Fox Rothschild LLP (LexBlog India)
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India’s Digital Personal Data Protection Act: What You Need to Know
India enacted its new Digital Personal Data Protection Act last year. Here are some key takeaways regarding the law, courtesy of Sajai Singh, a partner at J. Sagar Associates in India. Singh spoke recently at Alpine Privacy Days in Switzerland.
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Stateside Pilot Program Will Issue H-1B Visa Stamps From Within the U.S.
On January 29, 2024, the U.S. Department of State (DOS) will begin accepting online H-1B visa stamp applications at this web address for a limited number of qualifying applicants to receive H-1B visa stamps from within the U.S. rather than at a U.S. embassy or consulate abroad. This long-awaited pilot program is initially only for certain individuals whose most...
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Potential COVID-19 Vaccine Waiver
The news cycle remains dominated by COVID-19 issues. One thing we’re watching is whether and to what extent the World Trade Organization (WTO) will waive intellectual property (IP) protections for vaccines in an attempted effort to increase global access to vaccines. A broad proposal for waiver on enforcement of IP related to COVID-19 prevention, containment,...
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Investments: Are We Still Getting the Latte or Merely the Froth?
Today’s economic news seems undeniably strong. Despite the crisis in India, our own health officials believe that we may be emerging from the darkest hours of the pandemic. Pennsylvania has announced it will be open for business in less than a month. The Dow has taken us from 30,000 on New Years’ to 34,500. A...
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India Plans to Require Use of COVID-19 Contact Tracing App for Certain Activities
“Indian authorities plan to make a contact-tracing mobile app mandatory for everything from taking public transit to going to work, raising concerns among digital rights experts about privacy and increased surveillance.” “While authorities have said use of the app is voluntary, it has been made mandatory for food-delivery workers and some other service providers, and...
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Immigrant Visa Processing Changes – EB3 retrogresses across the board with no movement expected; EB-2 India and China retrogress; Visa Office on Priority Dates, Demand, and Predictions
In our continuing series of reports, Charles (“Charlie”) Oppenheim, Chief of the Visa Control and Reporting Division, U.S. Department of State, shares his most recent analysis of current trends and future projections for the various immigrant preference categories with AILA (the American Immigration Lawyers’ Association). Below are highlights from the most recent “check-in with Charlie”...
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Immigrant Visa Processing Changes – EB3 India/China move ahead slightly, while EB-2 India and China inch forward; EB-3 & EB-2 WW expected to backlog soon; Visa Office on Priority Dates, Demand, and Predictions
In our continuing series of reports, Charles (“Charlie”) Oppenheim, Chief of the Visa Control and Reporting Division, U.S. Department of State, shares his most recent analysis of current trends and future projections for the various immigrant preference categories with AILA (the American Immigration Lawyers’ Association). Below are highlights from the most recent “check-in with Charlie”...
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Immigrant Visa Processing Changes – EB3 and EB1 unavailable through end of FY; EB-2 WW moves ahead, while EB-2 India inches forward and EB-2 China remains unchanged; Visa Office on Priority Dates, Demand, and Predictions
In our continuing series of reports, Charles (“Charlie”) Oppenheim, Chief of the Visa Control and Reporting Division, U.S. Department of State, shares his most recent analysis of current trends and future projections for the various immigrant preference categories with AILA (the American Immigration Lawyers’ Association). Below are highlights from the most recent “check-in with Charlie”...
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India Seeks to Impose Stiffer Penalties on Tax Evaders and Violators of Its Bank Secrecy Rules
The international business press has recently reported that India has promulgated stricter rules pertaining to tax evasion and related offenses in an effort to limit the number of investigations for tax evasion, including the willful non-disclosure of off-shore bank accounts, which result with taxpayers paying an additional fee in avoiding prosecution and a period of incarceration. In...
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Florida Man Violates Fair Housing Act and Related Statutes Concerning Religious Discrimination
A case with difficult facts from Florida involving the Fair Housing Act (FHA) as well as other civil rights laws made the news earlier this week. An immigrant from India (who is Muslim) entered into an agreement to buy a home in an upscale island neighborhood near downtown Tampa. When the purchasers came to the...
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DOS Moves US Spouse/Unmarried Minor Child Interviews from New Delhi to Mumbai
On March 6, 2018, the US Department of State announced a change in the location of certain greencard interviews in India. In summary, for interviews scheduled on or after April 1, 2018: The US Embassy in New Delhi will no longer conduct interviews for US Permanent Residence for the spouse (IR1/CR1) and the unmarried minor...
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Immigrant Visa Processing Changes – EB1 India and China will retrogress; EB2 China will advance; Visa Office on Priority Dates, Demand, and Predictions
In our continuing series of reports, Charles (“Charlie”) Oppenheim, Chief of the Visa Control and Reporting Division, U.S. Department of State, shares his most recent analysis of current trends and future projections for the various immigrant preference categories with AILA (the American Immigration Lawyers’ Association). Below are highlights from the most recent “check-in with Charlie”...
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Immigrant Visa Processing Changes – EB1 India will retrogress; EB2 China will advance, but EB2 India will not change; EB3 Worldwide will advance; Visa Office on Priority Dates, Demand, and Predictions
In our continuing series of reports, Charles (“Charlie”) Oppenheim, Chief of the Visa Control and Reporting Division, U.S. Department of State, shares his most recent analysis of current trends and future projections for the various immigrant preference categories with AILA (the American Immigration Lawyers’ Association). Below are highlights from the most recent “check-in with Charlie”...
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Immigrant Visa Processing Changes – EB2 Worldwide continues to hover close to current; EB2/3 India and China remain backlogged; Visa Office on Priority Dates, Demand, and Predictions
In our continuing series of reports, Charles (“Charlie”) Oppenheim, Chief of the Visa Control and Reporting Division, U.S. Department of State, shares his most recent analysis of current trends and future projections for the various immigrant preference categories with AILA (the American Immigration Lawyers’ Association). Below are highlights from the most recent “check-in with Charlie”...
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Immigrant Visa Processing Changes – EB2 India retrogresses; EB2/3 China retrogresses- Visa Office on Priority Dates, Demand, and Predictions
In our continuing series of reports, Charles (“Charlie”) Oppenheim, Chief of the Visa Control and Reporting Division, U.S. Department of State, shares his most recent analysis of current trends and future projections for the various immigrant preference categories with AILA (the American Immigration Lawyers’ Association). Below are highlights from the most recent “check-in with Charlie”...
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Immigrant Visa Processing Changes – EB2 & EB3 India and China move forward – Visa Office on Priority Dates, Demand, and Predictions
In our continuing series of reports, Charles (“Charlie”) Oppenheim, Chief of the Visa Control and Reporting Division, U.S. Department of State, shares his most recent analysis of current trends and future projections for the various immigrant preference categories with AILA (the American Immigration Lawyers’ Association). Below are highlights from the most recent “check-in with Charlie”...
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Immigrant Visa Processing Changes – EB2 India moves forward; EB2 & EB3 China stays the same – Visa Office on Priority Dates, Demand, and Predictions
In our continuing series of reports, Charles (“Charlie”) Oppenheim, Chief of the Visa Control and Reporting Division, U.S. Department of State, shares his most recent analysis of current trends and future projections for the various immigrant preference categories with AILA (the American Immigration Lawyers’ Association). Below are highlights from the most recent “check-in with Charlie”...
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Dates of Filing for October 2015 change significantly, impacting EB2 and EB3 India and China
In follow up to my post of 9/17/2015 in which we explained the Department of State’s new procedures for establishing immigrant visa filing dates (vs. final action dates), please be advised that the DOS has updated those dates (on 09/25/2015). Anyone who plans to file for Adjustment of Status in October 2015 must review these...
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Immigrant Visa Processing Changes – Dates of Filing vs Final Action Date Significantly Impacts EB2 and EB3 India and China – Visa Office on Priority Dates, Demand, and Predictions
In our continuing series of reports, Charles (“Charlie”) Oppenheim, Chief of the Visa Control and Reporting Division, U.S. Department of State, shares his most recent analysis of current trends and future projections for the various immigrant preference categories with AILA (the American Immigration Lawyers’ Association). This month, before we move into Charlie’s comments and analysis...
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EB-2 India Retrogression – Visa Office on Priority Dates, Demand, and Predictions
Charles (“Charlie”) Oppenheim, Chief of the Visa Control and Reporting Division, U.S. Department of State, shares his analysis of current trends and future projections for the various immigrant preference categories with AILA (the American Immigration Lawyers’ Association). Below are highlights from the most recent “check-in with Charlie”, reflecting his analysis of current trends and future...
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EB-2 India: Could the November 2014 Priority Date Retrogression be any Worse?
As anticipated, there is bad news for those seeking U.S. permanent residence in the Employment-Based 2nd Preference category for India. For the month of November 2014, the EB-2 India cut-off date will take a giant leap backward, moving from May 1, 2009, to February 15, 2005. 2005?! Yes, 2005. This sobering update was announced in...
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EB-2 India Category Advances in September, F2A Remains Current for All Countries
According to the recently issued Department of State (DOS) Visa Bulletin which includes priority date processing information for the month of September 2013, the EB-2 India[i] category will again advance significantly—by five and a half months. Beginning on September 1, 2013, a person with a pending or approved I-140 Immigrant Petition in the EB-2 India...
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India Finally Enacts Sexual Harassment Law
Sixteen years after the landmark court decision in Vishaka and others v. State of Rajasthan which required employers to set up processes to address sexual harassment, India has finally passed a law outlawing sexual harassment. The law, although taking huge steps in finally outlawing sexual harassment, has a long way to go before it provides...
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India 2nd-Preference Date Remains at 9/1/2004
The India 2nd-Preference processing date remains unchanged after many months.
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Women In India Report Rampant Sexual Harassment
This is not quite an employment discrimination story – but more of a story about sexual harassment of women after work ends. A nationwide survey in India has found that 92 per cent of women working in information technology, hospitality, civil aviation and call centers feel unsafe travelling home after work. Why should the nature of their work...
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Interview Waiver Program (IWP) Expanded in India
The Visa Interview Waiver Program (IWP) has been expanded to include more categories of eligible applicants.
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Diwali Celebrations and Embassy/Consulate Closures
This is an important reminder to anyone planning on visiting an American Embassy/Consulate in India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Mauritius, Gyuana, Trinidad & Tobago, Suriname, Malaysia, Singapore, or Fiji that the U.S. Embassies/Consulates will be closed on Tuesday November 13, 2012 the in observance of the Hindu holiday of Diwali. Popularly known as the “festival...
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India’s New Visa Processing System
As part of the U.S. Department of State’s continuing efforts to streamline the visa process worldwide, U.S. Embassy and Consulates across India are implementing a new visa processing system that will further standardize procedures and will simplify fee payment and appointment scheduling through their new visa application website. As of September 26, 2012, U.S. visa...
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The Indian Caste System Still Exists – And Discriminates Against 160 Million Indians
Yesterday we noted that according to one survey, gender discrimination is prevalent in the British workforce. Today, we note an equally disturbing state of affairs in India – the continued existence of the caste system and its impact on employment. Caste and related discrimination is still practiced against 160 million Indians known as Dalits, especially Dalit...
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EB-2 Priority Dates Expected to Retrogress for India and China
China and India EB-2 priority dates are predicted to retrogress to August 15, 2007, and stay at that date for the remainder of this fiscal year (i.e., through September 30, 2012).