A stronger DACA As of November 1st, the Department of Homeland Security’s final rule to preserve and fortify Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) went into effect. Practically, this means that DACA is now based on a formal regulation, instead of a policy memorandum as it had been before. This has the effect of strengthening the standing Read more about November 2022 Newsletter: A Stronger DACA[…]
The United States offers many benefits to immigrants who wish to live and work in the country. One benefit is the ability to apply for a green card, if you have a lawful entry, which gives an immigrant many rights and privileges, including the right to live and work permanently in the United States. However, Read more about Top Five Reasons Why a Green Card Application Could Be Denied, and How to Avoid Them[…]
The big news this month is the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals’ ruling on the DACA program — the court upheld a previous decision that the program is unlawful, and sent the case back to a lower court to decide the legality of allowing new people to enroll in the program. Thankfully, the news we discussed last Read more about October 2022 Newsletter: DACA News[…]
Many people with criminal records assume that they are ineligible for a green card. However, this is not always the case. While certain convictions can make an applicant inadmissible, there may be options available, such as a waiver of inadmissibility. It is important to note that not all convictions can be excused and it is Read more about Can a Person with a Criminal Record Still Apply for a Green Card?[…]
The big news this month is the announcement from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) about the status of the DACA program. In accordance with the priorities of the Biden administration, DHS aims to “codify and fortify” the DACA program by clarifying its position on two points in particular: deferring the removal of DACA participants and Read more about September 2022 Newsletter[…]
The Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program was signed into existence by President Obama in June 2012. It was always meant as a stopgap measure to help young people brought into the country as children and are now in a precarious situation — raised as Americans but without legal residency or citizenship — until Read more about DACA Update: Where the Program Stands Now[…]
If you are applying for a marriage based green card, you can expect to be called in for an interview with a USCIS officer. The purpose of this interview is to verify the information on your application and to confirm that your marriage is genuine. This can be a nerve-wracking experience, but it is important Read more about What to Expect from the Marriage-Based Green Card Interview[…]
The big news this month is continuing delays of application processing at U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), according to an annual report by the Citizenship and Immigration Services Ombudsman. In short, backlogs right now are the worst USCIS has seen in its history. The report states, “adjudication backlogs have never been this systemic nor Read more about July 2022 Newsletter[…]
The Department of State (DOS) publishes a monthly Visa Bulletin that lists the availability of immigrant visas by preference category for applicants chargeable to each region and country of birth. The Visa Bulletin also indicates when immigrant visa numbers will become available for applicants with approved priority dates in pending petitions, as well as provides Read more about How to Read the Visa Bulletin[…]
Public Charge Rule Update This month, USCIS updated its public charge resources webpage with more information to help better inform immigrants about obtaining access to critical government services available to them. As a reminder, under the Biden administration, USCIS reverted to a less strict interpretation of the public charge rule, which means that immigration applicants Read more about June 2022 Newsletter[…]