Court orders the complete restoration of the DACA program.
On Friday, December 4, 2020, a U.S. federal judge ordered the Trump administration to completely restore the DACA program and to open it up to new applicants. Pursuant to the court order, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) was instructed to post a public notice by Monday, December 7, 2020 which states that DHS…
Options for Green Card Holders seeking proof of U.S. immigration status to comply with I-9 requirements.
The global COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in many disruptions to USCIS processes and procedures. In addition to field office closures and processing delays, many permanent residents have reported that they are having a difficult time obtaining proof of their U.S. immigration status from USCIS after their green card or other evidence of status has expired. …
USCIS Extends Additional Flexibility Measures for Responding to Certain Requests
On September 11, 2020, USCIS again announced that in response to the global COVID-19 pandemic it would extend additional flexibility measures and grant additional time to certain applicants, petitioners, and requestors who were responding to certain agency requests. Q: Which USCIS Requests, Notices, and Decisions are covered by the Extension? A: The Extension of Additional…
New USCIS Policy: TPS recipients who travel abroad will resume the same immigration status upon reentering the U.S.
On August 20, 2020, USCIS issued a Policy Memorandum which may have a major impact on Temporary Protected Status (TPS) recipients who travel and re-enter the U.S. Prior to this new Policy, TPS recipients who had originally entered the U.S. without inspection (EWI) could obtain advance parole by filing form I-131, leave the U.S., and…
USCIS issues Guidance Reconsidering the DACA Program
On August 21, 2020, the United States Department of Homeland Security issued a memorandum which provides guidance regarding its recent decision to “reconsider” the future of the DACA Program. Along with a USCIS memorandum that was issued in July 2020, the following policies have been put into place: Validity of DACA Grants. All DACA requests…
Major USCIS Fee Increases scheduled to take effect on October 2, 2020
Fees for many of the core USCIS applications and petitions will significantly increase starting on October 2, 2020. In the 25 years that I have been an Immigration Lawyer, I have never seen fees increase so dramatically. These fee increases include: I-485 Application for Adjustment of Status. The current fee for an I-485 Application for…
Public Charge Rule Update: Changes at USCIS, Department of Justice, and Department of State
As a result of recent federal court rulings, USCIS, the U.S. Department of Justice, and the U.S. Department of State have issued new guidance on how the Public Charge Rule (originally implemented on February 24, 2020) will be applied. In sum, USCIS has announced that it will not apply the February 24, 2020 Public Charge…
Exemptions for F-1 and M-1 Students taking Online Classes during the 2020 Fall Semester.
UPDATE: The Trump administration reversed its position on July 13, 2020 which would require F-1 and M-1 students to take at least one in-person course during the fall semester. Thus, the information in this blog post below has been superseded and is no longer applicable. This content, however, will be maintained for historical purposes. In…
USCIS Extends March 30, 2020 Flexibility for Applicants and Petitioners Responding to Agency Requests
In its continued effort to extend leniency to those directly affected by the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced today that it will continue to extend the flexibility measures that it previously announced on March 30, 2020 in order to help applicants and petitioners who are responding to certain: Requests for…
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…
