Guestbook Entry for Uma Swamy, United States
Name
Uma Swamy
Country
United States
State
CA
Search
Guestbook Entry for Suresh Joshi , United States
Name
Suresh Joshi
Country
United States
State
VA
Comment
I and my family received our GC stamping on June 25th,2001. I started the whole process in Oct 1998 with Rajiv Khanna as my attorney. He is a lawyer of great standing and has helped me at every point in the whole process. I must mention here that the paperwork done under his guidance has been perfect and I had no RFE's except at the last stage for an employment letter. This substantially reduces the total time of this lengthy process. I am specifically mentioning this because I have seen some of my friends stuck for years in the process because of careless paperwork. Also I had some problem regarding the evaluation of my education and Rajiv's correct strategy helped me and I could come out of the problem. I found the staff in his office in general and with a special mention of Suman Bhasin, Laila Lehman, Shivani Sharma and Diane Lombardo, very co-operative. Thanks to Rajiv and his staff.
Guestbook Entry for YOGESH , United States
Name
YOGESH
Country
United States
State
Michigan
Comment
you are looking for competent, aggressive lawyer, your search ends here. Do NOT hire ordinary lawyers that your company asks you to hire.
My wife & kids H4 was not renewed and were Out of Status due to company's fault and my ignorance and trust on the company. This happened in 2003. We hired a local lawyer, best in town, to handle my case in 2005, when I found out on my own that my dependant's H4 was not renewed. We applied at USCIS, but was rejected. We appealed in the Court, but was denied.
I contacted Rajiv Khanna and we applied in 2008, after more than 4 years in Out of Status. My H1 was renewed, along with H4 in 2 days!!!!! Can you believe it?
After 4 years of Mental tension and all the agony, we passed through, we felt so relieved.
We got our new I-94s attached for my wife and 2 kids. Great People, Nice Dedicated Staff, Intelligent Lawyers.
I would recommend him to anyone, no matter how big or small the case is, Do NOT look any further. I did all my research for all these years looking for good lawyer, don't spend any more time searching. If you are in trouble, take my advice, talk to him and he can definitely help you. I was told by other lawyers that there was no chance that I would be able to get them back on status. but Miracle happens and it happened to me. Lots of smart work at Rajiv's end. Thanks Rajiv and Good Luck to all.
Guestbook Entry for Raj Murali , United States
Name
Raj Murali
Country
United States
State
NY
Comment
The service provided by Art Shiflet and Mathew Chacko from Mr.Khanna's office during my citizenship process was exceptional. They both provided me prompt answers to my inquiries, updated me with information as soon as they became available and were extremely knowledgeable . I would highly recommend Mr.Khanna's office for any sort of immigration cases
Guestbook Entry for Nimit , United States
Name
Nimit
Country
United States
State
MA
Comment
Both me and my wife filed for our I-485 processing through LORK in July 2007. My file got through and I received my EAD,I-485 receipts and AP. But my wife's file got lost in USCIS and we did not got any receipts. Roopa and Matthew put in great efforts to get her application through. We really appreciate the work done by entire Rajiv's team.
Guestbook Entry for Pat Ferrante , United States
Name
Pat Ferrante
Country
United States
State
NY
Comment
Fran Fisher and Anna Baker were very dedicated to insuring that this sensitive issue was processed diligently. Follow up was constant, insuring that nothing was left undone.
Guestbook Entry for Sandeep R Diwakar , United States
Name
Sandeep R Diwakar
Country
United States
State
MI
Comment
I would like to give special thanks to Mathew Chacko,Rita Dhakal,Pramitha , Suman B for thier prompt service & quick responses during the process.The GC was filed in May 2003 & from then till April 2008 ( when my 485 got approved, wife is yet to be aproved )I have been in close touch with RK's office & I really should say that how every busy these guys are, they have always got back to me for any questions,doubts that I had from time to time.
I have heard stories from other colleagues , friends about some law offices & how they handle the client GC cases.I would highly recommend RK's office & his team to anyone who wants to file his GC thru employment. You are guys are no -1 in every way.
I would also add that my employer has been equally cooperative & supportive to me during the whole process.
Guestbook Entry for Amit , United States
Name
Amit
Country
United States
Comment
A big thanks to Rajiv and his excellent team including Mathew, Heather, Mark, Anna, Rena and everyone else who touched my case over the past five years. Thank you for sharing my pain when I was waiting (sometimes impatiently) for the Green Card and for responding to all my questions (of which there have been many) as I tried to understand the options available to me through the green card process as well as all the H1B renewals.
Rajiv, thank you also for the phone consultations as they have helped my decisions during crucial moments in my career.
Guestbook Entry for Palash Sarkar , United States
Name
Palash Sarkar
Country
United States
Comment
Thanks to Mr. Vijay Durgam and his firm who did a great job to get my Labor certification done in less than 4 months of application.
Guestbook Entry for Sam Gopinathan , United States
Name
Sam Gopinathan
Country
United States
Comment
Rajiv has an excellent team in Mathew & Heather. They are very knowledgeable, proactive & understanding. They would call me at home with an update. I highly recommend Rajiv and his team of Mathew & Heather as your case managers
Guestbook Entry for Smruti , United States
Name
Smruti
Country
United States
State
NY
Comment
Wonderful and thorough team- Att. Diane, Sheena and Matthew helped me at every step with RFE for I-140 as well as I-485. Ever ready and alert team. They would call me immediately whenever we were in need. Besides, Mr Khanna, personally took interest and supported, made suggestions when we had queries. Att. Diane and Sheena worked very hard on my case and did their best to put the message across.
I am grateful to you all and thank myself for choosing you.
Regards
Interview Experience - Extensive Travel - 800 days
I had my interview at the Dallas DO today May 14th. It went very well. I was very nervous about my extensive travel over the past 5 years. I had some 800 odd days of travel that included trips to a lot of countries in the world. But none of my trips was over 6 months, the maximum trip length was 110 days. I was working for a US company as a contractor and did have a letter from the company for the reason for the numerous visits.
Citizenship and Naturalization
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.
My wife and I received our GC within 28 months for the whole process with Rajiv S. Khanna as our attorney. Rajiv is an expert on Immigration Laws and is straight up and abreast of rules & regulations and is strict about the law and stays strictly as defensive. He helped us at every point in the whole process. We never get any problem or incompletion about the paperwork done under his guidance, which has been perfect. Perfect paperwork reduces the total time of this lengthy process. We are greatly thankful to Diane Lombardo, who is always available and is happy to responds calmly and peacefully. Also many, many thanks to Leila, Suman, Lakshmi, Shivani and other staff members who are very co-operative and would return calls & e-mails promptly. In short Rajiv and his staff made the whole process very easy, simple and painless. We are really glad that we chose this Law firm. We are greatly pleased with Rajiv and his staff as far as their professionalism, courtesy and promptness regarding my GC. Many of my friends and employees of our company went through Rajiv and all of them are also happy like me. We are thankful to Rajiv and his staff.