While U.S. immigration law does not require married couples to reside together, separate residences during the green card process can significantly complicate adjudication.
Introduction The H-1B cap selection system administered by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) no longer operates as a purely random lottery. Under the current regulatory framework, registrations are ranked and selected based on prevailing wage levels, meaning that the manner in which a petition is structured—specifically the SOC classification, worksite location, and job design—has
Overview of the Final Rule The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has issued a Final Rule authorizing an increase in filing fees for Premium Processing services administered by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). This fee adjustment is mandated by the USCIS Stabilization Act, which grants DHS statutory authority to revise Premium Processing fees
Important Client Alert: USCIS Premium Processing Fees Increasing March 1, 2026 Read More »
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has finalized a rule significantly reforming the H-1B cap selection process. Effective February 27, 2026, the new rule replaces the prior random lottery selection system with a weighted selection framework that increases the likelihood of selection for H-1B beneficiaries who are higher-skilled and higher-paid. This revised selection system
The U.S. Consulate in Chennai has issued an official notification affecting H-1B principal applicants and H-4 dependents with interview appointments scheduled on or after December 15. Due to newly implemented internal procedures and operational constraints, the Consulate has begun automatically rescheduling many of these interviews, with the majority of applicants receiving new appointment dates in
Introduction Prudential visa revocation has become increasingly common in recent years, particularly for individuals in professional non-immigrant statuses such as H-1B, L-1, O-1, and F-1. A prudential revocation occurs when the U.S. Department of State (DOS) revokes a visa while the visa holder is physically present in the United States. The rationale is “precautionary”: DOS
The proposed “Gold Card” Green Card program, announced under the Trump Administration’s 2025 immigration framework, has generated significant attention among employers, foreign professionals, and immigration practitioners. While the policy has been described as a streamlined merit-based immigrant visa pathway, its actual implementation—based on available proclamations, administrative guidance, and fee structures—reveals a far more complex and
The Form I-140, Immigrant Petition for Alien Worker, is the cornerstone of most employment-based permanent residency cases. Whether filed under the EB-1, EB-2, or EB-3 category, the I-140 requires a petitioner to establish—through credible, contemporaneous, and verifiable evidence—that the beneficiary qualifies for the requested classification and that the employer possesses the ability to offer the
Form N-400, Application for Naturalization, is the petition filed by a lawful permanent resident (LPR) seeking to become a United States citizen through the process of naturalization. It is governed by the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA), Title 8 of the Code of Federal Regulations (8 CFR), and the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS)
A Comprehensive Legal Guide to Form N-400: Application for Naturalization Read More »
A B-2 Change of Status (COS) allows an individual who entered the United States in B-2 visitor status (e.g., tourism, family visit, medical treatment) to request permission from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) to extend their stay or change to another non-immigrant status1. This could include classifications such as F-1 (student) or H-4 (dependent)2.
B-2 Change of Status Explained: Filing Requirements, Timeline, and Key Considerations Read More »
