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

Announcement: CDC Issues One Month Extension on Immigrant Visa Medical Evaluations

July 29, 2020

The United States Centers for Disease Control (“CDC”) has approved a one-month extension on medical evaluations conducted for immigrant visa applications between January 1, 2020 and June 30, 2020. Immigrant visa applicants who obtained medical clearances as well as those who had their immigrant visas issued but were unable to

Hong Kong Born Nationals Facing Long Wait Times for Immigrant Visas

July 28, 2020

On July 14, 2020 President Trump signed the Hong Kong Autonomy Act of 2020 and at the same time signed The President’s Executive Order on Hong Kong Normalization. The intent of this Executive Order (“EO”) is to suspend or eliminate different and preferential treatment for Hong Kong, including the treatment

Congratulations to David Enterline – 25 years as an American Immigration Lawyers Association (“AILA”) Member

July 27, 2020

Congratulations to David Enterline who has reached 25 years as an American Immigration Lawyers Association (“AILA”) member. AILA is the 15,000+ association of U.S. and international lawyers who practice U.S. immigration law. During his membership, David has been active as a member in the Asia-Pacific Chapter serving in various roles of

Has Trump Finally Overstepped His Abuse of Executive Authority?

July 22, 2020

Editor’s Note: this article was written after the lawsuit discussed herein but not published before the DHS indicated to the Federal Court judge on July 14th that it would rescind the policy. In a recent American Immigration Lawyers Association (“AILA”) webinar, the esteemed Ira Kurzban, unquestionably regarded as the godfather

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

DOS Announces Tiered Approach to Resuming Immigrant Visa Applications

May 13, 2021

In a recent announcement from the United States Department of State (“DOS”), the Bureau of Consular Affairs reaffirmed its commitment in providing the current status of worldwide immigrant and nonimmigrant visa processing operations. Specifically, DOS has been updating the public on how embassies and consulates affected by the COVID-19 pandemic

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