Trow & Rahal, PC

Trow & Rahal, PC Trow & Rahal is a business immigration law firm helping businesses, families, athletes & entrepreneurs.

Attorneys Stephen Trow, Linda Rahal, and Cynthia Hemphill, owners and shareholders of Trow & Rahal, P.C. are widely recognized as leading business immigration attorneys and have a solid reputation within the legal community, as evidenced by their inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America. Their reputation for high ethical standards has earned them recognition in the Martindale-Hubbell Bar Register

of Preeminent Lawyers. Having helped clients with their immigration issues for several decades, they know that immigration issues affect many aspects of an individual’s professional and personal life. Developing solutions quickly and effectively can be critical. As your immigration law firm, Trow & Rahal will stay on top of rapidly changing regulations, steer around the roadblocks in the system, and when needed, craft a customized solution to help you cross the finish line and receive the benefits you require.

Where did the bow tie come from? One of the most widely accepted accounts of the bow tie’s history begins with Croatian ...
08/28/2026

Where did the bow tie come from? One of the most widely accepted accounts of the bow tie’s history begins with Croatian soldiers serving in France.

During the Thirty Years’ War in 17th-century Europe, Croatian mercenaries wore scarves tied around their collars. Their knotted neckcloths influenced the French “cravate”, a name derived from “Croate”, the French word for Croatian.

The cravat became part of the evolution of European neckwear and eventually helped inspire the modern bow tie. By the late 19th century, the bow tie had reached New York’s Tuxedo Club, where it became associated with formal evening attire and sophistication.

Today is National Bow Tie Day, making it the perfect time to recognize how this familiar accessory reflects centuries of cultural exchange.

The bow tie is a small but stylish example of how ideas and traditions travel across borders, evolve within new communities, and become part of cultures far from where their stories began.

Born in Manchester, England, in 1853, Elihu Thomson immigrated to the United States with his family when he was five yea...
08/27/2026

Born in Manchester, England, in 1853, Elihu Thomson immigrated to the United States with his family when he was five years old.

The family settled in Philadelphia, where Thomson developed an extraordinary aptitude for science. After graduating from Central High School, he was invited to teach there and became the school’s chair of chemistry at only 23 years old.

Thomson soon began experimenting with electricity alongside fellow teacher Edwin J. Houston. Their work led to the creation of an arc-lighting system and the company that eventually became the Thomson-Houston Electric Company.

In 1892, Thomson-Houston merged with Thomas Edison’s Edison General Electric Company to form General Electric.

Throughout his career, Thomson received nearly 700 patents covering generators, transformers, electric welding, lighting, meters, railways, X-ray technology, refrigeration, and other innovations.

He was also an early advocate for dedicated industrial research laboratories, helping establish a model that would influence generations of American scientific and technological development.

Thomson later served as acting president of MIT and received some of the highest honors available in science and engineering.

From a young immigrant fascinated by mechanical processes to one of the founders of the American electrical manufacturing industry, Elihu Thomson helped build the systems that brought electricity into modern life.

We're happy to share another successful outcome for a client!Recently, an H-1B extension was approved after USCIS issued...
08/26/2026

We're happy to share another successful outcome for a client!

Recently, an H-1B extension was approved after USCIS issued a Request for Evidence (RFE) regarding the Labor Condition Application (LCA). Because an alternate wage survey was used to determine the prevailing wage, USCIS requested additional documentation linking the selected wage and occupational classification to the position being offered.

Our team prepared a detailed response explaining how the position's duties, education, and experience requirements aligned with the chosen occupational classification.

We also provided supporting survey data and documentation to strengthen the case.

The result? ✅ H-1B Extension Approved

As USCIS continues to closely review wage levels and job requirements in H-1B cases, we expect to see more RFEs like this. Careful preparation and strong supporting evidence can make all the difference.

Congratulations to our client!

: Do not send original documents with your immigration filing unless USCIS specifically requires an original. Instead, ...
08/25/2026

: Do not send original documents with your immigration filing unless USCIS specifically requires an original.

Instead, submit clear, legible photocopies of supporting documents.

Birth certificates, marriage certificates, passports, immigration documents, and other records can be difficult, expensive, or sometimes impossible to replace.

In most cases, USCIS expects applicants to submit photocopies rather than the original documents. Originals may need to be presented later at an interview or provided if USCIS issues a specific request for them.

Sending an original when it was not requested does not necessarily strengthen an application. It may instead create the risk that an important personal document will be difficult to retrieve.

Before filing, review the instructions for the specific form carefully. Make sure every copy is complete and legible, including information, stamps, seals, or annotations appearing on the back of a document. Keep the originals organized and accessible in case they are needed later.

If USCIS requests an original document, follow the request carefully and submit it by the stated deadline.

08/24/2026

USCIS has announced that it will publish revised editions of Form I-539 and Form I-765 on September 15, 2026.

USCIS will accept the current editions if they are postmarked or electronically submitted before September 15. However, filings postmarked or submitted electronically on or after September 15 must use the new editions. Older editions will be rejected.

Form editions can be easy to overlook, especially when a form was downloaded or a filing was prepared in advance. A rejected application can result in lost time and may create additional complications when an applicant is facing a status or employment authorization deadline.

Before submitting any immigration filing, applicants should confirm that they are using the edition currently accepted by USCIS and review the latest filing instructions, fees, and addresses.

Trow & Rahal is monitoring these changes and will help clients ensure the correct forms are included in filings submitted on or after September 15.

The United States once required many prospective immigrants to prove they could read, but not necessarily in English. Th...
08/21/2026

The United States once required many prospective immigrants to prove they could read, but not necessarily in English.

The Immigration Act of 1917 introduced a literacy test for many people seeking admission to the United States.

Under the law, immigrants over the age of 16 could be asked to read a short passage of approximately 30 to 40 words.

However, the test was not designed specifically to measure English proficiency.

Applicants could generally complete it in English or another language or dialect of their choice.

The law even directed immigration officials to provide passages in multiple languages, reflecting the reality that many arriving immigrants could read and write but did not yet speak English.

The literacy requirement was part of a broader law that significantly restricted immigration. The Immigration Act of 1917 also expanded the categories of people who could be denied entry and created the “Asiatic Barred Zone,” which excluded immigration from much of Asia and the Pacific.

Supporters had pushed for literacy testing for decades, often arguing that it would limit the arrival of immigrants they viewed as undesirable. Presidents Grover Cleveland, William Howard Taft, and Woodrow Wilson each vetoed earlier versions of literacy-test legislation. Congress ultimately overrode President Wilson’s veto in 1917.

The literacy test remained part of U.S. immigration law for 35 years until it was eliminated by the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1952.

Yesterday was National Aviation Day, a day recognizing the history and continued development of flight in the United Sta...
08/20/2026

Yesterday was National Aviation Day, a day recognizing the history and continued development of flight in the United States.

Few people have shaped that history as profoundly as immigrant inventor and aviation pioneer, Igor Sikorsky.

Born in Kyiv in 1889, Sikorsky began experimenting with aircraft as a young engineer. He designed airplanes in the Russian Empire, including some of the world’s earliest successful multi-engine aircraft.

Following the Russian Revolution, Sikorsky left Europe and arrived in the United States in 1919.

Starting over was not easy.

He taught mathematics and gave aviation lectures while working to establish himself in his new country. In 1923, with financial support from fellow immigrants and other backers, he founded the company that would become Sikorsky Aircraft.

His early American designs included large flying boats used by Pan American Airways to open new passenger routes across oceans.

His greatest impact, however, came from an idea he had pursued since his youth: vertical flight.

In 1939, Sikorsky piloted the first tethered flight of the VS-300. Its design used a single main rotor and a smaller vertical tail rotor, a configuration that became the model for most modern helicopters.

Sikorsky’s work helped transform the helicopter into a practical aircraft. The technology that grew from his designs would go on to support military operations, emergency medical transport, firefighting, disaster response, and search-and-rescue missions around the world.

Igor Sikorsky arrived in the United States as a refugee with experience, ambition, and an idea he had not given up on.

His work gave the country, and the world, an entirely new way to fly.

: A translation generally does not need to be notarized for USCIS, but it does need to be certified. Any document writt...
08/18/2026

: A translation generally does not need to be notarized for USCIS, but it does need to be certified.

Any document written in a language other than English must be submitted with a complete English translation.

A summary of the document is not enough. The translation should include all texts, seals, stamps, handwritten notes, and other information appearing on the original.

The translator must also provide a signed certification confirming that they are competent to translate from the document’s original language to English and the translation is complete and accurate.

The certification should identify the document, including the translator’s name and signature, and state the date the certification was signed. Including the translator’s contact information can also help create a clear record.

Even when an applicant is fluent in both languages, using an independent, qualified translator can help avoid questions about accuracy or impartiality.

Before submitting a translated document, make sure the translation is complete, the certification is properly signed, and a copy of the original-language document is included.

08/17/2026

Many people preparing for a U.S. visa interview expect to travel to an embassy or consulate in their own country.

For some applicants across Africa, that is no longer the case.

Effective August 1, 2026, the U.S. Department of State has consolidated routine immigrant and nonimmigrant visa processing into 20 regional hubs across the continent. As a result, applicants in 25 locations may now need to travel to another country for their visa interview.

That change can mean much more than a different appointment location.

Additional travel expenses, hotel stays, entry requirements for another country, time away from work, and coordinating travel documents may all become part of the immigration process before a person ever boards a flight to the United States.

Applicants with existing appointments generally should continue following the instructions they have already received, while new applicants should carefully review the designated processing location for their case before making travel plans.

Changes like these are a reminder that immigration procedures can evolve not only through new laws and regulations, but also through operational decisions that affect how and where applications are processed.

If you or a family member are preparing for a visa interview, our team can help you understand the current process, prepare the required documentation, and navigate changes that may affect your case.

If you've ever completed immigration paperwork, you've probably wondered why some forms start with I, others N-, DS-, or...
08/14/2026

If you've ever completed immigration paperwork, you've probably wondered why some forms start with I, others N-, DS-, or G-.

The letters actually tell you something about the form.

I – forms generally related to immigration benefits administered by USCIS (legacy INS), such as adjustment of status or employment authorization.

N – forms are used for naturalization and citizenship.

G – forms are general adminsitrative forms, such as attorney representation or electronic notifications.

DS – forms are issued by the U.S. Department of State and are commonly used for visa applications processed through U.S. embassys and consulates.

ETA – forms come from the Department of Labor and are often part of the employment-based immigration process.

The numbers, however, and simply identification numbers assigned by the government.

Immigration cases often involve forms from several different government agencies, which is one reason the process can seem so complex.

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3 Bethesda Metro Center, Suite 610
Bethesda, MD
20814

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