The number of RFEs (Request for Evidence) being issued by the USCIS (United States Citizenship and Immigration Services) has shot up by 45% this year as compared to the previous year.  An RFE is usually issued when any document or evidence required for adjudicating a visa petition is not provided.   The request for additional documentation […]

Due to increase in the number of foreign nationals seeking economic asylum in Hong Kong, Immigration Department’s Assistant Director, Ma Chi-Ming introduced an online registration platform for all Indian nationals planning to travel to Hong Kong from January 23, 2017. This online platform will require all Indian passport holders to obtain a prior approval from […]

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) constituted a high-level committee headed by retired judge Arvind Kumar Goel to consider the legal challenges faced by women who are harassed or deserted by their Non – Resident Indian (NRI) spouses.  To assist overseas Indian nationals in times of distress and emergency in the most deserving cases, the […]

Recent amendments by the Government of Canada to the Citizenship Act which came into effect on June 19, 2017 has confirmed that additional alterations regarding criteria for Canadian citizenship will come into effect as on October 11, 2017. The new changes will aim at reducing the age requirement for meeting the language and knowledge criteria […]

Under the EB-5 program, increasing number of Indian nationals are shelling out half a million US dollars in order to get themselves and their families permanent residence status in the US, and eventually American citizenship.  The EB-5 is an investment program which allows foreign nationals to obtain US green cards through investment.  The minimum investment […]

LawQuest was delighted and honored to have the presence of various Consular Officers at their Diwali & Dance Party on October 7, 2017.  It was truly a pleasure to dance and dine with Consular Officers from the Belgian, German, Korean, Bangladeshi and New Zealand Consulates in Mumbai. LawQuest extends its heartiest thanks to the Consulate Officials and […]

On October 3, 2017, the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced that it had resumed Premium Processing Services, for all type of H-1B petitions, including the extension of stay petitions for the fiscal year 2018. The USCIS had temporarily suspended the Premium Processing Service for all H-1B visa petitions filed on or after April 3, 2017.   A petitioner may […]

Poorvi was a speaker on the “The Facts on Immigration Programs for Indian citizens” panel at the EB-5 Investors Magazine’s 2017 Mumbai EB-5 & Investment Immigration Expo held from October 4 – 5, 2017 at the St. Regis Mumbai (http://www.eb5investors.com/conferences/2017-mumbai-eb-5-expo)

President Trump’s latest travel ban which was set to take effect on October 18th, was blocked yesterday by a federal judge in Hawaii.  The latest ban imposed travel restrictions on citizens of Chad, North Korea, Venezuela, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Syria and Yemen.  The federal judge’s order stops it, at least temporarily, with respect to all […]

The US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) issued a new binding memo on October 23rd rescinding earlier policy that required officers to give deference to prior decisions, in processing nonimmigrant visa extension applications.  This new policy affects all employment extension petitions (I-129), including H-1B, L-1, O-1 and more. The new memo emphasized that the burden […]