On April 27, 2021, USCIS announced that it will begin giving deference to prior decisions when adjudicating requests for an extension of stay.
Khadija DerrickApril 27, 2021
On April 23, 2020, the former president suspended the entry of certain employment and family-based green cards for 60 days. This proclamation was originally signed on April 22, 2020 (and was valid for 60 days), and President Trump later extended…
Jenny ZhanFebruary 25, 2021
In 2017, President Trump signed the Buy American, Hire American (“BAHA”) Executive order. This Executive Order sought to protect the interests of U.S. workers in the administration of the U.S. immigration system and prevent abuse and fraud. For L-1 visas,…
Jenny ZhanFebruary 2, 2021
Late Monday night, President Trump ordered an end to the Coronavirus related travel ban put on non-citizen and permanent resident travelers from Europe and Brazil. For more information, please click here for Europe and here for Brazil. The proclamation will…
Jenny ZhanJanuary 19, 2021
On December 31, 2020, President Trump extended the Proclamation 10014 that suspends visa issuance to: H-1B or H-2B visa workers (and any alien accompanying or following to join such alien) J visa workers, if they are participating in an intern,…
Jenny ZhanJanuary 5, 2021
Last month, President-elect Joe Biden announced that he plans to nominate Alejandro Mayorkas to serve in his cabinet as Secretary of Homeland Security. Mayorkas, who would be the first immigrant and first Latino in the role, would manage the Department…
Jenny ZhanDecember 22, 2020
The Trump administration announced H-1B rule overhaul, where the H-1B visa lottery will be eliminated and replaced with a wage-based selection. The H-1B visa is a non-immigrant visa that permits a company to hire workers in specialty occupations. This visa…
Jenny ZhanNovember 25, 2020
On Saturday, President-Elect Joe Biden has been projected to become the next President of the United States. Confirmation of the vote total will come later this month and the inauguration will happen on January 20, 2021. In the past four…
Jenny ZhanNovember 9, 2020
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
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
On June 22, 2020, a Presidential Proclamation was issued that impacts the ability of certain visa holders to enter the United States. Under this proclamation anyone who was outside the United States as of June 24, 2020 and did not…
Jenny ZhanAugust 17, 2020
On August 3, the Trump Administration signed an executive order that ordered the review of federal contractor and subcontractor’s use of nonimmigrant workers and overseas labor on federal contracts. The purpose of the executive order is to determine whether U.S.…
Jenny ZhanAugust 11, 2020
Are the Presidential proclamations banning entry from the Schengen countries and the UK and Ireland still in effect? Yes. The Presidential proclamations imposing travel restrictions on visitors who were present in Schengen area countries, the UK, or Ireland within 14…
Jenny ZhanAugust 11, 2020
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
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
Since the U.S. Supreme Court ruled on June 18 that the Trump Administration failed to provide an adequate justification for terminating the Deferred Action For Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. This decision means that the DACA program will remain in place…
Jenny ZhanJuly 28, 2020
In a 5 to 4, decision, the Supreme Court held that the Trump administration could not immediately shut down DACA. Keep in mind that, although the decision is a great Victory the matter is not resolved. The Supreme Court decided…
Jenny ZhanJuly 28, 2020
The Trump Administration has signed an executive memorandum on Tuesday that will exclude undocumented immigrants from the 2020 census. Every 10 years, the federal government conducts a population count of everyone in the United States. Data from the census provide…
Jenny ZhanJuly 22, 2020
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
On September 5, 2017, the Trump Administration announced the end of the DACA program, an Obama era executive order. This executive order signed by former President Obama on June 15, 2012 continues to provide to some individuals who came to…
Jenny ZhanJuly 10, 2020
On Wednesday, the Trump administration proposed a new rule that give border officers the authority to deny asylum to applicants from countries with widespread communicable disease. The proposal stated that denying asylum to people from high-risk countries would combat disease…
Jenny ZhanJuly 9, 2020
Let’s analyze the following scenario: You are currently in the U.S. on an OPT status or on a cap-gap extension and your employer filed an H-1B visa change of status application. The H-1B application is currently pending with USCIS and you may be wondering…
Jenny ZhanJune 25, 2020
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
The Trump Administration has signed an Executive Order that will extend the April 2020 suspension of some immigrant visas until December 31. To learn more about the April 2020 suspension, please click here. This new Executive Order suspends the entry of…
Jenny ZhanJune 23, 2020
