Welcome back to Visalawyerblog! We kick off today’s post with very exciting news. Yesterday, February 18, 2021, President Biden unveiled new legislation that will create an 8-year earned path to citizenship for the millions of undocumented immigrants in the United States who were brought to this country as children. While…
Articles Posted in Criminal Offenses
Naturalization Applicants: USCIS Clarifies Good Moral Character Requirement in Updated Policy Manual
Last week, the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) updated its policy manual to clarify acts that may prevent a naturalization applicant from meeting the good moral character requirement. A successful naturalization applicant must show that they have been, and continue to be a person of good moral character…
NTA Policy Memo to be Implemented Beginning October 1st for I-485 and I-539s
Several months ago, we reported that the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) amended its policy regarding the issuance of Notice to Appear (NTA) documents in removal proceedings. During the month of June, USCIS released a policy memorandum indicating the agency’s intent to revise NTA policy to better align…
Denaturalization Task Force Coming Next Year
Beginning next year, the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) will launch a task force located in Los Angeles, designed to identify, detect, and prosecute individuals who have fraudulently gained United States Citizenship, for example by entering into a ‘sham’ marriage to obtain permanent residence, or engaging in other…
This Week In Immigration News: DHS Statement on Family Reunification and Diplomatic Visa Sanctions for Burma and Laos
DHS Statement on Family Reunification The Department of Homeland Security recently issued a statement outlining the administration’s four-point plan to reunite minor children separated from their parents at the border. Beginning July 10, 2018, HHS and DHS will coordinate the reunification of children under 5 years of age currently in…
USCIS Announces Revised NTA Policy to Align with EO 13768
In this post, we bring our readers important information regarding revisions to the Notice to Appear “NTA” policy guidelines. On June 28, 2018, the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) released new policy guidance outlining the Department’s priorities for enforcement and removal of undocumented immigrants from the United States. Form…
The Top 5 Things You Need to Know Before Applying for Citizenship
In this post, we share with our readers the top five things you need to know before filing for citizenship. You must be a lawful permanent resident of the United States for a required period of time to apply for citizenship In order to apply for citizenship, you must be…
While Congress stays silent, Federal Judges act to Keep DACA Alive
Federal Judge John Bates of the Federal District Court for the District of Columbia has spoken to protect Dreamers from deportation, where Congress has remained silent. In a Tuesday ruling, Judge Bates called the Department of Homeland Security’s decision to rescind the DACA program “arbitrary and capricious,” and with no…
53 Arrested in Five-Day Immigration Raids Throughout San Diego County
The latest string of immigration raids have come very close to home. Last week, federal agents from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) took part in a five-day immigration sweep throughout San Diego County with the goal of apprehending and removing criminal immigrants at large. During the sweep 53 undocumented immigrants…
Top Reasons Applicants are Denied at their Citizenship Interview
In this post, we discuss the top five reasons applicants are denied at their citizenship interview. First let’s go over some basics: In order to become a United States Citizen, you must meet the following general requirements at the time of filing your N-400 Application for Naturalization: You must…