Although all USCIS forms are available to be viewed and downloaded online, only 18 (out of 103!) can be filed online. In order to ensure your paper application can be processed as efficiently as possible, USCIS has released new tips for filing forms by mail. Read our latest blog to learn all the most important tips!
This week, in a move that was disappointing but not entirely shocking, a federal judge in Texas paused parole in place for undocumented families. The block is a “14-day administrative pause on approving applications to the program,” with the possibility of an extension. Read our latest blog to learn more about this situation.
A few days ago the new USCIS parole-in-place process opened, which will enable certain undocumented, eligible family members to remain in the U.S. while applying for permanent residence. Below we have outlined the steps to take to apply for your eligible family members.
Did you know that if you’re involved in a court case in the United States you are supposed to have access to the filings? The new Respondent Access Portal allows individuals to view their case information and scheduled hearings online, download their electronic case file, and file documents with the Immigration Court. Read our blog to learn how to access your own filings online.
Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro N. Mayorkas has designated Yemen for an extension of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) until March 2026, with a re-registration period ending on September 9, 2024. Read our latest blog to learn what steps you need to take for TPS.
August is going to be an exciting month for many, many people. The new parole-in-place status announced by the Biden Administration will enable certain undocumented, eligible family members to remain in the U.S. while applying for permanent residence. And on August 19, 2024, families will be able to start applying for this new process. Read our latest blog to learn more about this exciting application!
If you’re a DACA recipient who has chosen to live a quiet, non-public life, no one is judging you. But we are feeling very inspired and encouraged watching the life of Luis Cortes Romero, a DACA recipient who has chosen to put his immigration status front and center to make history as the first undocumented attorney to argue before the United States Supreme Court. Read our latest blog to learn about Luis Cortes Romero and the new documentary about his life!
21 is a big age in the United States. Not only for the ability of a 21-year-old to be considered a “full adult” but because for immigration purposes, many pathways are no longer available once someone turns 21. Youth eligible for SIJS (Special Immigrant Juvenile Status) have a limited time to apply for that status, and USCIS has released new guidance for it. Read our latest blog to learn more.
For the past four years, the U.S. government has been operating under a Trump-era Department of Justice rule that was left in place by the Biden Administration. Since 2020, that rule has given the Department of Homeland Security the ability to collect DNA samples from any immigrant who is “detained”, which in four years amounts to the DNA of more than 1.5 million people. Read our latest blog to learn more about this worrisome practice.
An estimated 16.7 million people live in mixed immigration-status households, meaning they have a spouse or a dependent who is an undocumented immigrant. 1.2 million of those people are married to U.S. citizens without having formal immigration status themselves—even though, in theory, many should have a path to green cards. Now, a new policy announcement from the Biden Administration is providing a green card pathway for many people in mixed-status households. Read our latest blog to learn more!
Have you ever heard of the Hague Convention? If you’re like most people, you may have heard it referenced but have no idea what it means. In order to make sure that the United States is respecting the agreements and policies of the Hague Convention, a new ruling has been made with wide-reaching ramifications for adoptive families. Read our latest blog to learn if this ruling will impact your family.
Did you know that an immigrant visa petition submitted to USCIS doesn’t always stay with USCIS? In a recently issued policy alert, USCIS explained the changes petitioners may not be aware of for how immigrant visas are processed, and when a petition stays in the U.S. to process or is transferred overseas. Read our latest blog to learn more!
It seems that every few weeks the Biden Administration is announcing a new form of parole or temporary immigration status for certain nationalities. A recent announcement from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) explains a new class of admission referred to as WHP, which stands for Western Hemisphere Parole. Read our latest blog to learn what this is and how it can help your loved ones.
In an election year where candidates are trying to set themselves apart from each other, President Biden seems to be taking a move from the former Trump Administration. This May, the Biden Administration announced that it has proposed a rule to give asylum officers at the U.S. border the authority to decide whether or not someone may enter the United States to seek asylum. Read our latest blog to learn more about this proposed rule and how it could affect asylum seekers.
Are you about to file for your green card? Congratulations if so, but there is some very important information you need to know based on changes the U.S. government has recently announced! Read our latest blog to find out what you need to know for your green card filing.
DACA recipients are three times more likely than the general population to be uninsured, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Recognizing this as a significant health issue, the Biden Administration has announced that it is enabling DACA recipients to qualify for marketplace subsidies, more commonly known as Obamacare. Read our latest blog to see if this new action will help you or your loved ones!
There are less than six months between now and the next U.S. presidential election. In the time remaining, the candidates need to set themselves apart from each other, and show the American people why they should be voted for on November 5. With limited months until the election, the Biden White House has let it be known that the Administration is considering putting in place a key policy that would give over 1 million families reason to celebrate - immigration relief for undocumented spouses of U.S. citizens. Read our latest blog to learn more.
Good news from the government may be rare, but the latest from USCIS is actually great news. April’s Temporary Final Rule announced by USCIS is extending Employment Authorization Documents (EADs) for eligible noncitizens from 180 days to 540 days. Read our latest blog to see if you are eligible for the automatic extension.
Spring. The season of new life and….new government forms? USCIS has made a new version of the application for naturalization document, Form N-400. Based on an agreement made between the Social Security Administration and USCIS, the new form includes the option for applicants to ‘request an original or replacement social security number or card and update their immigration status without having to visit a Social Security office. Read our latest blog to see how you can receive an updated social security card.
9.2 out of 1000. That’s the number of the approximately 1.1 million immigrants in Virginia who suffer harm from a crime, some of which are qualifying situations for a U visa. But in order to even apply for a U visa, an applicant has to have their case certified by a government agency. In March of this year the ACLU of Virginia made history by filing a lawsuit against the Roanoke Police Department for refusing to sign a U visa certification. Read our latest blog to understand how this lawsuit may affect our area.
16.5 months. That’s how long USCIS estimates a travel document filing will take to process. We’ve talked before about the extreme backlog that USCIS faces in processing filings, and a travel document is just one example of the excessive lengths of time that many petitions are taking right now. Now USCIS is clarifying the circumstances for when an expedite can be requested. Read our latest blog to learn if your immigration petition is eligible.
In the world of western nations, Canada has a pretty good reputation. It’s known as a diverse country that welcomes immigrants. But that welcoming nature has its limits. In a March 21 announcement, Canada’s minister of immigration said that Canada, for the first time in its history, will put a cap on how many temporary residents it has. Read our latest blog to learn who this new policy will affect.
The state of Texas passed a law in December 2023 called SB4 that the Biden Administration is trying to block. SB4 would allow Texas law enforcement officials to stop, jail, and prosecute migrants on state criminal charges of illegal entry or reentry. Read our latest blog to learn the latest about this lawsuit.
College athletes in the United States often end up becoming their own kind of celebrities - with their image and likeness being publicized all over national television, advertisements for the universities they play for, officially licensed jerseys with their names, and even inclusion in video games! Now it looks like many college athletes are moving towards being classified as unionized employees to benefit from these deals. Read our latest blog to learn how this is affecting international student athletes.
USCIS realizes that some things are out of your control, and so a new policy alert from USCIS helps nonimmigrants who have been prevented from filing for an extension of stay or a change of status “if the delay was due to extraordinary circumstances beyond the control of the applicant or petitioner.” Read our latest blog to learn if you meet the conditions for extraordinary circumstances in late filing.
