USCIS to now give Deference to Prior Decisions in Adjudicating Extension Petitions  The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced on April 27 that it will reinstate an earlier 2004 policy that directs officers to give deference to prior decisions when adjudicating extension requests, involving the same parties and facts.  The new guidance takes effect immediately. Under the […]

Consulates in India | Severely Truncated Services and Partial Closures Mumbai:  Due to rising COVID rates and for the safety and protection of our customers and staff, the U.S. Consulate General in Mumbai currently is only providing essential services to U.S. citizens and limited and emergency nonimmigrant and immigrant visa services until further notice.  New Delhi:  […]

India Restores Certain Categories of Electronic Visas (e-visas)   The Government of India has restored the electronic visa (e-visa) facility for foreign nationals from 156 countries. The following categories of e-visas have been restored: e-business visa; e-conference visa; e-medical visa; and e-medical attendant visa. It is imperative to note that the e-tourist visa still stands suspended. […]

OCI Cardholders Now No Longer Required to Carry Old Passports for Travel to India The Indian missions in the U.S. have issued a press release stating that the requirement of carrying both old and new passports, along with the OCI card, has been done away with. Going forward, an OCI cardholder, whose OCI card bears […]

H-1B Cap Lottery for FY 2022 Completed & the NIV Travel Ban Set to Lapse on March 31, 2021 USCIS Completes Cap Lottery  On March 30, 2021, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced that it had completed the lottery and had selected H-1B registrations for FY 2022. We have anecdotally learnt that several petitioners […]

Immigration Related Updates from India  India Travel Update  As India is in the midst of a second and sweeping COVID-19 wave, scheduled international commercial passenger services remain closed. However, international scheduled flights are permitted on select routes on a case-by-case basis. India has established “air transport bubble” arrangements with certain countries (such as the U.S., […]

USCIS Extends Flexibility to Respond to Certain Notices as the Pandemic Continues The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) further extends flexibility regarding delays in responding to the following documents if the date of issue listed on the request, notice, or decision is between March 1, 2020, and June 30, 2021, inclusive. Requests for Evidence […]

DOL Delays the Wage Rule and DOS Expands Interview-Waiver Eligibility    Delay of the effective date and transition period of the Wage Rule  The Department of Labor (DOL) will propose a regulation to further delay the Wage Rule that will significantly increase wage levels for H-1B and certain other workers as well as PERM applicants. Under […]