Entries by Cyrus Mehta

IS AN IMMIGRATION AGENCY A TRIBUNAL UNDER NEW YORK’S ETHICAL RULES?

In preparing for the ethics panel for the AILA 2009 New York Chapter Immigration Symposium on December 1, 2009, I came across an interesting connundrum with my co-panelists. Are the offices within the Department of Homeland Security, such as United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), or other governmental agencies that deal with immigration matters, […]

RARE GESTURE OF REASONABLENESS TO H-1B FILERS

So USCIS has at long last heard and understood about the hardships that the new iCERT system of DOL was causing H-1B workers. Normally, the USCIS does not care what the DOL does and vice verse, and so this gesture comes as a pleasant surprise. The new iCERT system consistently denies Labor Condition Applications if […]

New Indian Immigration Regime for Foreign Nationals in India

*By Poorvi Chothani, Esq. Recently, the Ministry of Commerce and Industry (the MCI), India announced (the MCI Announcement) that business visas cannot be granted to foreign nationals to work on projects or specific contracts in India. The formal announcement also requires all foreign nationals on such visas to leave India and return on employment visas. […]

Advance Conflict Waivers

MANAGING EXPECTATIONS OF IMMIGRATION CLIENTS THROUGH SMART ETHICAL PRACTICES Only a fool of an attorney would not set out the parameters of the representation in advance and decide how to handle clients in the event of a conflict of interest between them. This is particularly so when a client embarks on a green card sponsorship […]

USCIS ISSUES CONTROVERSIAL CLARIFICATION OF REQUIREMENTS FOR AGENTS FILING AS PETITIONERS FOR O AND P VISAS

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) issued a controversial clarification on October 7, 2009, for performing arts associations and their members of the regulatory requirements for agents who file as petitioners for the O and P visa classification. The agency said it issued the clarification in response to inquiries “that reveal confusion regarding the circumstances […]

H-1B BIGOTRY

There appears to be a troubling trend these days. Attacking the H-1B visa is code for keeping the Indians out. Leading the drumbeat against the H-1B are Senators Grassley (R-IA) and Durbin (D-IL), https://blog.cyrusmehta.com/News.aspx. In his latest missive to the new USCIS Director, Senator Grassley makes H-1B bigotry politically respectable, http://tinylink.com/?I38d5pyKzi. While no one is […]