Trump’s Executive Order Temporarily Limiting Immigration
After much spectacle and concern after his Tweets, President Trump released his Executive Order today. The good news is that it targets many fewer groups of people than previously anticipated. People currently in the United States are not affected. People trying to enter the United States under non-immigrant visas are not affected. What does the […]
ESTA and Visa Extensions During COVID-19
As the world continues to adjust to the new realities of the coronavirus (COVID-19), the U.S. Government has suspended visa services and cancelled non-emergency visa interview appointments at U.S. Embassies and Consulates around the world. Individual Embassies and Consulates have posted suspension notices on their website, and applicants have received an electronic notification of the […]
The Future of DACA In Question
People in the United States protected under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program – commonly known as DREAMers – have been sitting in fear ever since the current administration decided to take their decision to remove the DACA program to the Supreme Court. In a brief filed late August 2019, the Trump administration […]
2020 H-1b Cap System
USCIS announced in December 2019 that it had successfully completed pilot testing on their new electronic registration system for the H-1B lottery in 2020. Employers interested in filing H-1B cap-subject petitions for the fiscal year 2021 cap will electronically register for their employees from March 1-March 20. This includes those entering the regular H-1b lottery […]
EVERY CLOUD HAS A SILVER LINING
We’ve all heard the saying that “every cloud has a silver lining”. These calming words have been used for decades to help overcome bad days, rough times, poor decisions… or in the world of immigration, a new administration. When it comes to the current immigration climate, it seems as if we are surrounded by clouds […]
To Fear or Not to Fear the RFE….that is the question
As an attorney, receiving the dreaded Request for Evidence (RFE) makes for a frustrating day. RFE’s can be issued for all types of cases including an H-1b, L-1, O-1, I-140, and I-485. The realization that your perfectly presented argument(s) and supporting evidence were not fully convincing to an adjudicator can be disappointing, but there are different […]
Immigration Law – Form Based With a Face
When it comes to immigration law, one thing is constant – you will always work with FORMS. Lots of forms. Constantly changing forms. Hard to understand forms. FORMS, FORMS & more FORMS! Moreover, the locations of where to file these forms are constantly changing and not necessarily intuitive. One I-140 is filed at this lock-box, […]
SEC Files Fraud Charges Against Vermont Regional Center
The SEC announced that they filed charges and froze the assets of the various EB-5 projects connected with the Vermont Regional Center and its principals William Stenger and Ariel Quiros. Here is the SEC Press Release, that discusses the matter in more detail. Obviously any investors considering an EB-5 investment in this Regional Center should be […]
Visa Bulletin Revamped
The Department of State and USCIS announced on September 9th, 2015 that they are implementing new procedures to allow people who are stuck in the visa backlogs to start their immigrant visa paperwork. Most notably, there are now two priority dates for each category in the visa bulletin. The first date listed is the final […]
Are You “Extraordinary”? Eres Extraordinaria?
Throughout all my years of immigration, I am partial (and maybe a bit bias) to the EB-1, Alien of Extraordinary Ability category. Quite simply – I love this category. I truly believe it is a perfect example of why immigration is so vital to both the U.S. economy, as well as medical research institutions and […]
