A message for new immigrants:
You now have the option to create a USCIS online account when you pay the USCIS Immigrant Fee. A USCIS online account will let you easily track the status of your Green Card, receive electronic notifications and case updates, and change and update your mailing address.
Although anyone can pay the USCIS Immigrant Fee on your behalf, only you can create a USCIS online account. Creating a USCIS online account is voluntary.
My H-1B visa is going to expire in 01-Jan-2018 and if my employer submits my PERM application in the month of June (i.e. before 6 months of my current 6 years of H-1B visa duration).<br>
1) If my PERM gets approved before my current H-1B visa expires (i.e. before 01-Jan-2018).<br>
Would I be eligible for a H1B extension for 1 year since my PERM was approved before the current H-1B expiration?<br>
2) If my PERM gets approved after my current H-1B expires can my employer file for H1B extension of 1 year since my PERM is approved now.<br>
3) If my PERM is not approved before my current H-1B visa expires.<br>
Would I need to go back to India?<br>
4) I spent about 2 months (on vacation) in India. Can these 2 months be added back to my current H-1B visa? or this can only be added if my current employer files for my green card?
Note: 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.
I am a permanent resident, a citizen of Poland. I want to study medicine in Poland. The program lasts 6 years. I don't want to abandon my status and want to understand if such long-term abroad is possible. If I am not mistaken GC holder can be away 6month-1 year. But, since I'll be out of US on regular basis, so it's best to apply for a reentry permit?
Video Transcript:
Note: 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.
I am in I-485 pending status based on EB2 and have been working on EAD since 2012. Under the new rules effective January 2017, I understand that I can file for EAD extension 180 days prior to expiration. Will EAD be considered extended automatically if the approval doesn't come before the expiration of my current EAD?
Video Transcript:
Note: 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.
I am a US citizen and would like to sponsor my brother for Permanent Residency. How long would it take for him to get Green card.If I file green card for him, does his family (His wife and kids) automatically get green card or should I file for each of them? I think I should for all. Just a question? He gets a EAD (so he can start working) when I file Green Card?
Note: 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.
How do we keep up with the rumors and changes in the laws? My I-140 is approved in 2013 and priority date is on 2013. Do you have any inside on country quota elimination bill?
Watch Video on this FAQ: How do we keep up with the rumors and changes in the laws
Video Transcript:
Note: 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.
This has been quite an amazing journey towards my citizenship. People have been super nice and responsive.
I arrived in the US in Jan 1995 (so I have lived here in the Cleveland area since then, roughly 21 years - went to College of Wooster). I got my greencard in 2001 (had it for the past 15 years) and now I am ready to be a US citizen!
They received my package on March 14.
My biometrics was on April 12th (29 days from application)
My interview is on May 23ed. (2 months and 10 days since application)
I just got my GC approved through the Offices of Rajiv S. Khanna. Over the last four years I had a very good experience with all the professionals who handled my case at your offices. After so many years waiting at the labor certification stage (PBEC story), they helped me to put together the I-140/485 application, with timely and to-the-point responses to my questions along the way, is a short time. As a result, my application got approved within a couple of months way before my expected timeline. Many thanks to Richa, Amrita (LC stage) and Mathew, Rita (I-140/485) for a job well done. Keep up the good work.
For the second time in a row, Mr. Rajiv's office impresses me. This time they got my I140 approved in 7 days, Yes 7 days. This time Suman and Tarun have done superb job as Amrita and Seema done in my PERM. These people are very meticulous. They review the file multiple times. Finally, I repeat my pledge to you, if you got problems with your lawyer or if you are out to choose a law firm, Go with Rajiv's office. Every Penny you spend here is well spent. Thanks all Emad
Thanks to the firm and Mr.Jitesh who did excellent work in replying to the RFE for I-140.
This law firm did good job in replying to RFE that I got while processing I-140.Timely tip off and good documentation work.
Thanks for the help
Mr. Rajiv Khanna gave the best advice for me. Thank you Mr. Khanna.
I'd like to use this opportunity to thank both Mathew and Tarun for their great job in preparing my I-485 case. Especially Tarun, who helped me a lot during the process. I understand that most of your clients put their comments after their cases got approved. But I'm so impressed by him, I'd like to thank him before we even file the case!! Tarun is very prompt in response, very helpful and very patient. I'm very happy that your office hired such a wonderful person. -- Best regards
Thanks to Jitesh, my law suit against USCIS was successful and my GC application is finally approved. I am very happy with his service.
I would like to spare some time to recognize the team efforts from Law offices of Rajiv S Khanna while dealing with my case.
I got my all the approvals for different documents in very decent time frame which reflected the professional excellence of all the people working as team.
Thank you to Mathew,Richa,Aruna and Kumuda for your coordination and support.
Finally the last Friday, Jan 17th I became an American Citizen, it's was a easy, quickly and simple ceremony at 26 Federal Plaza, I was request to be there at 11:00 am, when arrive to the place a big line inside was waiting for me but was fast, them I went to the 3rd floor, make another line with my letter and GC, a few minutes later I was lil interview about the questions on the letter and give my GC to the officer, them somebody show me my seat, almost full with like 150 people from 57 diferent countries.
I am reporting here comments from and my responses to a member of our community, "Julissa," regarding whether or how she could apply for a green card herself if she has a Master's degree. Do note, if a set of new immigration laws gets passed, all this could change.
WASHINGTON—Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano, Secretary of the Treasury Jacob J. Lew, White House Chief of Staff Denis McDonough and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) Director Alejandro Mayorkas will help USCIS celebrate our nation’s 237th birthday as the agency welcomes more than 7,800 new citizens during more than 100 naturalization ceremonies across the country and overseas from July 1 to July 5.
Statement from Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano:
Immigration Reform 2013 Status
I wanted to give you quick overview of where we are as of today in the immigration reform effort. As you know the comprehensive immigration bill labeled S.744 was passed by Senate, and the voting in the Senate reflected what kind of support there is generally amongst the two parties (Senate and House of Republicans (House)) for this reform effort.
The composition of the Senate is currently 54 Democrats, one Independent and 45 Republicans. A total of 100 Senators. When the bill was voted upon, it was passed 68 to32. All Democrats voted for it, one Independent voted for it, but only 13 Republicans in the Senate voted for the bill. So less than one third (of Republicans voted for passage). This means that Democrats overwhelmingly support the reform, the immigration bill S. 744. But Republicans are not by any means, or in any way shape or form overwhelmingly or even in a majority in favor of the reform as it was proposed.
So, now bill has been passed the Senate. 68 to 32. It’s a good margin, but the problem situation in the House is totally different. The politics of the situation is that the Latino, Hispanic vote is becoming in proportion much larger. It is exponentially expanding. The Republicans leaders rightly believe that they must curry favor or must be considered a friend to the Hispanic industry of immigration. A lot of Republicans also believe that they have no incentive to pass an amnesty bill. One thing I would say that as far as reform of the legal immigration is concerned I don't think we have too much controversy about that. Both parties agreed that certain things need to be done, like we need skilled immigration professional. Special provisions for PhDs, physicians, people who have Master’s degrees, people with STEM degrees. We need all that and some way to remove the backlog, which is horrendous for many countries. For instance, India has nine to ten years of backlog waiting for a Green Card. So there is consensus among both parties on legal immigration. It is the amnesty part, the enforcement and border protection, which are the key areas of disagreement.
If you look on the Republicans composition, only 24 out of 234 House Republicans represent districts that have any appreciable numbers of Hispanic voters, more than 25 percent. So, only 24 out of 234. Where is the incentive for them to pass an immigration bill with amnesty? In fact, many of the Republicans come from districts that actually oppose amnesty. Republican Chairman of the House Judiciary Committee Bob Goodlatte (R-VA) was speaking in Lynchburg, Virginia yesterday and passions were really running high against the amnesty.
So in the House even if Democrats all get together, the problem is how do we move the reform forward. House is controlled by Republicans, 234 to 201. House Speaker, John Boehner (R-OH) has said that he won't bring the Senate bill up for a vote if he does not have the support of a majority of the House Republicans (known as Hastert Rule). He says, I will not even allow this Senate bill to be voted on in the House unless a majority of House Republicans support the bill. And if we look at the cross-section of the voting that occurred in Senate, less than one third of Republicans support. It’s not good sign to get that kind of support.
So, it appears at least at this stage that the Senate bill will have very tough time going through the House as today’s politics stand.
What are the options?
Four obvious options, the fourth option is very unlikely, which is House leadership brings up the the Senate bill up for vote.
There are four options, but again it’s important to understand what happens if there are two separate bills addressing some of the same areas or all of the same areas, and there are controversies among those bills, then it goes into something called “conference”. When we get into conference, the idea is representatives from Senate and the representative from House will meet together and they will iron out their differences. A lot of times if you want to effect the Senate bill, all you have to do is pass something in the House and then it goes into the conference where you can work on one bill or the other, agree, negotiate and then take the negotiated version back to both chambers for voting Senate and House. So, option number one is House passes its own bill or bills. Actually, here we are talking about comprehensive, some kind of comprehensive set of bills, then it goes for conference. Option two, the House passes any bill, it does not have to be comprehensive bill, something that effects or contradicts the Senate version again we go into conference.
Another interesting option and normally this would not be a really good option but here may be worth considering. I doubt it, but I am not a political pundit just a lawyer. House can actually vote on the Senate bill without the House Speaker’s support. If 218 house members vote for a discharge petition, which means we don’t care what the Speaker says, we are going to vote on this bill anyway. That means House Democrats need 17 votes from Republicans to get a discharge petition and vote on the Senate bill.
So, what are the four options again:
1. Comprehensive bill by House;
2. Any bill by House;
3. Discharge petition; and
4. House leadership brings up the Senate bill to vote which is unlikely.
Let us talk about a comprehensive bill. House had its own “Gang of Eight” people working on a comprehensive immigration bill. Their focus was a lot more on enforcement, on border security, etc. But then one of the Congressman, Raul Labrador (R-ID), quit. The now “Gang of Seven” still might produce a comprehensive House bill. If such a bill is produced, we will get into conference, negotiate and then finally vote on the negotiated bill. So number one is Comprehensive bill.
Number two is any bill. As I mentioned Rep. Goodlatte from Virginia, the Chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, has produced a series of immigration related bills. House Democrats do not like it because it’s a piecemeal approach and there are all kinds of very extreme positions taken by Bob Goodlatte that House Democrats feel are inimical or enemies of immigration reform. But one of the ways, this series of bills, could be just a device to force matters into conference. If any of these bills pass in the Republican controlled House, then we will all get into conference anyway, where we can negotiate based upon the Senate version of the bill and make changes to it and then go back with the compromise. So the passage of a series of extreme bills could be a way to force matter into conference.
Option three is a discharge petition. Discharge petition normally its considered to be very bad form. If a Republican votes for a discharge petition it’s disloyal, it’s considered to be bad form. But here, Speaker Boehner himself and many other leaders, who are perhaps more in tune with the needs of the time, have said that they want immigration reform. But it looks like there is very strong opposition from certain elements within the Republican Party, which is basically muting some of these more moderate or more aware. I would not call them moderate but more aware members of the Republican Party. So normally a Republican will not vote for a discharge petition, but here who knows. Maybe this is the choice.
The key date to watch is 10th July. On 10th July there will be conference, the House Republican conference, and they meet in the basement of the Capitol to decide how they want to move forward. So that's when we will hear about the final strategy. Once again, right now we don’t know which way House is going to go, but on 10th July we should have better idea of the direction.
I live in Bulgaria and I have a Master's Degree in Veterinary Medicine. My question is can I get a EB-2 visa if I work as a veterinary assistant in the USA ?
You can qualify for EB2 only if two conditions are met:
1. Your degree is equivalent to a U.S. advanced degree (a credentials evaluation service needs to assess that under proper standards); and
2. The job requires an advanced degree or equivalent experience.
1. Certification of Decisions to the Administrative Appeals Office (AAO)
Purpose
This policy memorandum (PM) and accompanying revisions to the Adjudicator’s Field Manual (AFM) guide officers on the proper use of the decision
certification mechanism described in 8CFR 103.4. This PM revises Subchapters 3.5, 10.7, 10.8, 10.14 and 10.18 of the AFM ;AFM Update AD13 -08.
Scope
Unless specifically exempted herein, this PM applies to and binds all U.S.Citizenship and Immigration Services(USCIS)employees
Thanks to Rajiv and Heather for successful approval of my I-140 approval. Journey started with some questions as student visa holder where Rajiv answered all of my questions with full patients and at the end of call he Refunded my fees bcoz he doesn't charge any fees to students. Next was H1b process where my chance of approval was very slim and the company was at its starting phase. Having no options on table we took a chance, with Rajiv's skills and tremendous experience he made the case that no one can deny it and we got it approved. Same thing with I140 stage where also chance of approval were very slim due to change in conditions of business, he offered me to abandon the case in middle and save his fees which I think no one in his profession would do that. Then we decided to put some faith in god and Rajiv' S expertise as we already knew he can make the case with any situations. and here we go I140 approved.............Hoorey.............he did it. Thank you you are the best ...