News & Updates

Image of person filing documents, example of Citizenship Naturalization filing process at Shihab Burke, LLC, Attorneys At Law.
Green Card

USCIS Policy Alert: Interfiling FAQs

On January 21, 2022, USCIS updated its guidance affecting some employment-based adjustment of status applicants. Specifically, USCIS is now encouraging anyone who would benefit from

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Fiancé Visa

Fiancé Visa FAQs

The process of bringing your fiancé to the US involves many steps and multiple phases. The process can be daunting and difficult to understand. One

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Green Card

July 2021 Visa Bulletin Shows Strong Forward Movement

The July 2021 Visa Bulletin sheds some light on the advancement of Final Action Dates. NOTE: The monthly YouTube livestream “Chats with Charlie” in which Charles Oppenheim discusses the visa bulletin for the upcoming month was scheduled for June 18, 2021. As of the publication of this blog, that livestream

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Spouses holding wedding rings in their hands.
Green Card

Removal of Conditions for Spouses

Marriage is a celebration of love, family, and the coming together of two people excited to share their life with each other. Navigating marriage when it comes to immigration law can make this happy time a bit more complicated. But with the help of a skilled immigration attorney and the

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Green Card

COVID-19 and Visa Processing Times – Read Now for an Important Update

The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly slowed down the United States immigration process. Not only are consulates and embassies short-staffed, but vaccinations have not yet reached certain populations, making travel difficult. Visa processing times are still compromised. Because of continued COVID-19 precautions and limited resources, U.S. embassies and other consular posts

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Immigrant Visa

News Flash: June Visa Bulletin Updates

The U.S. Department of State (DOS) Visa Bulletin provides vital information to those seeking to file an immigrant visa petition. Each month, a bulletin is made available to the public via the Travel.State.Gov website. It summarizes the availability of immigrant numbers during that month for “Final Action Dates” and “Dates for Filing Applications.” This

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Immigration

News Flash: USCIS Seeks to Improve Some Immigration Services

On Wednesday, June 9, 2021, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced the most recent policy updates to the USCIS Policy Manual. Specifically, the updates are intended to improve the following immigration procedures: expedited processing; request for evidence (RFE) and notice of intent to deny (NOID); and employment authorization documents

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Woman holding laptop in front of large computer.
Non-immigrant Visa

Foreign Talent Doesn’t Harm U.S. Workers

According to a June 2021 policy brief by the National Foundation for American Policy (NFAP) “U.S.-born IT professionals and computer and information systems majors continued to earn, on average, substantially more than other professional workers and other majors.” The brief also touches on the effect of foreign talent on the

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Man holding sign that says fraud and wearing handcuffs.
H-1B Visa

News Flash: Cloudgen LLC Pleads Guilty to H-1B Fraud

According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas, the Houston consulting and strategic solutions company has pleaded guilty to committing ongoing H-1B visa fraud for over seven years. Details of the H-1B Fraud The fraud was perpetrated from around March 2013 through December 2020. Cloudgen LLC

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Green Card

Request for Evidence (RFE) Best Practices

Join our Webinar Scheduled for June 14, 2021 @ 6:00 PM EDT Topic: A unique prospective from experienced immigration attorneys about Adjustment of Status Requests for Evidence. How to be prepared for them and how to maximize your chances of not getting them all together. Visit Page https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MkzFChJe2Vg After you’ve

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US Supreme Court building in front of a blue sky.
Family Immigration

News Flash: Supreme Court Rules Against TPS Recipients

On Monday, June 7, 2021, the Supreme Court of the United Stated (SCOTUS) unanimously ruled that some Temporary Protected Status (TPS) recipients are not eligible for lawful permanent resident status, commonly known as green cards. It is important to note that this ruling does not apply to all TPS recipients.

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Indian flag over a city.
Green Card

News Flash: EAGLE Act May Help Indian Green Card Hopefuls

The Equal Access to Green cards for Legal Employment (EAGLE) Act of 2021 (H.R.3648) is a bipartisan piece of legislation which was introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives on July 1, 2021. The goal is to eliminate the per-country limit for employment-based green cards and increase the per-country limit

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Gold wedding rings on a white pillow
Fiancé Visa

Fiancé Visa vs. Marriage Visa – Understand the Difference Now

Fiance Visa vs. Marriage Visa  Marriage and the immigration process are matters that can be complicated, stressful, and uncertain. Because every person’s situation is unique, different immigration laws will come into play when a United States citizen or lawful permanent resident (“green card holder”) marries or intends to marry a

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Image of chessboard, interfiling adjustment of status
Green Card

Interfiling – I-485 Application

Join our Webinar May 26 at 6:00 PM EDTTopics: Interfiling, is it the right choice for you? EB-2/EB-3 downgrade/upgrade discussion. How interfiling impacts your child’s adjustability? Visit Page https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MdO4niyQnN8 Obtaining a green card in the United States is no easy task. The paperwork alone is voluminous and can be complicated

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Immigrant Visa

Termination of Employment and Green Card Application

Below is a summary of the various scenarios that may impact the status of an H-1B holder if they experience employment termination as they move through the process of PERM labor certification, I-140 petition, and I-485 application. The 180-day rule comes into play only once the I-140 petition has been

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Hand in front of a smart phone with biometrics fingerprint.
Family Immigration

News Flash: USCIS Suspends Biometrics Requirement

Due to the backlog in applications, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced that it will temporarily suspend the biometrics (commonly known as “fingerprinting”) requirement for certain applicants filing Form I-539, Application to Extend/Change Nonimmigrant Status. Timeframe for Biometrics Suspension The suspension goes into effect on May 17, 2021 and

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Happy employee with hands up.
H-1B Visa

News Flash: Foreign Talent in Demand at U.S. Companies

The world of immigration law can be complex, unpredictable, and ever evolving. Rules change, timeframes shift, and the process of applying for a visa can be overwhelming. But there is good news! U.S. companies are still very much interested in retaining and recruiting foreign talent. Envoy Global recently conducted a

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Family Immigration

News Flash: Family Reunification Is Top Priority for DOS

Everyone has been affected by the global COVID-19 pandemic in one way or another. When it comes to immigration, individuals seeking to come to the United States have also felt the impact. Travel has been restricted, while embassies and consulates are dealing with a backlog of immigrant visa applications. According

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Mask on top of a world map.
Immigration

News Flash: Limited Travel from India Due to COVID-19

Due to the recent surge in cases of COVID-19 in the Republic of India, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has recommended that the U.S. should be protected from travelers from that area. COVID-19 Surge in the Republic of India According to the CDC, the Republic of India

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Hand giving money back from wallet.
Immigration

News Flash: DHS Ends Civil Penalties for Failure-to-Depart

On April 23, 2021, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced that it has rescinded two delegation orders which gave certain Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials the power to impose civil financial penalties for noncitizens who fail to depart the U.S. What Were the Fees DHS Is Ending? According

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Start up.
Immigration

What Is the International Entrepreneur Rule (IER)

The hard truth is that the U.S. does not have a temporary work visa category specifically geared toward the needs of international entrepreneurs and start-up founders looking to come to the U.S. How can this be? You may wonder how among all the various work visas the U.S. does offer,

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