Blogs

After what has felt like months of deliberating and negotiating, it looks like Congress’s Build Back Better Act is set to become law, and with it the possibility of immigration status for thousands of those who have been waiting for decades for Congressional action. The Build Back Better Act was passed by the House and is expected to be passed in the Senate by Thanksgiving, after which it just needs President Biden’s signature in order to become law. Read our latest blog to learn how this Act will hopefully provide parole and work permits to certain undocumented immigrants.

Beginning November 8, 2021, the current restrictions on entering the United States will end and new rules will take their place. Since the COVID-19 pandemic began the restrictions for entry to the U.S. have been based on which country someone was coming from. Effective November 8, there will be no more country by country restrictions - the new rules will apply to all countries. Read our latest blog to learn how these new restrictions may affect you or your loved ones.

In the aftermath of the apparent breakdown of civil liberties in Hong Kong, the United States has joined the UK in creating a path for Hong Kong residents to be able to reside elsewhere. Read our latest blog to learn the details of President Biden's announcement that certain eligible Hong Kong residents will now join the list of nationals entitled to deferred enforced departure.

USCIS has reinstated two family reunification programs - one for Filipino World War Two veterans, and one for Haitians. Read our latest blog to learn more about these programs and if your family is eligible.

Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas has announced a new guideline to instruct U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents on the priority of removal for noncitizens. Effective November 29, 2021, the guidelines state that the enforcement of removal of undocumented noncitizens will be based on the threat the noncitizen has on public safety. Read our latest blog to learn what this means.

The Department of Homeland Security recently published a rule to allow it to resume acceptance and approval of new DACA applications. Read our latest blog to learn about how this temporary fix will provide for the currently eligible Dreamers to continue to receive DACA protection.

There is a little known process called Registry that has enabled thousands of people without records of lawful admission to obtain green cards in the U.S. Registry has been part of the immigration system for almost a century, since 1929, but has rarely been used in the last few years. Recent Congressional discussions have put registry back in the forefront of news, and have immigration advocates hoping for its inclusion in a new immigration bill.  Read our latest blog to learn about this process and who it could impact.

Immigration reform suffered a setback recently when it was blocked by the Senate Parliamentarian.  With an evenly split Senate, things right now are close. So close that the inclusion of immigration language in the Democrats’ Reconciliation Bill was nixed by one person. Read our latest blog to learn about this current situation with up to 8 million green cards at stake.

USCIS is scrambling to catch up with the enormous backlog of immigration petitions, and is finding ways to prioritize which petitions need their immediate attention and which can wait.  For conditional permanent resident holders who filed to remove the conditions of their green card, USCIS has announced a helpful new short-term policy regarding receipt notices. Read our latest blog to learn more!

100,000 approved immigrant visas are on the verge of being wasted because the government has not been able to issue the visas prior to the end of the federal fiscal year on September 30, 2021. Read our latest blog to learn more about this situation.

Hoy 10 setiembre 2021 la agencia U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) publico la regla extendiendo el TPS para El Salvador, Honduras y Nicaragua hasta el 31 diciembre 2022.  Los permisos de trabajo son automáticamente extendidas y no hay que entregar una nueva aplicación para renovar...

Starting October 1, 2021, USCIS and U.S. embassies abroad will require applicants for adjustment of status, immigrant visas, or refugee status to be vaccinated against COVID. Read our latest blog to learn about what this means for you.

In 2009 the United States promised Afghan interpreters and their families the opportunity to relocate to the U.S. because of their assistance to our military during its time in Afghanistan. The chaos that has arisen since the U.S. announced its departure from Afghanistan and the rapid fall of the Afghan government has placed the safety of our Afghan allies at risk. In our latest blog we explain the protection that some Afghans have been promised from the U.S., as people try to make sense of the situation left in Afghanistan after a war that was overseen by four different American presidents’ administrations.  

USCIS has worked with the Social Security Administration to allow those applying for green cards or lawful permanent resident status to simultaneously apply for social security numbers or replacement cards in their petitions.  Read our latest blog to learn how to benefit from this change.

Are you an American citizen currently abroad who has been waiting for months and months for a backlogged appointment at a U.S. embassy or consulate? You are not alone, and the government is trying to remedy the situation. Read our latest blog to learn about the Administration's limited exception for flying back to the U.S. on an expired passport.

The registration process has now officially opened for Haitian nationals who want to apply for (or renew) temporary protected status (TPS). Read our latest blog to learn what this means for you.

For someone having entered the U.S on a visa, for example a B-2 visitor visa, changing to an F-1 student visa presented a very tricky logistical bureaucratic nightmare that often led to disastrous results. That’s why we’re very happy about USCIS’s latest policy decision - which eliminates the need for an extension application while waiting for an F-1 change of status decision. Read our latest blog to learn what this means for you.

A federal judge in Texas recently blocked the Biden Administration from approving new DACA applications, leaving the 55,550 applicants who are waiting for approval in limbo. U.S. District Court Judge Andrew Hanen found that DACA is unlawful because it should have been subjected to formal notice-and-comment under the Administrative Procedure Act and because it exceeded powers Congress granted to executive branch agencies. Read our latest blog to learn what this means for current DACA recipients and applicants.

The Biden Administration is taking a celebrated step this week to address this issue- it has announced a plan to track down deported veterans and their families as part of an effort to provide them with a path to U.S. citizenship and Veterans Affairs benefits. Read our latest blog to learn more about this, and how to access immigration help for a deported veteran.

A new Virginia Senate bill (SB 1468) has been signed by Governor Ralph Northam, paving the way for U and T visa applicants to have a faster processing time as they gather the necessary documents for their applications. Read our latest blog to learn what this means for U and T visa applicants.

The government has finally moved forward in its attempt to deal with the unreasonable backlog of U visa applications by allowing crime victims to obtain work authorization while they wait for their applications to be approved. Read our latest blog to learn what this means for you!

On Wednesday, June 16, 2021, current Attorney General Merrick Garland vacated two Trump-era immigration orders made by previous Attorney Generals Jeff Sessions and William Barr that made it harder for asylum seekers to win their cases. Read our latest blog to learn more about this decision.

In a highly anticipated - and now highly disappointing - ruling, the Supreme Court has decided against TPS (Temporary Protected Status) holders in Sanchez v. Mayorkas. Read our latest blog to learn about this unanimous Court decision.

Up to 150,000 Haitians living in the United States may now be able to benefit from the government’s newest temporary protected status (TPS) designation, an 18-month classification designed for those already living in the U.S. as of May 21, 2021.  Read our latest blog to learn what this means and how you can benefit from TPS.

The Biden Administration has announced a new “Dedicated Docket plan” in the hopes that families who have presented themselves at the border together can have their asylum cases heard within 300 days. Read our latest blog to learn what this means for asylee families.