What’s new and what’s next ON October 7, 2015 USCIS released draft policy guidance regarding the “extreme hardship” threshold that Waiver of Inadmissibility applicants must reach. The draft guidance is…
As required by law, US Citizenship and Immigration Services will deny immigration petitions and applications for adjustment of status where they believe that fraud is involved. Marriage-Based Green Card interviews…
While the existing I-601A Provisional Waiver Program is limited to benefitting children and spouses of US citizens, a proposed rule will expand the categories of beneficiaries. The new rule, proposed…
THE news from USCIS: In an important departure from the current rules regarding when someone can apply for a Green Card, USCIS has announced that starting October 1, 2015, I-485,…
The Child Status Protection Act (CSPA) is back in the news. On June 6, 2014, a USCIS policy memorandum was released, expanding the definition for how a CSPA beneficiary could…
US Immigration Law provides that certain unskilled workers are able to immigrate to the US based on employment. The “other workers” subcategory is for persons performing unskilled labor requiring less…
THE 30-45 minutes that a person spends interviewing their potential immigration attorney may turn out to be the most important conversation of their lives. Duringa the consultation, the immigrant must…
Lawful Permanent Resident (LPR) status in the US is a privilege, and the status can be abandoned, even involuntarily. Abandonment of permanent residence (also known as the “green card”) occurs…
LAWFUL Permanent Resident (LPR) status in the US is a privilege, and the status can be abandoned, even involuntarily. Abandonment of permanent residence (also known as the “green card”) occurs…
On March 4, 2013, the Final Rule on Provisional Unlawful Presence Waivers for Certain Immediate Relatives took effect. The new law provided a significant benefit to spouses, children and parents…
ON March 4, 2013, the Final Rule on Provisional Unlawful Presence Waivers for Certain Immediate Relatives took effect. The new law provided a significant benefit to spouses, children and parents…
Individuals entering the United States on a crewman’s visa face several prohibitions on making their status legal that other non-immigrant entrants to the US are not affected by. Crewmen cannot…
DUE to demand stemming from aging demographics, the number of foreign-trained physicians practicing in the US continues to grow. According to the American Medical Association, International Medical Graduates (IMGs) comprise…
Within the first week of the opening of the April 1, 2014 H-1B filing season, USCIS received a sufficient number of H-1B cap-subject petitions to overwhelm the annual H-1B quota—172,500….
EMPLOYMENT-based immigration to the United States generally entails a three-step process: 1) Labor Certification (under the “PERM” program); 2) Immigrant Visa Petition approval; 3) Green Card issuance (or Consular Processing,…
The E-2 Treaty Investment Visa is the visa of choice for many business owners setting up shop in the US. The visa is highly desired as there is no limit…
The Board of Immigration Appeals (“BIA”) is an administrative appellate body, and a part of the Executive Office of Immigration Review (EOIR). The EOIR is an independent agency within the…
Due to demand stemming from aging demographics, the number of foreign-trained physicians practicing in the US continues to grow. According to the American Medical Association, International Medical Graduates (IMGs) comprise…
USCIS recently informed representatives of the American Immigration Lawyers Association that about 40,000 asylum cases are currently pending at its asylum offices throughout the US An estimated 28,000 of those…
IF the Department of Homeland Security has initiated Removal Proceedings against you, an Immigration Judge will preside over your case in Immigration Court and a government attorney will seek your…
As this year’s H-1B filing season comes to a close, employers not able to submit their applications on time or those whose cases are not chosen in the H-1B lottery…
Employees of an international company that are transferred into the US temporarily to work for the company’s parent, branch, affiliate or subsidiary enter the US on an L-1 Intra-company Transferee…
As dramatic as it sounds, the 30-45 minutes that someone spends interviewing their potential immigration attorney may turn out to be the most important conversation of their lives. During the…
Many individuals entering the United States on a visitor’s visa wonder whether they can adjust status on the basis of a petition from an immediate family member (spouse, parent, child). …
The employment-based path to US Permanent Resident Status for Filipinos in the “EB-3” and “EB-3 Other Workers” categories can require a wait of up to seven years under current processing…
Due to the significantly shorter processing times than other categories, the EB-2 classification is highly sought after by talented immigrants. In comparison to the EB-3 immigrant category, which currently takes…
US RESIDENTS IN THE PHILIPPINES LAWFUL Permanent Resident (LPR) status in the US is a privilege, and the status can be abandoned, even involuntarily. Abandonment of permanent residence (also known…
Lawful Permanent Resident (LPR) status in the U.S. is a privilege, and the status can be abandoned, even involuntarily. Abandonment of permanent residence (also known as the “green card”) occurs…
Overview A key element under consideration by Congress as it debates a comprehensive immigration reform bill is whether a “pathway to citizenship” for the estimated 11 million unauthorized immigrants in…
STARTING April 1, 2014, the US Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) will begin accepting cap-subject filings in the H-1B classification. The April 1, 2014 filings are for employment beginning in…
