House of Representatives Passes Emergency Stopgap USCIS Stabilization Act

August 28, 2020

On Saturday, August 22, the United States House of Representatives unanimously passed The Emergency Stopgap USCIS Stabilization Act (H.R. 8089). The legislation seeks to temporarily prevent planned furloughs by the United States Immigration and Citizenship Services (“USCIS”) by immediately increasing USCIS premium processing revenues. In May 2020, USCIS notified Congress

DOS Provides Update on Public Charge Inadmissibility Following Temporary Injunction

August 12, 2020

DOS Provides Update on Public Charge Inadmissibility Following Temporary Injunction Following a nationwide injunction issued by a federal judge temporarily blocking Public Charge inadmissibility from being enforced due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the United States Department of State (“DOS”) will be updating its guidance to consular officers on how to

Announcement: USCIS Filing Fee for Immigration Forms Changes to Become Effective on October 2, 2020

August 7, 2020

The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (“USCIS”) has posted for public inspection an advanced copy of a final rule that will significantly alter many fees the USCIS charges for services, including adding new fees, establishing multiple fees for nonimmigrant worker petitions, and limiting the number of beneficiaries for certain

Announcement: DHS Issues Revised Policy on Foreign Students Outside the United States

August 5, 2020

A week after United States Department of Homeland Security (“DHS”) rescinded it’s earlier policy requiring foreign students to depart the United States if their educational institutions were moving to full-time online courses for fall semester 2020, DHS has announced that foreign students not currently enrolled as of March 9, 2020

Announcement: Federal Judge Temporarily Blocks DOS and DHS from Implementing Public Charge Inadmissibility

August 4, 2020

A United States federal judge issued a nationwide injunction temporarily blocking the Department of State (“DOS”) and the Department of Homeland Security (“DHS”) from enforcing Public Charge inadmissibility in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Judge George McDaniels of the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York

USCIS Announces New Policy Highlights for Expedited Processing

June 15, 2021

The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (“USCIS”) has released a new policy update pertaining to expedited processing. Under the updated criteria, USCIS provides further guidance as to whether expedited processing may be warranted. The new policy highlights include the following: Clarifies criteria and circumstances under which USCIS will generally

What is a Proxy Marriage and Can it Be Filed with USCIS?

June 14, 2021

The term proxy marriage refers to the ceremony performed where one or both members of the party to the marriage are not physically present at the ceremony. Although unrecognized in most U.S. jurisdictions, some jurisdictions not only recognize online marriages but they have streamlined the process making it easy for

U.S. Citizens May Return to the United States on Expired Passports

June 2, 2021

The U.S. Customs and Border Patrol (“CBP”) and the Department of State (“DOS”) have announced that beginning May 21, 2021, U.S. citizens will be able to return to the United States on an expired U.S. passport until December 31, 2021, if they: are a U.S. citizen. are currently abroad seeking

Presidential Proclamation Requiring Incoming Immigrants To Have Health Insurance Revoked

May 27, 2021

The October 2019 Presidential Proclamation requiring incoming immigrants to have health insurance has been revoked by the White House. The Executive Order (“EO”) signed by then President Donald Trump required incoming immigrants to demonstrate that they will have health insurance within 30 days of their arrival in the United States.

Announcement – Rescheduling USCIS Biometric Services Appointments by Phone

May 19, 2021

The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (“USCIS”) announced that applicants, petitioners, and beneficiaries may now call the USCIS Contact Center (1-800-375-5283) to reschedule their biometric services appointments that were scheduled at a USCIS Application Support Center (“ACS”). Previously, applicants had to submit requests in writing to reschedule biometrics appointments. This

Can My Spouse Delay Their EB-5 Visa Application and Apply to Immigrate Later?

May 14, 2021

In most cases, the family member of a principal EB-5 Petitioner, called a “dependent” or “beneficiary”, can delay his or her visa application to immigrate to the U.S. until a later date if the conditions for eligibility are still in place in the future. The decision for a spouse to

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