Guestbook Entry for Sethuraman Sankaranarayanan, United States
Name
Sethuraman Sankaranarayanan
Country
United States
State
NJ
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Guestbook Entry for Anil Kowatra, United States
Name
Anil Kowatra
Country
United States
State
MD
Comment
Thanks to Rajiv and his efficient & prompt legal team for excellent dedicated service. My GC process was started in April 1999 and completed on Jan 23, 2001. The whole process went thru smoothly without any complication. I highly recommend this group to anyone who has immigration related issues.
Guestbook Entry for Venkat, United States
Name
Venkat
Country
United States
State
NY
Comment
Rajiv, Leila, Diane, Suman and Fidelina have done an excellent job. They're all very responsible and cooperative.
Guestbook Entry for Pratik Sheth, United States
Name
Pratik Sheth
Country
United States
State
NC
Comment
very proffesional firm quick resposnse from Rajiv Khanna all the time
Guestbook Entry for S.C., United States
Name
S.C.
Country
United States
State
FL
Comment
Iam thankful for the excellent work done by Mr.Rajiv Khanna and his colleagues Ms.Amel Berhe and Ms.Nimia Aranibar which enabled me to obtain the G.C. Keep up the good work guys.
Guestbook Entry for Suresh, United States
Name
Suresh
Country
United States
State
NJ
Comment
I got my passport stamped last week to complete the GC processing. I am thankful to Mr. Khanna and his cooperative team for all the effort they put in for my case. I am impressed by the attention to the case provided by the entire team and also the backup measures that were taken to ensure speedy success. Overall it was a very pleasent experience. I had chosen Mr. Khanna over my company's lawyer and I feel it was a wise decision. My Labor Certification papers were filed in May 99 and the Center was VSC.
Guestbook Entry for Paresh Randeria, United States
Name
Paresh Randeria
Country
United States
State
MD
Comment
I got my GC approval on July 11 after a Interview at LOCAL INS Baltimore. Thanks to Rajiv and his team. I do not want to mention any of the staff members name as all the staff was prompt (Very important to me) and were extremely helpful. I really appreciate them answering all my questions patiently throughout the case. Like most of Desis, I was also asking same questions again and again in different ways but his staff were always patiently answer all my questions politely. I always got replies to all my (Phone/Email/Fax) inquiry within 24 hours. Rajiv also gave me his Cell Phone number on the day I was going for Interview which gave me feeling that he is with me for the Interview.
Guestbook Entry for Deepak Bapna, United States
Name
Deepak Bapna
Country
United States
State
AR
Comment
Hi, I got my GC approval on June 20th (filed mid Aug 99 at TSC). Kudos to Rajiv and his team, esp. Diane who handled my case. Both Rajiv and Diane were extremely helpful. I really appreciate them answering all my questions patiently throughout the case. Esp. email exchanges with both of them works great. I got replies to all my emails within 24 hours. At one point (March/April) after filing I-485, I was thinking about doing counsular processing. Rajiv asked Fidelina to check on status and suggested that we wait for a few more months. We did that and got GC. Bottomline, everyone at Rajiv's office has been very helpful. I recommend his office anytime. Thanks Deepak
National Interest Exemption for Visas – For Students
Question details
Today I got NIE waiver approval from the US consulate. They sent the approval mail with a passport number. I have a valid USA visa. I am planning to travel back to the USA in a week. What doc's required to travel ? or NIE waiver is sufficient?
You have not told us what type of visa you possess. In addition to the NIE, you must meet all the usual requirements for your visa type.
Note: For the NRI readers, The Economic Times has started an immigration helpdesk. A team of experts which includes Rajiv S. Khanna will address the most pressing issues. Please see the link below.
FAQ Transcript
Note: Where transcribed from audio/video, this is a verbatim transcript of the referenced audio/video media delivered as oral communication, and, therefore, may not conform to written grammatical or syntactical form.
Einstein Visa
Question details
How can I apply for the Einstein visa?
We would highly recommend that you have your resume evaluated by a competent lawyer. That would be the natural first step towards the process.
Note: For the NRI readers, The Economic Times has started an immigration helpdesk. A team of experts which includes Rajiv S. Khanna will address the most pressing issues. Please see the link below.
FAQ Transcript
Note: Where transcribed from audio/video, this is a verbatim transcript of the referenced audio/video media delivered as oral communication, and, therefore, may not conform to written grammatical or syntactical form.
Einstein Visa Category
Question details
I read your article on the Einstein visa category. I am a foreign-trained Medical Doctor. I have an article that was published in a scientific magazine. Do you think l will qualify for this visa category?
Publishing a single article is unlikely to be even close to qualifying, unless the article has been published in an extremely high impact journal.
Note: For the NRI readers, The Economic Times has started an immigration helpdesk. A team of experts which includes Rajiv S. Khanna will address the most pressing issues. Please see the link below.
FAQ Transcript
Note: Where transcribed from audio/video, this is a verbatim transcript of the referenced audio/video media delivered as oral communication, and, therefore, may not conform to written grammatical or syntactical form.
Einstein Visa (EB1-A category)
Question details
I am currently a postdoctoral scholar in the USA. However, I thought one needed a permanent tenure-track position to qualify for the EB-1 visa category. Is that not so?
The Einstein visa (EB1-A category) is different from the outstanding researcher or professor (EB-1B)
category. A job offer is not necessary for an EB1-A petition.
Note: For the NRI readers, The Economic Times has started an immigration helpdesk. A team of experts which includes Rajiv S. Khanna will address the most pressing issues. Please see the link below.
FAQ Transcript
Note: Where transcribed from audio/video, this is a verbatim transcript of the referenced audio/video media delivered as oral communication, and, therefore, may not conform to written grammatical or syntactical form.
Guestbook Entry for Pam , United States
Name
Pam
Country
United States
State
CA
Comment
I decided to approach Rajiv when my employer requested me to help him get an H-1B approval for a senior executive he was interested in hiring. His petition had already been denied, making matters difficult. I thought of Rajiv right away because of my own experience with their law firm 15 years ago. My green card was done by Rajiv and his team and back then, everything went very smoothly. I found the team highly competent, responsive, and personable. I am so glad I thought of Rajiv because the H1 was approved, and I had an awesome experience working with the team (Rajiv, Pavi, Kalpana, and Anna) Pavi is energetic and efficient. The H1 petition was filed within 5 days, including personal review and reworking of the case by Rajiv. I admire their speed. I also had a chance to work with Kalpana when we had to respond to the RFE and it was great working with her, she is very detailed and thorough in her work. Anna was always there when I needed her, I truly enjoyed working with the whole team. Additionally, I really liked that they involved us in their whole process throughout. Our folders and our documents were open to us. We were all working on the same documents collaboratively.
Lastly, Rajiv supervised the case throughout and was always available to meet for any questions/doubts we had. Not only is he knowledgeable and experienced, but he is also easy to talk to explains the most nuanced concepts of the law in a manner that is comprehensible to anyone. I will make sure that I refer all my friends and coworkers to Rajiv. Thank you all for being so wonderful.
USCIS Announces Lockbox Filing Flexibilities
Release Date
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services will offer filing flexibilities to provide relief to certain applicants and petitioners impacted by delays at a USCIS lockbox. These flexibilities only apply to benefit requests submitted to a USCIS lockbox and not to USCIS service centers or field offices.
The following temporary flexibilities are effective for 60 days from June 10 until Aug. 9, 2021:
Community Conference Call, June 10, 2021. Presented by: Rajiv S. Khanna (Every Other Thursday)
Nonimmigrant Visas
Discussion Topics, Thursday, June 10, 2021:
Applying for Mother's Green Card and Birth Certificate Issues
Question details
I am planning to file green card (I130/I1485) for my mother. She was born in 1949 in India and does not have her birth certificate. Only identity with date of birth she has is her passport and Aadhar card. She has visited US couple of times.
- I want to know is it required for her to submit birth certificate or a non-availability of birth certificate for I485?
- What are the options if these documents are not available?
- Does USCIS accept birth certificate from the Indian consulate in NY?
FAQ Transcript
Go ahead and get a certificate of non-availability if possible, get a birth certificate from New York, get two affidavits from people who were alive when she was born and submit all of that together.
Note: Where transcribed from audio/video, this is a verbatim transcript of the referenced audio/video media delivered as oral communication, and, therefore, may not conform to written grammatical or syntactical form.
H-1B Extension beyond 6 Years; Stay Outside One year; Remainder Option
Question details
I stayed in US on H1b from 2013-18, almost 5 years and went back to India. In 2020(after 1 year of cooling period), my employer has filed new application for H1B and lottery got selected in 2020.
I got my visa stamped in April 2021 with a validity till 2023.Because of new location & salary mismatch, I had to file the amendment and this time I got the approval for next 9 months only till March 2022.
On further enquiry with my employer's immigration team, I came to know that USCIS has used the remaining 9 months on the first H1B. My queries are:
1. Does it mean I will be allowed around 7 consecutive years of stay in US( 9 months on older visa plus 6 years on new visa) or I need to come back to India and serve 1 year of cooling period after spending 9 months ?
2. Will my new visa be applicable once I spend 9 months of time in US?
3. Is there a way I can opt to take approval duration on the current visa only?
FAQ Transcript
The USCIS had made a mistake and they should give you the entire six years. So your H-1 should be approved for three years and not for nine months. Your lawyer should reach out to them and say you are entitled to the three years.
Note: Where transcribed from audio/video, this is a verbatim transcript of the referenced audio/video media delivered as oral communication, and, therefore, may not conform to written grammatical or syntactical form.
Qualifying for an “Einstein” Green Card
Question details
According to the criteria you have listed on in the article, I can satisfy 7 of the 10 points. So how could I apply? Where to start and where to go?
You should certainly get your resume evaluated. Note that merely qualifying for the 3 out of 10 categories does not automatically qualify you. That is just the preliminary step. There is also an overall review of your qualifications to ensure that you indeed are one of the top few members of your profession.
Note: For the NRI readers, The Economic Times has started an immigration helpdesk. A team of experts which includes Rajiv S. Khanna will address the most pressing issues. Please see the link below.
FAQ Transcript
Note: Where transcribed from audio/video, this is a verbatim transcript of the referenced audio/video media delivered as oral communication, and, therefore, may not conform to written grammatical or syntactical form.
Situation for F-1 and J-1 students to travel or travel back to the United States
Question details
What is the situation for F-1 and J-1 students to travel or travel back to the United States?
F-1 students who already have their visa stamped on the passport can travel back in July. Those who do not have a visa stamping will have to wait for either the consulates in India to open (currently processing only emergency visas, which could include imminent academic session), or try obtaining a student visa in a country other than India. J-1 students will need to apply for National Interest Exemption, which should be given, but only when the consulates open for business.
FAQ Transcript
Note: Where transcribed from audio/video, this is a verbatim transcript of the referenced audio/video media delivered as oral communication, and, therefore, may not conform to written grammatical or syntactical form.
USCIS Issues Policy Providing Further Protections for Victims of Crime
The policy update will help provide stability to U Visa Petitioners supporting law enforcement efforts to investigate and prosecute crimes
Vermont Service Center Address Change
Release Date
Effective June 14, 2021, the Vermont Service Center will no longer receive any incoming mail at the St. Albans, VT facility, which is being decommissioned.
Mail sent to the previous addresses will be forwarded for one year, but any mail sent to the previous addresses after June 2022 may be returned to the sender by the United States Postal Service or the courier service used.
Please refer to the chart below for the updated addresses.
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Guestbook Entry for Krishna P Nunna, United States
Name
Krishna P Nunna
Country
United States
State
Virginia
Comment
Team is very professional, very knowledgeable and experienced in the immigration process. Team has a check list on every step in the process. Team is very prompt in responding to the emails and to the calls. Team will never submit without checking the documents properly. All my approvals at every stage are without any RFE's. They are always on time in submitting the documents.
A special thanks to Richa Narang, Prerna Mehta, Bharathi Gajjala and great attorney Rajiv Khanna.
Business or Employment Related Travel to the USA During Ban - National Interest Exception NIE
The travel bans necessitated by the COVID pandemic have created much flux and uncertainty. Synthesizing the information now finally available from various US government sources, it is clearer now that many intending travelers can seek and obtain an exemption from the ban under a series of provisions for a National Interest Exception (NIE).
Do you Qualify for an NIE?
You should be able to apply for an NIE to overcome the ban on travel to the USA if you meet any one or more of the following categories:
Visa Bulletin For July 2021
Number 55
Volume X
Washington, D.C
A. STATUTORY NUMBERS
This bulletin summarizes the availability of immigrant numbers during July for: “Final Action Dates” and “Dates for Filing Applications,” indicating when immigrant visa applicants should be notified to assemble and submit required documentation to the National Visa Center.
My sincere thanks to Rajiv Khanna's team, particularly Diane Lombardo for their efficient service. I was really impressed by their clear, concise and prompt responses to my queries at all times. I strongly recommend them for any immigration related services.