We have great news for visa applicants regarding the public charge rule. On August 7, 2020, the U.S. Department of State issued an important update explaining that the agency will be complying with the July 29th injunction issued by a federal judge in the United States District Court for the…
Articles Posted in USCIS
Federal Judge Orders Government to Stop Enforcing Public Charge Rule During COVID-19 Pandemic
We have great news for our readers regarding a recent court’s decision to temporarily halt the “public charge” rule during the Coronavirus pandemic. On Wednesday, July 29, a federal judge in the state of New York issued a ruling that blocks the government’s enforcement of the “public charge” rule on…
UPDATE: USCIS Increases Filing Fees for Certain Petitions to Stay Afloat
During the past year, the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has been facing a financial crisis caused by the coronavirus pandemic. As early as May of this year, a USCIS spokesperson informed the United States government that it needed a cash bailout of $1.2 billion by summertime in…
BREAKING NEWS: DHS Announces It Will Reject New DACA and Advance Parole Requests, and Limit DACA Renewals to 1 Year
In complete defiance of a recent federal court order, mandating acceptance of initial requests for the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, the Department of Homeland Security today issued a memorandum that states that effective immediately, the agency will reject all pending and future initial requests for DACA including…
August 2020 Visa Bulletin: What to Expect?
Great news! The Department of State has released the visa bulletin for August 2020 outlining the availability of immigrant visa numbers for the upcoming month. NOTE: Adjustment of Status Filing Charts August 2020 For Family-Sponsored Filings: In the F2A category, there is a cutoff date on the Dates for Filing chart. However, the category…
Impact of the Maryland Decision on DACA Filings. Can I apply for DACA for the first time?
In response to a high number of questions regarding the recent Maryland court decision ordering the government to reinstate Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) for first time applicants, we have prepared this helpful guide. First, let’s briefly discuss the Maryland decision. As our readers will know on July 17th…
BREAKING NEWS: Federal Judge Hands Victory to First Time DACA Applicants
This afternoon, a federal judge in Maryland quietly handed down a victory for new DACA applicants. The judge in the case, Casa de Maryland v. U.S. Department of Homeland Security, has ordered the government to restore the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program to its pre-September 2017 status, meaning…
BREAKING NEWS: SEVP Changes F-1 and M-1 Rules – Online Instruction for the Upcoming Fall 2020 Semester is Prohibited
Today, Monday, July 6, 2020, the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) issued a news release introducing new modifications taken by the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) that will apply to all international students in F-1 and M-1 status taking courses during this upcoming Fall 2020 semester. The…
Quick Immigration Updates: USCIS Prioritizes Citizenship Oath Ceremony Scheduling, Orgs Call USCIS to Extend TPS for Yemen and Somalia, and New Labor Certification FLAG System
Welcome back to Visalawyerblog! In this post we bring you the latest immigration updates. Naturalization Ceremonies Great news for naturalization applicants waiting for an oath ceremony. On July 1, 2020, USCIS issued an announcement notifying the public that it anticipates that it will complete nearly all postponed administrative naturalization ceremonies…
USCIS Extends Flexibility for RFE, NOID, NOIR, I-290B, N-336 Responses Filed After the Deadline
We have great news for applicants who are issued a request for evidence, notice of intent to deny, or a related document, between March 1st and September 11th. On July 1, 2020, USCIS announced that it will extend its flexibility policy and will continue to grant applicants an additional 60…