Entries by Cyrus Mehta

What If the Job Has Changed Since the Labor Certification Application Was Approved Many Years Ago?

Foreign national workers who have been waiting in the employment-based second and third preference green card backlogs for many years have fortuitously become eligible to file I-485 adjustment of status applications due to the advancement of filing dates in the October 2020 Visa Bulletin. Many of the labor certifications were filed between 2009 and 2014. […]

Killing the H-1B Visa Also Kills the US Economy

By Cyrus D. Mehta & Kaitlyn Box Last week the Department of Labor (DOL) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) each issued new rules aimed at further attacking the H-1B visa program. The DOL rule, which was issued without affording the public an opportunity for notice and comment, significantly raises the minimum required wage […]

Frequently Asked Questions on Filing a “Downgrade” EB-3 petition under the October 2020 Visa Bulletin

The October 2020 Visa Bulletin significantly advanced the  Filing Date of the employment-based third preference (EB-3) for India to January 1, 2015. This would make many beneficiaries with approved I-140 petitions caught in the EB-3 backlog eligible to file I-485 adjustment of status applications. Even those with approved I-140 petitions under the employment-based second preference (EB-2) […]

In Honor of Justice Ginsburg: Disfavoring Piepowder Courts Against Permanent Residents in Vartelas v. Holder

Saddened by the death of Justice Ginsburg, I searched through the blogs I have written on her opinions in immigration cases. I was again reminded not only about her brilliance but how forcefully she advanced the rights of immigrants that was consistent with the Constitution and the Immigration and Nationality Act. I wrote Justice Ginsburg’s […]

The Future of Work and Visa Rules in the Age of COVID-19

Since COVID-19 afflicted the world, people have learned to work remotely from home and the office seems to be less relevant. Most white collared work can be carried out remotely through Zoom Video or Microsoft Teams. Jack Dorsey, the head of Twitter, said that the company’s employees can work from home “forever.” This view may […]

The Impossible Feat of Determining Who is an “Illegal Alien” Under Trump’s Unconstitutional Census Executive Order

In line with other xenophobic actions too numerous to keep tabs on, President Trump issued a Presidential Memorandum dated July 21, 2020 entitled “Memorandum on Excluding Illegal Aliens From the Apportionment Base Following the 2020 Census.” From the title itself, it is readily obvious that the Trump administration does not intend to count undocumented or […]