a nation which…
H-1B CAP Travel and Stamping Advisory By Roujin Mozaffarimehr As H-1B Cap approvals start to trickle in, it is important for Petitioners and Beneficiaries to plan for the anticipated 10/1 start date. The following advisory is specifically for H-1B Cap cases that have been prepared for consular processing. H-1B Approvals for Consular Processing Once…
Premium Processing Suspended for Almost All H-1B Petitions Filed at The California And Vermont Service Centers Until February 2019 By: Roujin Mozaffarimehr The USCIS announced on August 28th, 2018 that, beginning on September 11, 2018, premium processing will be suspended for all H-1B petitions filed at Both California and Vermont Service Centers (excluding cap-exempt filings). This suspension is…
September 2018 Visa Bulletin Update – EB-1 Retrogression & Employment Based Adjustments Can Only Use Final Action Dates The Visa Bulletin began showing a retrogression for the Employment Based First Preference Category (EB-1) back in the August 2018 Visa Bulletin with a final action date of 2012 for China and India, and 2016 for all…
Latest Attorney General Decision Underscores Need for Judicial Independence By: Maleeha Haq Attorney General’s latest decision further highlights the need for immigration court to be independent of the Department of Justice. Because the country’s immigration court and their appellate body, the Board of Immigration Appeal, all fall under the purview of the Department of Justice,…
Introducing New Series: Dispatches from the Land of RFE: Deemed Universities in India By: Ameer Shaikh As immigration practitioners and beneficiaries well know, you do not always get an approval upon filing. Sometimes the USCIS issues a “Request for Evidence” aka RFE. While many of the RFE types are well-known (and even infamous: looking at…
NTA Memo Postponed Indefinitely By: Roujin Mozaffarimehr On Monday July 30th, 2018, the USCIS issued an announcement on the implementation of the Notice to Appear (“NTA”) Policy Memorandum (Policy Memorandum 602-0050.1), confirming that it is postponing the implementation of this memorandum until further notice. As we reported last month, on June 28, 2018, the USCIS issued a…
On August 17, 2018, USCIS Acknowledged that STEM OPT Is Possible for Third-Party Placement By: Roujin Mozaffarimehr On August 17, 2018, the USCIS issued an announcement clarifying and revising two points with regard to reporting responsibilities and worksite locations for Optional Practical Training for STEM Students (STEM OPT). Reporting obligations: Employers are now required to…
Program that offered a quick path to Citizenship to foreign nationals through Military Service may not be delivering on that promise MAVNI (Military Accessions Vital to National Interest), is a program that was created in 2009 by the Defense Department in order recruit foreign nationals that possess specific skills that are considered valuable to the…