This morning, a federal judge in Maryland blocked the Trump Administration from enforcing the travel ban issued by executive order on September 24, 2017. This version of the travel ban was to apply to citizens of Iran, Libya, Syria, Somalia, Chad, Yemen, and North Korea,...
On Sunday, October 8, 2017, the U.S. Mission to Turkey announced that, effective immediately, the U.S. embassy and consulates in Turkey have suspended processing nonimmigrant visas. This action was taken in response to escalating diplomatic tensions between the two countries. The government of Turkey responded...
When dealing with the government, the result of using unofficial adaptations of one's name for official documents can cause big problems in the immigration process. Surprisingly, immigration laws and regulations provide little guidance on the issue of the proper use of names in documents filed...
Answer If the H1B principal files for a change of employer, the H-4 dependents typically are not required to file anything. But, many people do to ensure that the H1B worker and H-4 family members all have the same expiration dates. (25.Sep.2017)In frequent sessions of our...
On September 1, 2017, the U.S. Department of State (DOS) revised its Foreign Affairs Manual (FAM) policy guidance to consular officers regarding "misrepresentation" under the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) § 212(a)(6)(C)(i). In particular, the DOS changed its policy on when a consular officer can...
The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has approved 10,000 U visa petitions for fiscal year (FY) 2017, the maximum allowed per year by law under this category. The U visa is reserved for victims of certain types of crime who cooperate with law enforcement...
Answer If the I-140 has been approved for at least 180 days, then it can no longer be revoked by the employer's withdrawal and remains approved. It therefore can be used for multiple H1B/H-4 extensions, as well as the H-4 EAD. (18.Sep.2017)In frequent sessions of our...
On Monday, September 11, 2017, the U.S. Supreme Court sided with the Trump Administration, temporarily allowing the travel ban to apply to refugees who have a relationship with a resettlement agency. This stems from a June 26, 2017 decision by the Supreme Court to temporarily...
Answer USCIS memoranda permit the filing of the I-751 'waiver' application as soon as the divorce is filed. The USCIS will eventually issue a request for evidence for the final divorce decree, which is needed prior to approval. (11.Sep.2017)In frequent sessions of our Chat, Sheela Murthy...
This morning, Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced that President Trump is terminating the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. Trump will be "winding down" the program over the coming months. Background on DACA Beneficiaries of DACA, popularly referred to as "dreamers," are undocumented aliens who were...
