May 29, 2020 Presidential Proclamation Suspending the Entry of Certain Students and Researchers from the People’s Republic of China
On May 29, 2020, President Trump announced his latest Presidential Proclamation aimed at restricting Immigration into the United States. Scheduled to take effect on June 1, 2020, the Proclamation effectively suspends the entry of all nationals from the Peoples Republic of China (PRC) who are seeking to enter the U.S. on a nonimmigrant F or…
Things you can do to improve your chances that you will NOT be found likely to be a Public Charge in the future.
Yes, I know that this is a long title for a blog post. But after spending a lot of time going over all of the details of the new Public Charge Rule (the Rule) and working with clients on preparing and submitting the new I-944 Declaration of Self Sufficiency, I have been taking mental notes…
How to obtain a temporary I-551 Stamp during the COVID-19 Pandemic
Before the COVID-19 pandemic, Lawful Permanent Residents (LPRs) would typically schedule an appointment at their local USCIS office to get a temporary I-551 stamp from USCIS when their Green Card was expiring. Most USCIS Application Support Centers would simply put a sticker on the back of the Green Card during a biometrics appointment that was…
Will I be affected by President Trump’s April 22, 2020 Proclamation Suspending Entry of Immigrants?
On April 22, 2020, President Trump signed an Executive Order (Proclamation) suspending entry of certain Immigrants into the U.S. on the ground that they will pose a risk to the U.S. labor market during the economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. Although, like most Immigration-related orders that come out of the Trump White House, it…
What is a “Prima Facie Determination”? – Part II
I have received a lot of feedback and interest from my first blog post, “What is a Prima Facie Determination.” In this post, I will attempt to answer some of the most common questions that client have once they have received their Prima Facie Determination notice from USCIS. As you review this information, please understand…
USCIS Offices will Reopen on June 4 for In-Person Services
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services has announced that it is readying field offices to reopen on or after June 4, 2020 for In-Person services, including Interviews, Naturalization Oath Ceremonies, and InfoPass appointments. Although these offices have been closed to the public since March 18, 2020, USCIS reports that its employees in these offices have been…
Immigrants and Recovery Rebates under the CARES Act
On March 27, 2020, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act was signed into law, providing the U.S. economy with a $2 trillion dollar economic recovery package. The package offers financial relief to state and local governments, individuals, small and large businesses, and hospitals that were affected by Coronavirus pandemic. Of particular interest…
COVID-19 Related Delays in I-539 Extension/Change of Status Applications
The Department of Homeland Security has issued an advisory acknowledging that temporary non-immigrants are facing challenges in regards to maintaining their immigration status due to the COVID-19 pandemic. While nonimmigrants are generally advised to depart the U.S. before their authorized period of stay expires, where COVID-19 related circumstances cause them to remain in the U.S….
Heavily Weighted Negative and Positive Factors under the Public Charge Rule
As explained in a previous post, the Public Charge Rule requires USCIS adjudicators to apply a minimum of seven different factors to immigrant applicants to determine whether they are likely to become a public charge in the future. This has become known as the “Totality of Circumstances” test. In addition to applying this test, adjudicators…
USCIS announces Flexibility for Requests for Evidence and Notices of Intent to Deny
In recognition of the challenges and difficulties that the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic have brought to the Immigrant Community, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services has announced that it will adopt certain “flexibility” measures to assist applicants and petitioners who are responding to Requests for Evidence; Continuations to Request Evidence (N-14); Notices of Intent to Deny; Notices…
