U.S. ambassador in China announced today that since February 13, 2012, the United States will lauch a new pilot program that permits consular officers to waive interviews for some qualified nonimmigrant applicants worldwide who are renewing their visa within 48 months of the expiration of their previously held visa, and within the same classification as the…
If an immigration judge (IJ) granted you permanent residence during immigration court proceedings or you were granted permanent residence by the Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA) and you have not yet received your green card, please schedule an appointment with your local U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) office. You can make an appointment through…
An H-1B visa holder intended to take a cruise trip to Mexico with his family. His only concern is that the H-1B visa is expired even though his I-94 is still valid. Can he take the trip and return to the United States without a valid visa? The answer is that he may be able…
WASHINGTON—Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) Director Alejandro Mayorkas today outlined a series of policy, operational, and outreach efforts to fuel the nation’s economy and stimulate investment by attracting foreign entrepreneurial talent of exceptional ability or who otherwise can create jobs, form startup companies, and invest capital in…
A new report by the Center for Immigration Studies, “Deportation Basics: How Immigration Enforcement Works (or Doesn’t) in Real Life,” discusses the ground-level process of what is now called “removal proceedings” and the issues that surround it. The report is available at here. Among the findings: •A large percentage of aliens flee from removal proceedings…
You can read the New York Times article here.
Public charge has been part of U.S. immigration law for more than 100 years as a ground of inadmissibility and deportation. An individual who is likely at any time to become a public charge is inadmissible to the United States and ineligible to become a legal permanent resident. However, receiving public benefits does not automatically…
USCIS issued an FAQ today that discusses the automatic extension of post-completion Optional Practical Training (OPT) and F-1 status in the U.S. for students with pending or approved H-1B petitions for an employment start date of 10/1/11, under the Fiscal Year 2012 H-1B cap. Which petitions and beneficiaries qualify for a cap-gap extension? H-1B petitions…
Visitors traveling to the United States are required to be in possession of passports that are valid for six months beyond the period of their intended stay in the United States. Citizens of certain countries are exempt the six-month rule and need only have a passport valid for their intended period of stay. When travelers…
Persons in Family 48 Contiguous States and D.C. Alaska Hawaii 1 $10,890 $13,600 $12,540 2 14,710 18,380 16,930 3 18,530 23,160 21,320 4 22,350 27,940 25,710 5 26,170 32,720 30,100 6 29,990 37,500 34,490 7 33,810 42,280 38,880 8 37,630 47,060 43,270 For each additional person, add 3,820 4,780 4,390
U.S. ambassador in China announced today that since February 13, 2012, the United States will lauch a new pilot program that permits consular officers to waive interviews for some qualified nonimmigrant applicants worldwide who are renewing their visa within 48 months of the expiration of their previously held visa, and within the same classification as the…
Continue Reading »If an immigration judge (IJ) granted you permanent residence during immigration court proceedings or you were granted permanent residence by the Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA) and you have not yet received your green card, please schedule an appointment with your local U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) office. You can make an appointment through…
Continue Reading »YOU SAID “I DO” – NOW WHAT? MARRIAGE BASED GREEN CARD INTERVIEW An alien (no not the kind from outer space) and a U.S. citizen have fallen in love and gotten married. The desire to obtain permanent residency in the United States is followed by filing a marriage based immigration petition. After all the paperwork…
Continue Reading »Affidavits are widely used in immigration cases. In many cases, affidavits can be submitted in connection with an immigration petition. For example, in marriage based immigration petition, affidavits of third parties are often submitted to prove the bona fide marital relationship between petitioner and the alien. What is an affidavit? An affidavit is a declaration…
Continue Reading »An H-1B visa holder intended to take a cruise trip to Mexico with his family. His only concern is that the H-1B visa is expired even though his I-94 is still valid. Can he take the trip and return to the United States without a valid visa? The answer is that he may be able…
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