Federal Judge Blocks DACA We had some frustrating immigration news last week, as U.S. District Judge Andrew Hanen from Texas declared the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program illegal. The verdict was handed down in a lawsuit filed by Texas and eight other conservative states with intention to halt the DACA program. Please note Read more about July 2021 Newsletter[…]
If you currently reside in the United States on a visa or entered the United States with a visa and you are the parent of a U.S. Citizen or the spouse of a U.S. Citizen and you are considering immigrating, the first step on your journey is the Green Card application, I-485, Application to Register Read more about Green Card Application Common Mistakes[…]
Employment Authorization for U-visa Petitioners This month was looking pretty uneventful in terms of immigration news, and then we got a major announcement. USCIS issued an important policy update that provides new protections to U-visa applicants (both principal and derivative) with pending cases. Effective immediately, upon initial review of Form I-918 petitions, USCIS will issue Read more about June 2021 Newsletter[…]
Despite all the progress that has been made in addressing crimes of domestic violence, these types of crimes are still some of the most underreported. This is even more true for instances of domestic violence in which the suffering party depends on the abuser to obtain their legal residency in the United States. That need Read more about Immigrant Victims of Domestic Violence, You Have Options![…]
President Biden’s 100 days in Office As we passed the mark of President Biden’s 100 days in office, many immigration advocates are evaluating how he has done so far. Opinions are mixed. At this stage, the President seems to acknowledge the immigration bill he sent to Congress in his first days in office is too Read more about May 2021 Newsletter[…]
The U NonImmigrant Visa was created by Congress in 2000 as a part of the Victims of Trafficking and Violence Protection Act (including the Battered Immigrant Women’s Protection Act). Its main purpose is to help ensure a safe lawful status for noncitizens who are victims of certain crimes, including domestic violence, felonious assault, sexual assault Read more about How A U-Visa Can Help You If You Are the Victim of a Crime[…]
This month has been relatively quiet as compared to the craziness of the election season and post-election actions, but we are beginning to see some much needed progress on the immigration front. Immigration Bills On March 18th, the House of Representatives passed two bills: The first, H.R. 6, provides a path to citizenship for 2.5 Read more about April 2021 Newsletter[…]
The past year has been one of the messiest years in immigration document processing we have ever seen. Between the Trump administration’s constant discouragement of immigration applications, and USCIS’s own issues with budget shortfalls and COVID-19 shutdowns, application processing times have suffered. Now, with President Biden in office, there is a push to get things Read more about How Long Will My Immigration Application Take to Be Processed?[…]
Immigration Bills All eyes are on Congress this week, for what has been dubbed “Immigration Week”. After spending much of the past month working on COVID-19 relief legislation, immigration reform finally gets its turn, with important votes on two bills: the Farm Workforce Modernization Act and the American Dream and Promise Act. The first aims Read more about March 2021 Newsletter[…]
With President Biden in his second month in office, things continue to change daily on the immigration front. The biggest thing happening this month is the attempt to pass several bills during the week of March 15th, dubbed “immigration week” by the Congressional Hispanic Caucus. A Comprehensive Immigration Bill vs. Several Smaller Bills In his Read more about Immigration Week in Congress and an End to the Green Card Freeze[…]