Immigration

According to a new study, migrants seeking asylum often have a greater chance of succeeding if they are from certain parts of the country. From 2016 to 2021, Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse (TRAC) at Syracuse University analyzed six years of immigration courts statistics nationwide. TRAC found that the asylum denial rate tended to be lower in […]

Collaboration between the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has led to increased surveillance of Arab and Muslim immigrants, particularly at our borders. This is not necessarily tied to whether someone is considered a potential national security threat—but whether a person exercises their right to decline to act as […]

There has been a dramatic backlog in green card interviews. In October, it was reported that there were 468,891 pending interviews which minimally decreased by November, with 461,125 pending interviews remaining. The U.S. Department of State has yet to significantly increase its number of monthly interviews. Wait times have surged since the coronavirus pandemic in March […]

Last Thursday, the State Department sent out emails informing Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) applicants that the Department is “currently unable to provide consular services for immigrant visas, including Special Immigrant Visas (SIVs), in Afghanistan.” The State Department says that it is “developing processing alternatives” so that it may continue to issue visas for the people of […]

As the situation in Afghanistan is rapidly changing, we have prepared a document that lists different options for bringing family members and loved ones to the US. View Document Here

Purpose U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is temporarily extending the validity period of the Report of Medical Examination and Vaccination Record (Form I-693). Background In general, those applying for immigration benefits while in the United States must use Form I-693 to show they are free from any conditions that would render them inadmissible under […]

A bill to authorize an additional 8,000 special immigrant visas for Afghan interpreters, contractors and other vulnerable allies was scheduled for House consideration on Thursday. The measure would open up the extra slots in a visa program designed to provide a safe haven for Afghan allies at risk of persecution or death if they remain […]

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services today announced new policy guidance that eliminates the need for individuals who have applied for a change of status (COS) to F-1 student to apply to change or extend their nonimmigrant status while their initial F-1 COS application is pending. Under the previous policy, applicants needed to maintain status up […]

 DHS has withdrawn a proposed rule that would have attacked fixed time limits to certain student visas. In September, the Trump administration proposed adding a fixed end-date to student visas when they are issued, which would have been a departure from the earlier practice of allowing the visas to remain valid as long as the international […]

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services announced today it will accept resubmitted fiscal year (FY) 2021 H-1B cap-subject petitions that were rejected or administratively closed solely because the requested start date was after Oct. 1, 2020. If your FY 2021 petition was rejected or administratively closed solely because your petition was based on a registration submitted […]