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
USCIS exercises broad discretion to require documentation that traces the source of funds pursuant to an immigrant visa application. However, there are options for effectively responding to requests for documents that are unavailable or that no longer exist. Background Various…
Khadija DerrickMarch 8, 2021
USCIS announced today that it has expanded premium processing services to include E-3 visa applications. Premium processing guarantees that USCIS will take adjudicative action on the application within 15 days. If USCIS fails to do so, the agency will return…
Jenny ZhanFebruary 24, 2021
What is a Public Access File? H-1B visa is a highly regulated visa and an H-1B employer has a lot of obligations he/she has to comply with. One of such obligations is to keep a Public Access File (“PAF”). This…
Jenny ZhanFebruary 9, 2021
We just had a B-2 extension of status approved through U.S. Citizenship & Immigration Services (USCIS) for a client who wanted to remain in the U.S. as a tourist due to concerns about traveling because of COVID-19. If someone is…
Jenny ZhanFebruary 9, 2021
When the government has unreasonably delayed a decision on an immigration petition, one option to force the government to act is to sue. The specific name for this legal action is a “mandamus.” You can read more about mandamus actions…
Jenny ZhanFebruary 8, 2021
The initial registration period for the FY2022 H-1B cap will open at noon Eastern Standard Time on March 9 and run through noon EST on March 25. During this time, prospective petitioners and legal representatives will be able to fill…
Jenny ZhanFebruary 5, 2021
Every time you receive an I-797 Receipt Notice or Approval notice from USCIS, it is every important that you check that all information on the Notice looks correct. If you see a spelling mistake or a typographical error (e.g. spelling…
Jenny ZhanFebruary 4, 2021
Every time you receive an I-797 Receipt Notice or Approval notice from USCIS, it is every important that you check that all information on the Notice looks correct. If you see a spelling mistake or a typographical error (e.g. spelling…
Jenny ZhanJanuary 28, 2021
We just received a change of status approval from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services that changed the applicant’s visa status from TN to B-1. We filed the change of status petition during the applicant’s 60-day grace period after he was…
Jenny ZhanJanuary 27, 2021
Due to Covid-19 global pandemic, the USCIS Service Centers are taking longer than usual to make a decision on all types of visa petitions. If you filed an extension of status petition long time ago and USCIS still has not…
Jenny ZhanJanuary 27, 2021
We just had an E-2 approval with U.S. Citizenship & Immigration Services. The applicant was granted 2 years in E-2 status and the business is a digital product development company that is based in Austin, Texas. The E-2 investor is a national…
Jenny ZhanJanuary 8, 2021
We just had an E-2 approval with U.S. Citizenship & Immigration Services. The applicant was granted 2 years in E-2 status and the business is a company offering guided motorcycle tours, motorcycle training school, and short term motorcycle rentals. applicant…
Jenny ZhanJanuary 4, 2021
We just had a B-1 Change of status approval with U.S. Citizenship & Immigration Services. The applicants were 3 family members applying for a change of status from TN and TD status to B-1 status. The applicants were nationals of Canada. You…
Jenny ZhanJanuary 4, 2021
What is form AR-11? This is a form you have to file if you move within the U.S. and you are in the U.S. as a green card holder or on a non-immigrant visa status. You can find this form…
Jenny ZhanNovember 16, 2020
An E-2 visa is a visa classification that is available for foreign nationals who wish to live in the U.S. to develop and direct the operations of a business. The business can be large or small and an E-2 visa…
Jenny ZhanNovember 6, 2020
A few things to keep in mind Before you get started on your personal statement, please keep a few things in mind. First, asylum is a complicated area of law, and it is strongly recommended that you seek assistance from…
Jenny ZhanOctober 21, 2020
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
No, in general we discourage travel outside the U.S. while a change of status petition is pending. Travel Outside the U.S. While Change of Status Petition Is Pending An individual who has status under one nonimmigrant visa category can change…
Jenny ZhanOctober 15, 2020
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
Yes, when the government has unreasonably delayed a decision on an immigration petition, you can sue to force the government to act. The specific name for this legal action is a mandamus. What is a “mandamus” action? Mandamus is a…
Jenny ZhanOctober 9, 2020
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
On June 4, 2020 certain USCIS field offices started resuming non-emergency in person appointments. USCIS indicated on its website that the particular USCIS field office that is processing your green card application will send you an interview notice or re-scheduling…
Jenny ZhanSeptember 21, 2020
An E-2 visa is a great option if you want to start a business in the U.S., you have invested a substantial amount of money in the U.S. or you are in the processing of investing the money, and you plan to…
Jenny ZhanSeptember 17, 2020
