On October 2nd the Department of Homeland Security published a notice of proposed rulemaking seeking to implement major changes to the affidavit of support in green card cases. If finalized, this rule will impose significant burdens on family petitioners in adjustment of status cases, such as marriage based green card situations. SUMMARY OF CURRENT RULES…
In another stark reminder that marriage immigration fraud is a serious criminal matter and never works out, the US Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of North Carolina charged 11 suspects with serious federal crimes. The charges stem from an alleged marriage immigration fraud scheme by which foreign nationals entered into sham marriages with US…
On September 29, 2020 a Federal District Court Judge for the Northern District of California issued a preliminary injunction enjoining USCIS immigration fee increases that were scheduled to take effect on October 2, 2020. BACKGROUND ON USCIS IMMIGRATION FEE INCREASES On July 31, 2020 the Department of Homeland Security published a final rule proposing several…
I had the privilege of recently giving my perspective on the revocation of El Salvador TPS status to the local Gainesville Alligator UF campus newsletter. In an effort to increase national security, we are focusing on the wrong immigration priorities. We can be both compassionate and secure if we adopt intelligent and logical reforms that…
One of the most stressful times in a marriage green card process is the final marriage green card interview. This is the opportunity for a USCIS adjudicator to question the spouses about the good faith nature of their marriage to make sure there is no marriage fraud (e.g., getting married solely for a green card)….
The USCIS has announced that effective April 3, 2017, H1B premium processing for I129 petitions will be suspended for perhaps 6 months. Notably, this suspension of I-907 premium processing requests will apply to ALL new H1B cap petitions filed for fiscal year 2018, including both regular cap and the master’s degree exemption cap. As a…
BREAKING NEWS – PRESIDENT TRUMP ISSUES REVISED IMMIGRATION EXECUTIVE ORDER ON TRAVEL BAN This morning, March 6th, 2017, President Trump has issued a revised Immigration Executive Order amending his previous travel ban from certain predominantly Muslim countries. A copy of the text of the revised immigration executive order can be found here: https://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2017/03/06/executive-order-protecting-nation-foreign-terrorist-entry-united-states The text…
The Muslim Ban Executive Order – An Open Letter to President Trump Dear President Trump: Let me introduce myself. First and foremost, I voted for you in the most recent election. I’ve been a staunch conservative much of my adult life. I’ve been active in many GOP advocacy groups, both in the US and in…
The Rio 2016 Olympics in Brazil have now completed their first weekend of inspired and dramatic competition. This year’s Olympic games feature 11,000 athletes from 206 nations, including for the first time ever, athletes competing under the Olympic Flag as refugees from countries experiencing tremendous strife. At a time when immigration attitudes and immigration law…
In this interconnected world, many US expats find themselves working or studying or “playing” abroad for lengthy periods of time… in Europe, Asia, South America and many other places. A US expat might move abroad for a temporary period of time for love, for employment, or just to experience a new culture. In many of…
