Court Orders Full Reinstatement of DACA
On April 24, 2018, the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia has ordered the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to fully reinstate [...]
What is a Crime of Moral Turpitude? Can I Be Deported for a Crime of Moral Turpitude? Will a Crime of Moral Turpitude Impact My Green Card?
“Crimes of Moral Turpitude” (CMT) is one of the most important legal concepts for anyone who has had run-ins with law enforcement and who [...]
Trump Signs Executive Order to End “Catch and Release”
On April 6, 2018, the Trump administration announced that it was ending the practice called “catch and release” at the United States-Mexico border. “Catch [...]
ICE Will No Longer Automatically Release Pregnant Detainees from Immigration Custody
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) announced on March 29 in a directive that it will no longer automatically release detained illegal immigrant women [...]
Can a DACA Recipient Apply for an Employer-Sponsored Green Card in the U.S.? Can a DACA Recipient Apply for Nonimmigrant Status in the U.S., Such as an H-1B or E-2?
Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) is a program that was introduced by the Obama Administration in June 2012 to provide work authorization and [...]
Temporary Protected Status Ends for Liberian Nationals
The Trump administration announced on March 27, 2018 that it will end Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Liberians. TPS is granted to certain groups [...]
Syria Temporary Protected Status Re-Registration Period Opens
Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Syrian nationals have been extended for 18 months from April 1, 2018 to September 30, 2019. Current beneficiaries will [...]
Supreme Court Rules Immigrants can be Detained Indefinitely
On February 27, 2018, the United States Supreme Court ruled 5 to 3 that immigrants do not have the right to periodic bond hearings. [...]
Temporary Protected Status Extended for Syrian Nationals
On January 31, 2018, the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced that temporary protected status (TPS) for Syrian nationals will be extended [...]
Trump’s New Immigration Plan: What Is It?
The White House’s new immigration framework, released on January 25, proposed significant changes to two legal immigration programs in addition to addressing the Deferred [...]
Final Re-Registration Period for Haitian and El Salvador Nationals on TPS
According to a USCIS notice published on January 18, 2018, Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Haiti nationals will expire on July 22, 2019. Starting [...]
USCIS Resumes Accepting DACA Renewals After Court Order
USCIS announced on January 12, 2018 that it has resumed the renewal process for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program recipients. This decision [...]
Federal Judge Temporarily Suspends Trump’s Phasing Out of Dreamers
On January 9, 2018, San Francisco based U.S. District Judge William Alsup issued an injunction order stating that safeguards against deportation will remain in [...]
Trump Administration Ends Temporary Protection Status for Salvadorans
On January 8, 2018, the Trump administration announced that it will end Temporary Protection Status (TPS) for the 200,000 Salvadorans who came to the [...]
Department of Homeland Security Announces Termination of Temporary Protected Status for Nicaragua & Automatic Extension for Honduras
On November 6, 2017, Acting Secretary of Homeland Security Elaine Duke announced her decision to terminate the Temporary Protected Status (TPS) designation for Nicaragua. [...]
Recent Developments in Immigration Options for TPS Status Holders
Temporary Protected Status was created by Congress in the Immigration Act of 1990 to provide a temporary legal status to nationals of certain countries [...]
What does it mean to be “inspected and admitted”? Can I get a Green Card if I am not Admitted?
An individual is “inspected and admitted” when they present themselves to a Customs and Border Patrol Officer at a port of entry (a U.S. [...]
What is Temporary Protected Status? What Options are Available to Individuals on TPS?
On September 18, 2017, the Acting Secretary of Homeland Security announced that it would be ending its designation of Temporary Protected Status (“TPS”) for [...]
Provisional Waiver for Unlawful Presence (“Stateside” Waiver) – The I-601A Waiver Explained
Many green card applicants who otherwise would have had an opportunity to obtain a green card in the U.S., through a family-based or employment-based [...]
What is the benefit to filing a Withdrawal for an Application for Admission to the U.S.? When does it come up?
Any foreign nationals who travels to the U.S. on a visa and applies for admission at a designated port of entry may be told [...]
Who do the visa sanctions recently announced by the Department of State affect? Why can’t nationals of Cambodia, Eritrea, Guinea and Sierra Leone be issued tourist visas?
The Department of State recently announced that it will stop issuing B tourist visas to nationals of the following countries: Cambodia, Eritrea, Guinea, and [...]
What is the Dream Act 2017 Bill? Is it different from DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals)?
The Dream Act 2017 Bill was introduced into Congress last week with bi-partisan support. In a political time where immigration policies and immigrants seem [...]
Can I Apply for a Waiver for a Non-Immigrant Visa?
Non-immigrant visas are temporary visas that allow applicants to visit, live or work in the U.S.. Some common examples are: H-1B Visa, TN Visa, [...]
What is humanitarian reinstatement? What happens if my petitioning family member passes away before my visa is available?
Anyone who has gone through the family based immigration process knows that it can take a very long time, sometime years or even decades, [...]
What are the New Visa Vetting Procedures? What is Extreme Vetting? What is the Form DS-5535 and will it affect my application?
On March 6, 2017, the White House issued a Memorandum which directed the Secretary of State, the Secretary of Homeland Security, and others to [...]
I filed for asylum with USCIS and now I am moving to a different State—does my case have to be transferred to a different Asylum Office? Will the transfer delay my case?
Asylum applications with the USCIS, meaning asylum applications that are not filed in Immigration Court during removal proceedings, have been facing increased backlogs over [...]
I was arrested for Driving Under the Influence or Driving While Intoxicated, and I am not a U.S. citizen. What are the possible consequence of having a DUI or DWI on my immigration status?
An arrest for drunk driving, even one that does not lead to a conviction, can have a number of consequences on a person’s immigration [...]
What is “Deferred Inspection” and when is it used?
When a traveler presents him or herself before the Customs and Border Patrol officer at a port of entry in the US, the officer [...]
What is a “Sanctuary City” and what are the Sanctuary City policies?
The term “Sanctuary City” is applied to cities that do not cooperate with the federal government’s enforcement of immigration law by not permitting municipal [...]
What happens if I get married or divorced after I file an application for asylum but before I have an interview?
If you have filed for asylum with the USCIS, you know that it is taking years to have an interview. There is currently a [...]
Will DACA become obsolete under the Trump administration? Am I in danger of being deported if I have DACA?
Will DACA become obsolete under President Trump? Amid recent immigration raids as well as arrests and detention of individuals paroled under the Deferred Action [...]
How long do I have to wait for an asylum interview? Can I get work authorization while I am waiting for my asylum interview?
Asylum is a humanitarian immigration benefit applied for by individuals who fear severe harm or persecution if they return to their country of origin. [...]
What are my rights if Immigration Enforcement (ICE) comes to my home? What if ICE Comes to My Home to Deport Me?
In the last few weeks, Immigration Customs Enforcement (ICE) has introduced mandates that suggest a shift from focusing resources on certain individuals targeted for [...]
President Trump New Executive Order & Travel Ban – What are the New Travel Ban Rules?
President Trump has signed the much anticipated new travel ban that stops the issuance of visas and does not allow entry of nationals to [...]
I’m an immigrant and I’ve been arrested, will I be deported under President Trump’s Executive Actions? What can I do to protect myself from deportation after an arrest?
In his first week of office, President Trump signed several Executive Actions, among them three that directly relate to immigration. One order, Enhancing Public [...]
