Time to Prepare for any 2014 H-1b Visa Applications
On April 1st, 2014 employers can apply for foreign nationals they wish to sponsor for an H-1b visa. These applications would be for a start date of October 1st, 2014. An applicant is eligible for an H-1b visa if they will be performing work in a “specialty occupation” and the Beneficiary (the foreign national) has […]
Undocumented Immigrants Eligible for Admission to California State Bar
The California Supreme Court recently concluded that Sergio C. Garcia, an undocumented immigrant who applied for admission to the State Bar of California, was eligible for admission to the State Bar. The Court’s decision rested largely on Governor Jerry Brown having recently signed into law a provision which allows undocumented immigrants to obtain professional licenses […]
Executive Office For Immigration Review launches a Facebook Page
The Executive Office for Immigration Review (“EOIR”) has a Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/doj.eoir. Unfortunately you have to “like” the page in order to get updates. We here at FFA “like” getting updates from the EOIR but certainly don’t like many of their decisions, policies, or backlogs that keep clients from getting hearings for years when there is relief […]
Obama Meets with Fasting Immigration Protestors
After months, or perhaps more accurately years of inaction by Congress, a group of protestors have given up all substance to motivate Congress to act on immigration reform. Obama met with the protestors at the National Mall on Friday and has praised them in his speeches indicating: They are “sacrificing themselves in an effort to […]
Parole in Place Aids Military Families
On November 15, 2013, the Department of Homeland Security issued a Policy Memorandum binding all U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) employees to allow for a reprieve for undocumented immigrants with close relatives who are active military members. The new policy allows undocumented spouses, children, and parents of active duty members to process their paperwork […]
Temporary Protected Status Extended for Somalis
On November 6, 2013, Ronald Beers, the Acting Secretary of Homeland Security, announced that Somalis would be able to re-register for Temporary Protected Status (TPS) in the United States between November 1, 2013 and December 31, 2013. This TPS extension will be valid from March 18, 2014 through September 17, 2015. Somalis who re-register during […]
Employer Options In Lieu of H-1B
Although it may seem far off, the H-1B lottery opens up April 1, 2014 and employers should begin considering their options for potential H-1B workers or those currently in H-1B status in the United States. In the lottery which opened on April 1, 2013 (Fiscal Year 2014), the cap was met within the first five […]
USCIS Settles Law Suit Over Asylum Work Authorization
Today, the Northwest Immigration Justice project along with volunteer attorneys settled a nationwide class action lawsuit that will now allow individuals seeking asylum in the US to receive employment authorization within the 6 month period required by law. Under the flawed system that existed prior to this settlement individuals with cases pending were often found […]
Preparing to Remove Conditions on your Marriage-based Green Card
For conditional permanent residents (CPRs) who have just been received a “green card” based on marriage to a U.S. citizen it is not too early to start preparing for the next step, the Petition to Remove Conditions (Form I-751). Beginning three months before the expiration of a Conditional Permanent Resident Card the cardholder can apply […]
Immigration BacklogsLos pedidos pendientes de Inmigración
Despite the high processing fees and large amounts of government resources devoted to the immigration system, there are still lengthy backlogs. For example, the current posted processing times for the I-526 stage of the EB-5 program indicate USCIS is working on cases filed on March 16, 2012. That is 19 months! These are wealthy individuals […]
