Guestbook Entry for Niketan, United States
Name
Niketan
Country
United States
State
NJ
Search
Interim EAD at Houston USCIS office
"Went to the local Houston USCIS office by 4:50 am on friday Jul 11, 2003 and found myself behind 100 people (folks camping out...looked like a slumber party
. They sure let us in by 6:15am and got a number (186) & processed by around 12:45pm.
Guestbook Entry for Raman Kumar , United States
Name
Raman Kumar
Country
United States
State
VA
Comment
Dear Rajiv, Pooja, Suman, Savita, Vijay, Fedlina and All, Let me thank you all for such and excellent work done by all of you for my Labor Certification. I am really very impressed by good work of Law office. L.C. filed on 12/06/00, L.C. approved. 04/30/01. When State Department of Labor, Maryland asked for the few questions about my LC, Rajiv himself called me and assured. He is very humble and nice person. He is having full command not only to Immigration Law, but also to softwares. Though profession he is a Lawyer, but he does Designing and coding for his own 4GL/5GL programs. Thank you very much Rajiv. Raman
Guestbook Entry for Arvind Mathur, United States
Name
Arvind Mathur
Country
United States
State
MD
Comment
I checked the AVM message at Vermont and heard that our I485 petition for adjustment of status was approved. I have been associated with Mr. Rajiv Khanna, Charu Bhagat, Suman Bhasin, Leila Lehman and Diane Lombardo off and on since that time. Mr. Khanna practices his law in a principled manner and I have never been given any false assurances by him. He is not one of those fly by night lawyers who promise the moon and then dont deliver. He has always given me advise without reservations. He is also a shrewd lawyer and if your case has even the slighest merit, he will get it to your favor. Well thanks to him my family and I are permanent residents.
Guestbook Entry for Ramanarao Garimella, United States
Name
Ramanarao Garimella
Country
United States
State
VA
Comment
Dear Rajiv & Team, Thanking every one at Law offices of Rajiv S akhanna for getting my GC in record time, showing excellent thru the process. Thank you for taking a great interest in my case and I have no doubt every client of yours get this same great service. Feel lucky to have you as my atty. Thanking you and wishing good luck for others going thru the process. Ramana
Guestbook Entry for DINESH MAKKED, United States
Name
DINESH MAKKED
Country
United States
Comment
Thanks to concerted efforts of law firm, I got my GC in 1.5 years. The remarkable thing about the people working at this law firm is that they always return your calls ( especially Ms Lehman). They take utmost care with the paperwork and they have been so prompt in paper-filing too. I opted for Consular Processing and it was a piece of cake. They did not ask any questions at all.
Guestbook Entry for Ram N Ramamurthy , United States
Name
Ram N Ramamurthy
Country
United States
State
FL
Comment
We are extremely impressed with the professional but friendly, courteous and timely consultation assistance rendered by Rajiv and his able team member Savita. We look forward to working with them in the years to come. We also feel that we should advise others who look for 'no-frill' down-to-earth non-intimidating services, they should contact Rajiv and his team.
Guestbook Entry for Irina Pozyvaylo, United States
Name
Irina Pozyvaylo
Country
United States
State
GA
Comment
Thank you very much to Ursula and Rajiv for prompt and professional service in preparing my second H-1B application. I have various experience working with another lawyers before and very happy with excellent job you guys did for me. I can gladly refer anybody to use your services. Warm Regards, Irina Pozyvaylo (country of origin - Ukraine)
Rajiv's News Clips - Workers Oppose H-1B Bill - Light Reading
Published by: Light Reading - Date: July 31, 2003
USCIS Issues New Guidance on EB-1 Eligibility Criteria for Individuals with Extraordinary Ability
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services is issuing policy guidance in the Policy Manual to further clarify the types of evidence that USCIS may evaluate to determine eligibility for extraordinary ability (E11) EB-1 immigrant visa classifications.
This policy guidance:
Visa Bulletin For November 2024
Number 95
Volume X
Washington, D.C
A. STATUTORY NUMBERS FOR PREFERENCE IMMIGRANT VISAS
This bulletin summarizes the availability of immigrant numbers during November 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.
Agency
Green Card
Immigration Law
USCIS Updates Policy Guidance Clarifying Expedite Requests
USCIS is updating guidance in the USCIS Policy Manual to clarify how USCIS considers expedite requests related to government interests and requests related to emergencies or urgent humanitarian situations, including travel-related requests. This update also clarifies how to make an expedite request and explains how USCIS processes expedite requests.
Government Interests
PERM Processing Times (as of 10/15/2024)
| Processing Queue | Priority Date |
|---|---|
| Analyst Review | August 2023 |
| Audit Review | December 2022 |
| Reconsideration Request to the CO | April 2023 |
Agency
Green Card
Immigration Law
USCIS Updates Guidance on the International Entrepreneur Rule
Release Date
USCIS updated guidance on the International Entrepreneur Rule in the Policy Manual to clarify the required triennial increase in investment, revenue, and other thresholds, and to clarify how USCIS arranges biometrics appointments for certain applicants.
Recording for October 10, 2024 Conference Call with Rajiv S. Khanna
Nonimmigrant Visas
Topics Discussed:
USCIS - Form G-1055, Fee Schedule Updated
USCIS recently updated the following form:
10/11/2024 12:02 PM EDT
Edition Date: 10/11/24. You can find the edition date at the bottom of the page of Form G-1055, Fee Schedule.
For more information, please visit the Forms Updates page.
Maintaining LPR status (Green Card) during extended absences for employment
Question details
I have a family-based green card. For my job, I need to travel outside of the US for 150-160 days (3 days per week for the entire year). I am worried that I may lose my green card. What shall I do to retain my green card and still maintain this schedule of travel for my job?
FAQ Transcript
To maintain your green card during extended absences:
- Brief trips under 6 months are generally fine.
- For longer absences Apply for a re-entry permit, allowing travel for up to 2 years.Consider filing Form N-470 to preserve continuous residence for naturalization.
- Avoid absences of 6 months or more; return within 6 months each time.
- Maintain strong ties to the U.S. (family, home, job) to demonstrate intent to reside permanently.
- If travels are work-related and you have significant U.S. ties, your green card status is less likely to be at risk.
- Absences of one year or more can lead to loss of green card status without proper documentation.
Concerns regarding nonpayment of wages and potential H-1B impact
Question details
I arrived in the U.S. in the last week of May 2024, and despite innumerable requests, my employer has not run payroll for the weeks since my arrival. Could this pose any challenges for future H1B transfers, extensions, or I-140 processing? Is there a risk of scrutiny or denial due to this issue? If yes, could you guide how to mitigate this please?
FAQ Transcript
If your employer fails to pay you after starting your H-1B employment, it can pose challenges for future H-1B transfers. To address this:
- File a complaint with the U.S. Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division.
- You can file online or by phone (search for "LCA complaint US Department of Labor").
- This complaint serves as evidence explaining the lack of pay stubs during future H-1B transfers.
- Employers must start paying when you're ready to work or within 30 days (if coming from outside the US) or 60 days (if already in the US), whichever is earlier.
- Filing a complaint may help you recover unpaid wages and protect your ability to transfer your H-1B in the future.
EB-2 NIW I-140 portability for employer-sponsored cases
Question details
My employer is in the process of filing employer-sponsored EB2 NIW (instead of self-sponsored). I understand that self-sponsored EB2 NIW is independent of an employer and remains valid in any case. But can I-140 obtained from employer-sponsored EB2 NIW be transferred to another employer?
FAQ Transcript
The ability to keep your NIW when changing employers depends on whether you continue to pursue the same endeavor that was the basis for your NIW approval. If you maintain the same type of work in the same field, even with a different employer, you likely can keep your NIW. However, if you change to a completely different field or type of work, you may need to start a new green card process. For certainty, it's advisable to consider filing a new green card application or NIW when changing employers.
USCIS Updates Policy Manual Guidance for T Visa
USCIS is revising the guidance in the USCIS Policy Manual to align with the Classification for Victims of Severe Forms of Trafficking in Persons; Eligibility for “T” Nonimmigrant Status Final Rule.
Recording for October 24, 2024 Conference Call with Rajiv S. Khanna
Nonimmigrant Visas
Green Card
FAQs: GC approval before AC21 Supplement J could be filed || H-1B grace period eligibility after second layoff and B-1/B-2 visa options for job search
Rising NIW rejection rates: Examining changes in eligibility criteria
Question details
Why rejection rate of NIWs is increasing? Is there any change in eligibility criteria, etc.?
FAQ Transcript
The USCIS is currently focusing on two main aspects when evaluating NIW petitions:
- National Importance of Your Work:
They want to see how your specific work benefits the entire country, not just your immediate sphere of influence.
Example: For a neurosurgeon, saving lives locally isn't enough; they want to see a broader national impact.
- Comparative Contribution:
USCIS is looking at how your work stands out from others in your field.
They want to see that your contribution is not just significant but also distinguishable from your peers' work.
These two factors are currently the primary focus in NIW evaluations, leading to higher rejection rates for petitions that don't adequately address these specific points.
Rajiv Khanna and his office associates helped in all aspects of my green card applications and made it as smooth as possible. They are very well talented and experienced to handle any kind of case. My special thanks to Rajiv, Suman Leila, and Diane who very always there to help and answer all the questions at any time.