"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.
Published by: Light Reading - Date: July 31, 2003
Quotes and Excerpts from Rajiv on the article:
"There are eight or nine bills pending with similar provisions [to Tancredo's]," says Rajiv S. Khanna, a lawyer specializing in H-1B visa issues who practices in Arlington, Va. But he thinks the H-1B visa program already has shrunk along with the rest of the economy. "It's down, in my opinion, to 10 percent of what it was."
For more details please see the attachment below.
| Processing Queue | Priority Date |
|---|---|
| Analyst Review | December 2023 |
| Audit Review | N/A |
| Reconsideration Request to the CO | March 2025 |
Release Date
05/05/2025
BURLINGTON, Vt. – U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services provided valuable assistance to the investigation that led to the conviction of an Indian citizen for submitting a fraudulent immigration application.
Number 3
Volume XI
Washington, D.C
A. STATUTORY NUMBERS FOR PREFERENCE IMMIGRANT VISAS
This bulletin summarizes the availability of immigrant numbers during June 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.
I was involved in a car accident 2 years ago and got a traffic misdemeanor ticket that was reduced to illegal parking and 200$ fine from court. There was No Arrest & No Hearing. Given the current crisis, I would like to know whether it will impact my visa or immigration cases. If yes, how can we avoid those problems?
Related FAQs:
FAQ: Immigration impact of past omission or errors in Form DS-160 or other government forms.
I am a mechanical engineering PhD student in PA on an F1 visa from a ROW, with no travel ban. Came to the US in Dec 20XX.
When applying F1, made a mistake in DS-160, said i never applied to immigrant visa before though I had applied to DV (DV rejected). I only said so without realizing DV is also called an immigrant visa (I thought it was company sponsor, marriage, etc.); it was an innocent mistake. I realized it last week in an immigration seminar at uni. I also applied for DV after arriving in the USA.
I-20 ends in 12/20XX, F1 ends in 11/20XX, and the passport ends in 2032. Will travel be an issue before 11/20? How likely is it that a random check will reveal this mistake without traveling? I'll tell the truth when asked, but what are the consequences? What can I do?
For OPT, STEM OPT, or if I need extra PhD time and graduate in 2028, will it be a problem if I extend the I-20 duration? Or if I switch to another US uni next semester?
NIW prepared DIY, ready to file, but unsure because it is an immigrant visa, similar to DV. Wanna do PP, with approved I-140, can I get OPT or stem opt (before filing 485)? Should I go home for a visa extension, or can Mexico/Canada do it?
FAQ: Immigration impact of prior dismissed Domestic Violence case
I had a domestic violence case 5 years ago, which was dismissed. With the new government now and the news about visa denials and deportations, can you please tell me your thoughts on if there will be any problems with my stamping even if I get the stamping done successfully, will there be challenges entering into the US in the port of entry?
Or there are no changes in how visa processing is handled for people with dismissed domestic violence cases. Thank you for your guidance.
Minor past infractions, even those reduced to non-criminal violations like illegal parking, are causing concern for visa applicants. Here's a breakdown:
Regarding the specific question about a traffic misdemeanor reduced to illegal parking with a fine:
Crucially, it is recommended to consult with a lawyer specializing in deportation/removal defense (with at least 10-15 years of experience) in the state where the incident occurred to understand the specific potential impact on your case. Dismissals can sometimes have immigration consequences even if they aren't criminal convictions.
I had a green card and worked for two remote employers simultaneously for two years without knowing each other. Got two W2s for two years. But for the last year, working for only one employer. Planning on vacation outside of the country. Do I have any issues at POE because I am employed at multiple places at the same time?
A green card holder working two remote jobs simultaneously without their knowledge, receiving two W2s and presumably paying taxes, has likely committed a potential violation of their employment contracts (a civil matter), but it should not impact their green card status or ability to travel, assuming their overall green card history is clean.
FAQs:
1. H-1B extension beyond six years. PD is now current. I changed employer. Options.
2. Employer deducted H-1B premium fee — Will this affect visa stamping or POE?
Other Topics :
My GC was filed, and I-140 was approved in 2012. My PD is November 2012, which became current in March 2025. However, I changed employers a few years back. My current employer is willing to start my GC application but hasn't started yet. Do I really have only one year from the time my PD turned current to file for AOS? If yes, what are my options to maintain my H1 status?
If your I-140 is approved and your priority date becomes current, you generally have one year to file Form I-485 (Adjustment of Status) to maintain H-1B extension eligibility beyond six years. This one-year window is dynamic: if your priority date retrogresses and then becomes current again, the clock resets. USCIS rarely accepts changing employers as a valid reason for not filing the I-485 within this timeframe, making H-1B extensions difficult if you miss the deadline while your priority date is current.
My H1B was picked in the 2024 lottery, but there was no progress on the case for months, so I asked my employer to move it to premium. They said that it would be charged through my payroll, and I was okay with that. Later, I received an RFE, and the petition was approved recently.
My employer has already started deducting the premium fee from my last payroll (it is set to be deducted across 6 pay cycles). But when I checked my payslip, that deduction was not mentioned in it. Instead, the base pay is reduced by the installment amount, and then all the taxes are calculated on the reduced amount. This means that for the 6 pay cycles, my pay will be run on an amount lower than the LCA amount.
Will this cause any problems during stamping or at the port of entry? Please let me know if there is anything I can request my employer to change in this process.
Employers are generally not allowed to deduct H-1B premium processing fees from an employee's salary. Most believe the employer should bear this cost. Such a deduction effectively reduces your actual pay, which could lead to issues if your salary falls below the LCA (Labor Condition Application) stipulated amount, or even if it remains above but is lower than your expected wage.
To mitigate this, you should ask your employer to consult an immigration lawyer and reimburse you for the deducted amount, restoring your salary to its original level. This step, while not a guaranteed fix, is crucial for addressing the issue.
Published by: The Economic Times - May 27, 2025
https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/nri/migrate/indian-parents-face-un…
Quotes and Excerpts from Rajiv in the article:
Several of our clients, team members and I have experienced a new wave of phone scams. We have received (multiple) phone call stating one of many alarming things, including the following:
I am calling from the immigration service. We are about to issue a warrant for your arrest. Call Officer XYZ back at 555-XXX.XXXX.?
I am calling from the IRS. We are about to issue a warrant for your arrest. Call Officer XYZ back at 555-XXX.XXXX.?
Please visit my LinkedIn article posted this morning for a brief explanation on this issue:
https://www.linkedin.com/today/post/...?trk=prof-post
Please visit my LinkedIn article posted this morning for a detailed video discussion on this issue with Santosh ji, a member of our immigrant community:
https://www.linkedin.com/today/post/...ails-rr-rmpost
This chart shows the average amount of time it takes to receive a decision in a particular type of case after the case file is received by the AAO. Processing times are directly related to the volume of cases received.
USCIS has implemented a new process to receive and adjudicate applications for civil surgeon designation centrally at the National Benefits Center. This process change requires physicians seeking civil surgeon designation to file a formal application at a USCIS Lockbox. Centralizing the civil surgeon application process will:
USCIS has received a sufficient number of petitions to reach the congressionally mandated H-2B cap for the first half of Fiscal Year (FY) 2014. March 14, 2014 is the final receipt date for new H-2B worker petitions requesting an employment start date before April 1, 2014.
How We Determine the Final Receipt Date
The final receipt date is when we have received enough cap-subject petitions to reach the statutory limit of 33,000 H-2B workers for the first half of FY 2014. There will not be any carry over spots from the first half to the second half of FY 2014.
There were a few places that did the naturalization ceremonies in MA but it is a royal pain how long they take to schedule these. Back in 2010, I had to wait 3.5 months for my naturalization after passing the interview. They gave me my oath ceremony letter right after passing the interview. Seems like things have only gotten worse since 2010. I had my naturalization ceremony at Mechanics Hall in Worcester and no, it was not because I lived in or near Worcester. I lived in the Boston city area at the time.
Deputy Secretary Burns has authorized a waiver of application (i.e., MRV) and visa issuance (i.e., reciprocity) fees for participants in the 2014 Special Olympics Summer Games Invitational taking place in Los Angeles, CA, from June 6 to 8, 2014, and the 2015 Special Olympics World Summer Games taking place in Los Angeles, CA, from July 25 to August 2, 2015.
| PROCESSING QUEUE | PRIORITY DATES | |
|---|---|---|
| MONTH | YEAR | |
| ANALYST REVIEWS | July | 2013 |
| AUDIT REVIEW | December | 2012 |
| MONTHRECONSIDERATION REQUESTS TO THE CO | March | 2014 |
| GOV'T ERROR RECONSIDERATIONS | Current | |