“N/A” stands for “Not Applicable,” but when USCIS uses it, I feel like it stands for “New Aggravation.” Earlier this year, USCIS started rejecting humanitarian applications – asylum, U visas (for victims of crime) and T visas (for trafficking victims) because not every single question was answered on the applicable forms. USCIS did this without […]
The Insanity of “N/A” Read More »
I thought I couldn’t be shocked by bad news in immigration any more. After nearly four years of this administration finding new ways to make the legal immigration system more difficult – 400 changes and counting – and implementing strategies designed for no reason other than to inflict pain and cruelty, I honestly thought we’d
The Shocking News from Irwin County Detention Center Read More »
** September 14 Update:Â USCIS admitted the timelines below were a mistake. Their website has been updated to reflect a more “reasonable” processing time of 5-7 months. ** How long is too long to wait for a work card? It used to be 90 days. Under former administrations, people could file for their work cards based
Waiting to Work…and Waiting…and Waiting… Read More »
With the the Application Support Centers (ASCs) being reopened for just over a month, we’ve had a lot of questions about when people can expect to have their appointments scheduled and rescheduled. Here’s what we know… If you had biometrics taken in a previous filing, USCIS is trying to reuse them and run new background
What About My Biometrics Appointment? Read More »
I know a lot of people aren’t thinking about applying for Naturalization right now because they won’t be processed quickly enough to vote this November, or because it could take USCIS a year or longer to process the case, or because they just want to hold tight to their money in uncertain times. But, I
Is It Time to Become a U.S. Citizen? Read More »
What a difference a single week makes. Last Monday, we were talking about filing new DACA applications, about I-944s and we definitely weren’t thinking about fee increases. This Monday, the exact opposite is true. Let’s break down the big news of the week… DACA USCIS announced some pretty major changes to the Deferred Action for
Busy Week:
DACA, Fee Increases and Public Charge Read More »
What happens when you make applying for immigration benefits much more difficult, spend more and more time looking for reasons to deny applications, make the consequences of denial go from having the option to reapply to going straight into deportation proceedings, and stop taking applications for certain types of applications? Oh – and add a
USCIS Cutting Staff – Processing Times to Increase Dramatically Read More »
There’s been a flurry of activity regarding employment and immigrants. I’m not an employment-based immigration attorney, so I can’t fully speak on the recent Presidential Proclamation that bars H-1Bs, certain H-2Bs, J and L visa applications from being processed (though if this impacts you and you aren’t sure where to turn, we can certainly provide
No More Immigrant and Asylum-Seeker Workers? Read More »
It’s been about 12 hours since the US Supreme Court announced their decision about DACA. The happiness buzz has been incredible – we haven’t had much good news regarding immigration lately! What does it all mean? It means that DACA recipients can live without fear for the immediate future. It means that USCIS needs to
DACA and the Supreme Court Wow! Read More »
Like everything in our lives, immigration was impacted by COVID-19 this spring. Many agencies and offices shut down completely. Now, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), the Immigration Courts, and U.S. Embassies and Consulates around the world are beginning to reopen. Since this is a fast-changing situation, we highly recommend that you contact the specific
Immigration Agencies Reopening Read More »
