EB-5 Investor Visas Will Now Cost More
November 21, 2019 New rules will go into effect raising the minimum investment amounts for an EB-5 visa to $1.8 million in general and $900,000 in targeted employment areas (TEAs) and shift responsibility for identifying what constitutes a targeted employment area from states to USCIS.
Green Card Holders' Spouses and Children Currently Eligible for Visa
August 1, 2019. Visa Bulletin is current for spouses and children (under 21) of U.S. lawful permanent residents. What does that mean for you?
TPS Extended Into Early 2021 for Current TPS Holders From Syria
August 1, 2019 DHS Acting Secretary Kevin McAleenan announces extension of Syria's TPS (Temporary Protected Status) designation for 18 months.
New DHS Policy Makes It Easier to Remove Noncitizens from U.S. Without a Hearing
July 23, 2019. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announces it will increase the scope of “expedited removal” proceedings for people unlawfully in the United States.
Who Would Be Most Affected By a Refugee Ban?
July 22, 2019. According to news reports, the U.S. government is considering effectively ending U.S. refugee admissions for 2020. Who would be most affected by this change?
Many Asylum Seekers Can Be Held Without Bond Under New Decision by AG Barr
July 15, 2019. Asylum seekers in “expedited removal” proceedings will not be eligible for release on bond while their cases await a decision in immigration court.
SEVIS Fees Increasing for U.S. Student and Exchange Visitors Visas
June 24, 2019. DHS raising SEVIS fees for F-1, M-1, and J-1 student and exchange visitor visa applicants.
Applicants for U.S. Visas Abroad Now Required to Provide Social Media Information
May 31, 2019 U.S. Department of State begins asking U.S. visa applicants at consulates abroad for information related to their social media use.
Sponsors May Be Held Financially Responsible for Immigrant's Use of Public Benefits
May 23, 2019 U.S. citizens and residents who petitioned an immigrant to come the U.S. are more likely than ever to be held financially responsible if that immigrant faces economic hardship.
Latest on DACA: Renewals Being Accepted, Initial Applications May Soon Be Accepted
May 17, 2019 The fate of DACA remains uncertain as battles over the legality of the Trump administration's termination of the program, and the legality of the program itself, play out in federal courts across the country.
Citizens of Israel Will Soon Be Eligible for E-2 Treaty Investor Visas
May 1, 2019 Because the United States and Israel signed a treaty investor agreement, Israeli citizens will be able to apply for E-2 treaty investment visas.
U.S. to Crackdown on Visitors from Countries with High Visa Overstay Rates
April 22, 2019 Nationals of countries with high visa overstay rates, especially people from certain African countries, might want to obtain a visa to travel to the U.S. as soon as possible, if they don’t have one already.
Marijuana Use or Production in States Where It's Legal Still Bars Naturalized U.S. Citizenship
April 19, 2019 Trump Administration expresses its intention to crack down on marijuana users who apply for naturalized U.S. citizenship.
USCIS Will Now Require In-Person I-130 Interviews for Minor Spouses (Under 18)
April 12, 2019 USCIS plans to begin scheduling in-person interviews before approving I-130 petitions in cases involving minor spouses (where one of them is under the age of 18).
Central American Minors Parole Program Making Brief Comeback, After Lawsuit, Settlement
April 12, 2019. After a federal judge found that the U.S. government's "mass rescission of conditional approvals for parole of 2,714" children who'd been cleared to enter the U.S. under something called the Central American Minors Program (CAM) was "arbitrary and capricious," the government agreed to a historic settlement.
South Sudanese TPS Holders Must Re-Register Before June, 2019
April 5, 2019 Due to ongoing armed conflict and extraordinary conditions in South Sudan, the country's Temporary Protected Status (TPS) designation will be extended for another 18 months, through November 2, 2020.
USCIS Offering Data About H-1B Employers Online
April 1, 2019 U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) launched a new H-1B Employer Data Hub as part of its efforts “to increase transparency in employment-based visa programs.”
Video Game Players Also Quality For “Athlete” Visas to the U.S. (P-1 and O-1)
March 27, 2019 For highly qualified gamers, however, it’s possible to get an employment-based type of visa in order to legally receive a salary in the United States.
Deferred Enforced Departure (DED) for Liberians Extended Into 2020
March 27, 2018 Just days before Liberians were expected to pack up and leave, the Trump Administration issued a memo extending the DED wind-down period through March 30, 2020,
USCIS Issues 2019 Poverty Guidelines: Raises Required Income Level for Family Sponsors of Immigrants
March 20, 2019 A U.S. sponsor filling out Form I-864 must prove that his or her income or assets are high enough to support the intending immigrants; and the 2019 guidelines require higher than ever support levels.
Noncitizens Can Be Held in Mandatory Detention Years After Criminal Conviction
March 19, 2019 The U.S. Supreme Court held that noncitizens with certain criminal convictions can be detained without the right to a bond hearing even if they have not reoffended and were not put into custody by immigration authorities for years after their offense.
TPS Holders From Honduras May Get Reprieve From 2020 Termination Date
March 12, 2019. The Trump administration has consented to halting the termination of Honduran TPS, at least until U.S. federal courts make decisions in various lawsuits that have been filed over the administration's string of TPS terminations.
TPS Holders From Nepal Need Not Leave U.S. in June 2019
March 12, 2019. A reprieve for Temporary Protected Status holders from Nepal.
USCIS No Longer Offers Online Self-Scheduling for InfoPass Appointments
March 1, 2019 USCIS began phasing out online self-scheduling for InfoPass appointments for certain field offices, and now plans to completely phase out online self-scheduling by September, 2019.
March 1, 2019. Based on a court order, the U.S. government must maintain Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for immigrants from Sudan, Nicaragua, Haiti, and El Salvador. Thus USCIS has automatically extended EADs and other proof-of-status documents until January 2, 2020.
Working on Form I-539 to Change or Extend Status? Get Old Version to USCIS Before March 21, 2019
Effective Date: March 1, 2019 For reasons of both finances and avoiding hassle, it would be worth submitting the older version of Form I-539 as soon as possible before the March 21, 2019 receipt deadline, after which only the newer version will be accepted.
U.S. Raising Minimum Investment for EB-5 Immigrant Visa
February 26, 2019 It appears increasingly likely that the U.S. government will raise the amount needed for an immigrant entrepreneur to receive an investment-based EB-5 visa.
Asylum Applicants Can Now Check Status of Case Online
January 28, 2019 You can now use your asylum receipt code to see whether USCIS has received your case, whether your interview with an asylum officer has scheduled, or whether a decision was reached in your case.
What the New "Wait in Mexico" Procedure Means for Asylum Applicants
January 25, 2019 U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announces it will begin implementing a new “Wait in Mexico” policy for asylum seekers at the southern U.S. border.
New Proposal Would Require Women Seeking Citizenship to Register for Selective Service
January 23, 2019. Congress may add women to the list of those who must register for the Selective Service, which would have implications for naturalization applicants.
Getting J-1 Visa to Work as an Au Pair Riskier Than Applicants Realize
January 18, 2019 If you were an au pair in the U.S. on a J-1 visa between January 1, 2009, and October 28, 2018, keep an eye on the news and the email address you used then; lawyers may be in touch about your share of the settlement once it's finalized.
Will the Government Shutdown Affect Your Immigration Court Hearing?
January 17, 2019 For people who are not in detention, immigration court hearings will not go forward during the federal government shutdown. Make sure that you still meet any filing deadlines and get notice of your new hearing date once the government reopens.
January 3, 2019. A few of the answers you'll need to supply to the 100 possible questions on the naturalization civics exam have changed, depending in part on where you live and who won recent elections in your state.