This month, Immigration and Customs Enforcement announced an important policy change pertaining to enforcement against individuals who have filed for protection under the U visa program. The changes are formalized in Directive 11005.2 and summarized in a Questions and...
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Year: 2019
How Much Bank Balance Do I Need For The Affidavit of Support?
Over the last year, there has been alarming uptick of consular cases denied on public charge grounds. Under this ground, a visa may be refused if the "applicant is likely, at any time after admission, to become primarily dependent on the US Government (federal, state,...
False Claim to Citizenship Does Not Need To Be Knowing to Trigger Deportation
A deeply jarring decision from the Board of Immigration Appeals came out late last month pertaining to the issue of false claims to US Citizenship. Under Section 237(a)(3)(D)(i) of the Immigration and Nationality Act, "an alien who falsely represents, or has falsely...
Citizenship Test Will Be Changing | N-400 Test Changes
Green Card holders interested in becoming United States Citizens should be aware that USCIS is planning on revising the civics test as part of a new decennial review and revision process. Under this plan, the citizenship test will be reviewed every ten years and if...
Military Parole In Place and Deferred Action May Be Discontinued
According to very reputable sources, it appears that the Administration will soon be terminating humanitarian policies intended for the military. The two most prominent programs that are endangered are deferred action and parole-in-place ("PIP" for short). The second...
Plans to Merge USCIS Office Means Interviews in Different States
At the AILA Annual Conference this past month, there was talk amongst attorneys of USCIS's latest plans to "realign" operations to purportedly enhance efficiency by redistributing the workload. This was also confirmed by a USCIS official quite recently, and we have...
5 Year Bar For Missing Immigration Court
Individuals with problematic immigration cases may already be aware of the three and ten-years bars, which typically apply after a person has accrued the requisite "unlawful presence" and then departed the United States. If a person is deemed to have been unlawfully...
NJ Drunk Driving Immigration Consequences | Marijuana Use Can Be Deportable
In New Jersey, a DWI is most commonly associated with alcohol. However, that is not the only way an individual can be charged with driving while under the influence. Under New Jersey statute 39:4-50, the law encompasses driving under the influence of not only...
Emergency Travel Outside of US While Green Card Case Pending
With few exceptions, leaving the United States while a green card case is pending can be fatal to one's case. In general, departure from the United States without an advance parole document normally results in a denial of the adjustment of status petition. USCIS will...
Immigration May Change Effect of PCRs
In a disturbing development, the Attorney General indicated in Matter of Thomas and Thompson, 27 I & N Dec. 556 (A.G. 2019), that he will be considering and ultimately rendering a decision on the immigration impact of convictions that are subsequently altered. At...