NEWS

In today’s NYT’s editorial section (https://www.nytimes.com/2017/08/24/opinion/sunday/networking-connections-business.html?ref=opinion) Adam Grant writes, “Networking is overrated. Achievement is a magnet to mentors and a beacon to backers.” He notes that networking alone leads to “empty transactions” and not “rich relationships,” which bring the real rewards. He notes that it is important to first have an impressive track record and READ MORE

On March 15, 2017, a federal district court in Hawaii temporarily blocked Trump’s second travel ban finding that it violated the US Constitution’s Establishment Clause of the First Amendment and that the Trump administration failed to provide sufficient evidence of a threat to national security. In particular, Judge Watson held that a reasonable objective observer READ MORE

President Donald Trump signed a new executive order on March 6, 2017, that will temporarily bar certain people from six Muslim majority countries and refugees from entering the US as of March 16, 2017. His first travel ban order was suspended in the Federal courts. The essential points of the travel ban are the following: READ MORE

This weekend the Federal district court in Seattle, WA overturned Trump’s executive order banning entry into the US of foreign nationals from seven high-Muslim population countries as well as of refugees. This means that foreign nationals from these countries, as well as refugees, may now enter the US pursuant to the system before the order READ MORE

On October 24, 2016, USCIS announced its filing fee increases to take effect December 23, 2016. It has just confirmed with AILA that any application or petition with a postmark of December 22, 2016, will be accepted with the old fees.

The Department of Homeland Security has issued a final rule with increases in filing fees for US immigrations applications and petitions.   The fee increases will take effect on December 23, 2016.  Applications mailed, postmarked or otherwise filed on or after 12/23/2016 must include the new fees.  The weighted average for the increase was 21%. The READ MORE

USCIS has determined that when filing for legal permanent residency, either based on family or employment sponsorship, the Application Final Action Dates chart in the US Department of State (DOS) Visa Bulletin for August 2016 must be used.  According to the Visa Bulletin for August 2016, for the employment-based filings for India under the EB-2 category READ MORE