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News

Limited Injunction Against Nonimmigrant H-1B, H-2B, and J-1 Visa Entry Ban

Judge White of the Federal District Court for Northern District of California has issued a limited injunction against the non-immigrant travel ban issued by the Trump Administration against the entry of H-1B, H-2B, and certain J-1 nonimmigrants. The original executive…

Jenny ZhanOctober 16, 2020

Immigration News

New Expanded Premium Processing Services and Increased Costs Effective October 19

USCIS announced today that the new expanded premium processing services will take effect on October 19. Premium processing guarantees that USCIS will take adjudicative action on the application within 15 days. If USCIS fails to do so, the agency will…

Jenny ZhanOctober 16, 2020

Immigration News

Congress Passes Stopgap Spending Measure and Premium Processing Services Expanded

Congress has passed a stopgap spending measure to ensure that the US government and several immigration operations will be extended through to December 11, 2020. The spending measure extended the four expiring immigration programs including the E-Verify, the EB-5 Regional…

Jenny ZhanOctober 9, 2020

Immigration News

The October 2020 Visa Bulletin

What is the Visa Bulletin? The U.S. government provides the Visa Bulletin to keep track of visa numbers and to give you a tool to determine when you can file your green card petition and when it can be approved.…

Jenny ZhanOctober 8, 2020

Immigration News

October visa bulletin: EB-3 Current for all countries except for China and India, EB-5 have not advanced

In the September 2020 visa bulletin, there is little movement in most employment visa categories. In EB-1, China and India advanced three months to June 1, 2018. EB-2 for China has advanced 6 weeks to March 1, 2016 and India…

Jenny ZhanOctober 8, 2020

News

Judge Blocks USCIS Application Fee Increase

California District Court Judge White has blocked the Department of Homeland Security’s fee increase, originally slated to take effect on October 2, 2020. The October 2 fee increase would have significantly increased the costs for most employment-based applications and other…

Jenny ZhanOctober 5, 2020

News

Ian E. Scott sits on AILA panel discussing E-2 Visa and Green Card Options

Scott Legal PC’s founding manager Ian Scott will sit on the AILA Midsouth Virtual conference to speak about Green Card Options for Entrepreneurs and general E-2 visa requirements and issues. The Treaty Trader (E-1) and Treaty Investor (E-2) visa categories…

Jenny ZhanAugust 28, 2020

Covid 19 News

USCIS Avoids Furlough of 70% of their Employees

USCIS has announced that its has avoided the furlough of 70% of their employees, originally scheduled to occur on August 30. Since March, USCIS has seen a 50% drop in receipts and incoming fees and estimates that application and petition receipts…

Jenny ZhanAugust 26, 2020

News

Rumors: Trump Administration May Impose Toll on Mexico US Border Crossing

President Trump said during a Republic convention that the U.S. may impose a toll on travelers crossing the U.S. and Mexico border. Trump claimed the toll would pay for the constructions of the border wall. There are more than 330…

Jenny ZhanAugust 21, 2020

News

H-3 visa: Q&A

What is the H-3 trainee visa? The H-3 trainee visa is for individuals who are coming to the U.S. to receive training in their field of endeavor (medical training is excluded). Do I need a sponsor for an H-3 visa?…

Jenny ZhanAugust 19, 2020

Immigration News

USCIS to Increase Application Fees

The Department of Homeland Security has announced new application fees that will take effect on October 2, 2020. This new announcement will increase the application fees for most application types. USCIS is a for profit agency that uses application fees…

Jenny ZhanAugust 10, 2020

News

Ian E. Scott to be Featured as a Panel Member discussing Green Card Options for Entrepreneurs

Our founding attorney Ian Scott has been selected to sit on a panel to share knowledge on green card options for investors and entrepreneurs. The AILA Education Department has scheduled a web seminar for “Green Card Options for Entrepreneurs”. Once…

Jenny ZhanAugust 5, 2020

News

Kelly R. LeGrand Weiner Received the Robert “Bob” Heiserman Memorial Young Lawyer Award from the Rome District Chapter of the American Immigration Lawyers Association

Scott Legal P.C.’s Managing Attorney, Kelly R. LeGrand Weiner, was awarded the 2019-2020 RDC-EMEA Robert “Bob” Heiserman Memorial Young Lawyer Award by the Rome District Chapter of the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA). This award was given in recognition of…

Jenny ZhanAugust 4, 2020

Immigration News

New York Federal District Court Issues Temporary Injunction on State Department and DHS Public Charge Rules

On July 30, 2020, New York District Court Judge George Daniels issued a nationwide preliminary injunction on the public charge rules. This injunction applies to both the State Department and the Department of Homeland Security. In the new public charge…

Jenny ZhanJuly 30, 2020

News

DHS Will not Process New DACA Applicants, Limit Renewals to One Year, and Will not Process Advance Parole

DHS announced today that USCIS will not accept initial DACA filings, will limit DACA renewals to one year, and will not accept DACA applications for advance parole except in extraordinary circumstances. These measures will remain in place until DHS has…

Jenny ZhanJuly 29, 2020

News

Cities Level Lawsuit Against Trump Administration’s Omission of Undocumented Immigrants from Census

Atlanta, Paterson, New Jersey, and other cities have filed a lawsuit on Thursday against the Trump Administration’s attempt at omitting undocumented immigrants from the census. On July 22, the Trump Administration has signed an executive memorandum on Tuesday that will…

Jenny ZhanJuly 28, 2020

News

USCIS’ Planned Furlough of Employees Delayed Until August 31

USCIS announced on Friday that it has delayed it planned furlough of 70% of its employees for another month until August 31. USCIS wants to give Congress more time to act on the agency’s $1.2 billion emergency funding request. Since…

Jenny ZhanJuly 28, 2020

Immigration News

August Visa Bulletin Significant Advances in Employment Based Categories

In the August 2020 visa bulletin, there is significant advances in most employment visa categories. In EB-1, China advanced almost six months to February 8, 2018, India advanced nine month to February 8, 2018. EB-2 for China advanced two months…

Jenny ZhanJuly 21, 2020

News

Harvard Law School Graduate Dustin Saldarriaga Joins Scott Legal, P.C.

Dustin Saldarriaga is a graduate of Harvard Law School and Harvard College. While a student, he was an active participant in the Harvard Immigration and Refugee Clinic and the Boston Refugee Youth Enrichment Program, both initiatives that advocate on behalf…

Jenny ZhanJuly 20, 2020

News

ICE Rescinds International Student Visa Policy

As Colleges and University announce their course work for next semester, some schools have changed their schedules to all online courses for students due to the COVID pandemic. As a result, ICE and the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP)…

Jenny ZhanJuly 14, 2020

News

California Sues Trump Administration Over International Student Visa Ban

The California Attorney General has sued the Trump administration last Thursday seeking to block the recent student visa rule. As Colleges and University announce their course work for next semester, some schools have changed their schedules to all online courses…

Jenny ZhanJuly 13, 2020

News

ICE Announces that International Students on F-1 Visas will Lose their Visas if their Coursework is Entirely Online

Jenny ZhanJuly 8, 2020

News

USCIS Planning to Furlough 70 Percent of Employees

A USCIS spokesperson has announced that the agency is planning to furlough nearly 70% of its workforce as it faces budget shortfalls as a result of the Coronavirus pandemic. Since March, USCIS has seen a 50% drop in receipts and…

Jenny ZhanJune 25, 2020

Immigration News

Who does the new Executive Order Banning Certain Visas Impact?

On Monday June 22, The Trump Administration signed an Executive Order suspending the entry of some H-1B, H-4, H-2B, J, and L visa holders, with some exceptions. According to the President, the reason for the EO was that these individuals…

Jenny ZhanJune 24, 2020

Immigration News

What are the Approval Rates for Visas? How Many Visas Are Approved?

The U.S. Government publishes data on the number of people who apply for visas at U.S. Consulates along with the number of visas that are issued and denied. This blog post summarizes some of the more comment visas and their…

Jenny ZhanJune 23, 2020

Immigration News

What are the U.S. visa fees? What is a visa reciprocity fee? Is the reciprocity fee already included in the visa fee?

If you want to come to the U.S. on a non-immigrant visa, you will have to apply for a U.S. visa at a Consulate abroad (unless you are visa exempt – for example Canadian are exempt for certain visa categories).…

Jenny ZhanJune 23, 2020

News

Presidential Proclamation Suspends Entry of Certain Chinese F and J Nonimmigrant Visa Holders

On June 1, President Trump issued a presidential proclamation that will ban the entry of certain Chinese F student visa or J trainee visa holders if they: Will engage in graduate study or research in the United States; AND They…

Jenny ZhanJune 5, 2020

Covid 19 News

USCIS to Resume Premium Processing for Applications in Phases

USCIS has announced today that they will resume premium processing for Form I-129 Petition for a Nonimmigrant Worker and Form I-140 Immigrant Petition for Alien Workers in phases over the next month. Due to the coronavirus pandemic and the concern…

Jenny ZhanMay 29, 2020

News

John Barrera Joins Scott Legal, P.C.

John Barrera is an Immigration attorney that focuses on Removal/Deportation defense, Humanitarian Immigration and Family based immigration. He has over 15 years of immigration experience and has successfully advocated for thousands of clients in a wide range of immigration matters. Mr. Barrera…

Jenny ZhanMay 19, 2020

News

Coronavirus Update: DHS to Allow Farms to Hire Farm Workers Holding Valid H-2A Visas and Already in the US

The Department of Homeland Security has announced a temporary rule to allow farmers facing delays in getting approval for foreign agricultural laborers to hire farmworkers holding valid H-2A visas and already in the U.S. The H-2A program allows U.S. employers…

Jenny ZhanApril 17, 2020

Covid 19 News

Kelly R. LeGrand Weiner Moderates COVID-19 related Non-immigrant visa updates and strategies Question and Answer for Immigration Lawyers

Kelly R. LeGrand Weiner will moderate the Q&A for a Corporate Practice Committee event for AILA’s New York chapter as part of a panel with expert business immigration practitioners on COVID-19 related Non-immigrant visa updates and strategies. This committee focuses…

Jenny ZhanApril 16, 2020

Immigration News

Department of Homeland Security Extends REAL ID Deadline

The Real ID Act of 2005 is an Act of Congress that modifies U.S. federal law pertaining to security, authentication, and issuance procedure standards for drivers' licenses and identity documents, as well as various immigration issues pertaining to terrorism. The…

Jenny ZhanApril 3, 2020

Immigration News

April Visa Bulletin: India’s EB-5 Priority Date Moves forward by almost 2 Years

If you want a green card and have ever thought about starting or purchasing a business in the United States an EB-5 Investor Visa could be perfect for you. Generally speaking, the EB-5 Immigrant Investor Visa (“EB-5 Visa”) requires that…

Jenny ZhanApril 2, 2020

Covid 19 Immigration Law Changes & New Law News

USCIS to Accept Scanned/Reproduced Signatures During COVID-19 Crisis

For many immigration petitions and forms (Eg. I-129, G-28, I-140), USCIS (U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services) normally only accepts “wet” signatures. As both lawyers and applicants have to sign many forms, this creates logistical issues when freedom of movement has…

IanScottMarch 29, 2020

Covid 19 Immigration News Questions & Answers

How will the Covid-19 impact my Visa? Will the Corona (Covid -19) Virus impact my visa? Immigration issues Associated with the Corona Virus.

Covid-19 has changed the rules for travel, engagement and employment. We hope all are staying safe and coping with this crisis. Over the last several days, we have had a flurry of questions from both current and prospective clients regarding…

IanScottMarch 21, 2020

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