Adjustment of Status
How the Coronavirus Is Disrupting USCIS Processing of Immigration Applications
The coronavirus outbreak has significantly disrupted the operations of government agencies around the country, including U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). USCIS is the agency that processes applications for various types of immigration benefits. USCIS Changes Office Operations During Coronavirus Outbreak The USCIS Seattle office was the first to… Read More
USCIS’ Change to How ‘Unlawful Presence’ Is Calculated Is Defeated in Court
A federal district court stopped U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) from drastically changing how the agency determines when a foreign student or exchange visitor is “unlawfully present” in the United States. “Unlawful presence” is defined by law as any time a foreign national spends in the United States after… Read More
Defense Spending Act Allows Thousands of Liberians to Apply for Permanent Residency
The defense spending package for the fiscal year 2020 will allow thousands of Liberians living in the United States to gain green cards. The $738-billion National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) was signed into law by President Trump in December. About 4,000 Liberians may now have a path to citizenship under this new law. Read More
USCIS Changes Policy on Fee Waivers, Potentially Deterring Thousands of Citizenship Applications
The cost of filing an application for citizenship—usually a hefty $725—has long been a barrier for some immigrants. Now, a change to the naturalization process may leave even more people priced out of becoming a U.S. citizen. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) recently announced a… Read More
Judge Grants Class-Action Status to Thousands of Immigrants Waiting for Access to Their Immigration Records
A federal court in San Francisco certified two nationwide classes of immigrants and attorneys claiming that U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement have a systemic pattern and practice of failing to provide access to immigration case records within deadlines set by the Freedom of Information Act. The case records, known as A-files, contain information about individuals’ immigration history in the United States. This is the first time a court has certified a class in a lawsuit alleging a pattern and practice of violating FOIA Read More
USCIS Announces 7 International Offices Will Remain Open Despite Overall Shutdown
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) recently released more details about its plan to close its international offices. In an August 9 memorandum, USCIS clarified that all but seven of its 23 international offices will be shuttered within the next year. USCIS’s International Operations Division has a diverse mission,… Read More
Filipino WWII Veterans Are Prevented From Reuniting With Families After Trump Cuts Program
The Trump administration announced on Friday that it is ending a family reunification program for Filipino World War II veterans. This places a needless burden on our country’s veterans, many of whom have been unable to reunite with their families for decades. The program allowed Filipino veterans who served during… Read More
USCIS Will Transfer Applications Out of Its Busiest Offices to Reduce Wait Times
USCIS is beginning to transfer cases out of its busiest offices to even out the processing times across the country. Transferred cases will go to USCIS offices that have more manageable workloads. Read More
New Diversity Visa Requirements Impose Major Obstacles for Applicants
The U.S. State Department announced a new rule last week that changes the Diversity Visa Program, a lottery system that grants 50,000 foreign nationals the opportunity to apply for an immigrant visa number. Applicants must come from an underrepresented country that has… Read More
USCIS Processing Delays to be Investigated by Government Accountability Office
Applications for permanent residence and other immigration benefits are taking longer than ever to process. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), the agency responsible for adjudicating these applications, has a backlog at “crisis levels.” While USCIS processing delays have increasingly been a problem, the backlog is reaching new highs… Read More
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