Many of our clients and readers (especially those who have family-based immigrant visa cases) are aware that a family-based Form I-485, Application to Adjust Status, required an interview to be conducted at a local (to the applicant) service center. The requirement for these interviews is set under 8 CFR §245.6 which also indicates that interviews [...]
Yesterday, May 8, 2013, the Congressional Budget Office ("CBO") released an updated report to Congress analyzing the current immigration population in the United States. The report is interesting not only in the context of the ongoing debate on the proposed Comprehensive Immigration Reform (CIR) bill which is currently in Congress but also to get a [...]
The start of the new year is a perfect time to assess corporate compliance with U.S. immigration laws. As Immigration and Customs Enforcement (“ICE”) and the Department of Labor (“DOL”) increase their number of company audits and fines each year, it is important for employers to perform annual audits of their employment law and immigration [...]
The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service ("USCIS") has announced that effective February 1, 2013, USCIS will begin collecting an additional USCIS Immigrant Fee of $165.00 from foreign nationals seeking admission as permanent residents to the U.S. The fee will apply to immigrant visa applicants who have received their visa approval from a U.S. Consulate abroad [...]
After the recent earthquakes and tsunami in Japan, our office is receiving a number of inquiries by Japanese nationals regarding relief options and alternatives in various U.S. immigration situations. USCIS has also indicated that they would provide relief in a number of situations understanding that a disaster may affect the ability of an individual to [...]
Last week we discussed the recent Congressional Research Service (CRS) report on unauthorized aliens. Today, we discuss the companion CRS report, analyzing the permanent residency admissions to the U.S. Both reports are helpful in providing some current information on the state of the U.S. immigration system and on the conflicting priorities which are likely to [...]
Our office has been handling an increasing number of expedited processing Form I-131 reentry permits for legal permanent residents (”LPR”) who are or are planning to spend extended periods of time abroad and who wish to maintain their legal permanent resident status. Reentry Permits Are Generally Valid for Two Years One of the questions we receive very [...]