Guestbook Entry for Giridhar Tanjore , United States
Name
Giridhar Tanjore
Country
United States
State
OH
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Guestbook Entry for Roshan D'Souza, United States
Name
Roshan D'Souza
Country
United States
State
WA
Comment
Great Firm, excellent service. Ursula E., was very dilligent, sincere, provided excellent customer service. The firm is fortunate to have paralegals of such great calibre.
Guestbook Entry for Aravinth Kaliappan, United States
Name
Aravinth Kaliappan
Country
United States
State
MD
Comment
ABSOLUTELY FANTASTIC LEGAL SERVICES!!!It's with heartfelt appreciation and gratitude that I want to express my Thanks to the Staff of Law Offices of Rajiv S. Khanna, especially to Ms. Charu Bhagat, Ms. Reena Wadel and Ms. Sirisha Durgam for the patience with which they worked my very complicated case. I was basically in an out-of-status mode in the US for a long time with my past employment and it was a big question as to whether I would get my Visa transfer approved. Thanks to the ABSOLUTELY METICULOUS preparation of documents and the constant communication between INS and Rajiv S. Khanna's Office that amde it happen. The only thing that I would STRONGLY reccomend anyone that has the privilege of getting help from Rajiv S. Khanna's Office is...1. Be Patient and WORK (really, without question) with the lawyers who are handling your case.2. PROVIDE every bit of documentation asked for and be very PROMPT with it.3. Respect their effort in helping you and do not be impatient.Ms. Sirisha, Ms. Charu and Ms. Reena were three of the most friendly and helpful persons. Thank you so much!!Aravinth Kaliappan
Guestbook Entry for Dilbagh Gill , United States
Name
Dilbagh Gill
Country
United States
State
NJ
Comment
It was a very pleasant experience working with the Law Offices. I would like to make a special reference to the person I worked with who kept me informed on each step during the process removing any anxiety - I did get prompt responses on all queries and she returned every call, that was amazing. I look forward to working with this team again when I apply for my Green Card.Thank and appreciate all your efforts.
Guestbook Entry for Rajesh Nair, United States
Name
Rajesh Nair
Country
United States
State
MN
Comment
Rajiv Khanna and the people at his office did a very good job in processing my Green card. All of the people(Leila Lehman, Shivane Sharma,and others), I used to contact were very knowledgable. It has been a nice experience! Thanks and keep up your good work!
Visa Bulletin For October 2024
Number 94
Volume X
Washington, D.C
A. STATUTORY NUMBERS FOR PREFERENCE IMMIGRANT VISAS
This bulletin summarizes the availability of immigrant numbers during October 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 Extends Green Card Validity Extension to 36 Months for Green Card Renewals
Release Date
Effective Sept. 10, 2024, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services automatically extended the validity of Permanent Resident Cards (also known as Green Cards) to 36 months for lawful permanent residents who file Form I-90, Application to Replace Permanent Resident Card.
California Service Center Relocates
Release Date
On Aug. 12, the California Service Center (CSC) moved to a new facility as USCIS centralizes processing for immigration benefits.
The new address is:
USCIS California Service Center
2642 Michelle Drive
Tustin, CA 92780
Recording for September 05, 2024 Conference Call with Rajiv S. Khanna
Topics for Discussion:
Can I use my USCIS case status approval page to extend my H1B visa beyond six years, or are there other ways to obtain my I-140 approval document? || H4 transfer, H4 EAD renewal, automatic extension of EAD || J-1 waiver and H-1B, what are my visa options? || H-1B transfer and PERM based GC || F1 CPT and change of status to H-4 visa || Travel on H-1B Visa || EB-2 and I-140 approval || Eligible to apply for citizenship? || Parallel COS application timeline from H-1 to F2 Visa || H-1B transfer to new employer || H-4 and EAD, automatic EAD extension
Rajiv's Article - Comprehensive Guide: Responding to an RFE questioning STEM degree qualification
Published by: The Economic Times - Date: September 02, 2024
https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/nri/work/comprehensive-guide-respo…
Guidance on Paying Fees and Completing Information for Form I-140, Immigrant Petition for Alien Workers
Release Date
Be sure to provide the correct payment and complete information when filing Form I-140, Immigrant Petition for Alien Workers. Since publishing both a new edition of this form and a new fee rule in April 2024, USCIS has had to reject an unusually high number of Form I-140 petitions at intake because of incorrect fees and missing information.
USCIS Announces Employment Authorization Procedures for Liberians Covered by Deferred Enforced Departure
Release Date
Eligible Liberians can now apply for an EAD valid through June 30, 2026
PERM Processing Times (as of 09/01/2024)
| Processing Queue | Priority Date |
|---|---|
| Analyst Review | August 2023 |
| Audit Review | December 2022 |
| Reconsideration Request to the CO | February 2024 |
Green Card
Immigration Law
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:
Recording for September 26, 2024 Conference Call with Rajiv S. Khanna
Nonimmigrant Visas
Topics Discussed:
FAQs: EB-2 NIW I-140 portability for employer-sponsored cases || Concerns regarding nonpayment of wages and potential H-1B impact || Maintaining LPR status (Green Card) during extended absences for employment || Rising NIW rejection rates: Examining changes in eligibility criteria
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.
I thank Mr. Khanna, Suman Basin, Leila Lehman and Diane Lombardo for helping me through the Employment based Green Card processing. The best thing I like about the Law offices of Rajiv S. Khanna is that they are there when you need your questions answered. Efficient and very professional team.