Immigration

Effective Sept. 26, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is automatically extending the validity of Permanent Resident Cards (also known as Green Cards) to 24 months for lawful permanent residents who file Form I-90, Application to Replace Permanent Resident Card. Lawful permanent residents who properly file Form I-90 to renew an expiring or expired Green […]

The Biden administration finalized a new public charge rule on Thursday that would eliminate Trump-era policies that penalized low-income immigrants seeking health benefits and other services. To read more, click the link: https://mainebeacon.com/biden-ends-trump-era-public-charge-rule-targeting-maines-poorest-most-vulnerable-immigrants/

Source: https://www.axios.com/2022/08/17/afghanistan-refugees-family-reunification The Biden administration is developing a portal to facilitate and simplify the reunification of Afghans with family members left behind in their Taliban-controlled country, three people familiar with the matter tell Axios. Why it matters: The portal would centralize what has been a piecemeal, case-by-case effort to reunify the thousands of Afghan families separated […]

WASHINGTON, Aug 9 (Reuters) – Bipartisan legislation has been introduced in both houses of U.S. Congress to establish a path to American citizenship for thousands of Afghan evacuees admitted to the United States on temporary immigration status, the sponsors announced on Tuesday. To read more, click the link: https://www.reuters.com/world/democrats-republicans-sponsor-bill-give-thousands-afghans-path-citizenship-2022-08-09/

USCIS is currently experiencing delays in issuing receipts for Form I-589, Application for Asylum and for Withholding of Removal. Due to these delays, you may not receive a receipt notice in a timely manner after you properly file your Form I-589. For purposes of the asylum one-year filing deadline, affirmative asylum interview scheduling priorities, and […]

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services today announced that certain parolees can now file Form I-765, Application for Employment Authorization, online. Most individuals paroled into the United States for urgent humanitarian or significant public benefit purposes under INA 212(d)(5) are eligible to seek employment authorization under category (c)(11). Please see the Form I-765 instructions for more […]

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services is extending certain COVID-19-related flexibilities through Oct. 23, 2022, to assist applicants, petitioners, and requestors. Under these flexibilities, USCIS considers a response received within 60 calendar days after the due date set forth in the following requests or notices before taking any action, if the request or notice was issued […]

USCIS is updating guidance in the USCIS Policy Manual regarding Afghan and Iraqi nationals seeking special immigrant classification. The new guidance is effective immediately. The updated guidance: Explains that noncitizens seeking an Afghan Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) on or after July 20, 2022, must file Form DS-157, Petition for Special Immigrant Classification for Afghan SIV […]

Reports have indicated that despite the government’s stated commitment to support Afghan nationals who helped the United States’ mission in Afghanistan, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services has processed only a small fraction of the humanitarian parole applications filed by or on behalf of people who have been unable to reach the United States. Humanitarian parole is […]

These exemptions will allow the U.S. Government to protect Afghans allies by alleviating certain obstacles to immigration benefits WASHINGTON — Today, the Department of Homeland Security and Department of State took steps to ensure that vulnerable Afghans who have supported and worked with the United States in Afghanistan, and who have undergone rigorous screening and […]