The United States has traditionally been viewed as one of the most emigrated-to countries in the world. A nation of immigrants in its own right, the federal government has long been tasked with developing an immigration policy that balances the benefits of foreign human capital with the drawbacks of increased…
Can undocumented immigrant lawyers practice law in the U.S.? That is a question that some states have been considering for several years now. Recently, a bill was passed in California that now permits undocumented immigrant lawyers to practice law in California. Last week, Gov. Jerry Brown signed AB 1024 into…
While immigration news of late has not been too positive with Congressional immigration reform being stalled while the U.S. government works on resolving its own budget situation, California recently passed a law that will have a positive impact on the immigration community. Governor Jerry Brown signed into law the Trust…
Since the Government Shutdown announced, I keep getting calls about the impact on Immigration Matters. Clients on H1B visas working for the government want to know how this will affect their legal status; Applicants in removal proceedings are wondering when the next hearing date will be scheduled. The bottom line…
Many of our clients visiting local USCIS offices in the past week or so, notices a new system upon arrival. Beginning September 9, 2013, USCIS will employ a new verification tool called Customer Identity Verification (CIV) in its domestic field offices. Customers will now submit biometric data, specifically fingerprints and…
Several clients reported recently of strange calls received asking for money to fix incorrect immigration info. The clients were very worried since the caller ID had an official call back ID. Now we know this is a big scam. AILA reported recently that USCIS issued an alert about this fraud.…
More than 100 Republican donors — many of them prominent names in their party’s establishment — sent a letter to Republican members of Congress on Tuesday urging them to support an overhaul of the nation’s immigration laws. The letter, which calls for “legal status” for the 11 million immigrants here…
In the Republican-led House, the question is which of the nation’s 11 million undocumented immigrants can eventually qualify for U.S. citizenship. Last month, the Senate voted 68-32 to allow most of the nation’s undocumented immigrants to eventually apply for U.S. citizenship. But as the House continues to slowly consider small…
As the immigration debate dragged on in the House of Representatives, Speaker John A. Boehner offered perhaps his most optimistic assessment yet when asked how member education efforts were going in the House for an overhaul of the nation’s immigration laws. Mr. Boehner told reporters on Thursday. “I think it’s…
In a recent news report, Former President George W. Bush made statements that threw his weight behind comprehensive immigration reform during an interview that aired Sunday on ABC’s “This Week,” saying it is “very important” Congress fixes a “broken” immigration system, and predicting that a comprehensive bill “has a chance…