Immigration News
Trump Administration Ends Temporary Protection for Haitians
The Trump Administration has decided to end Temporary Protected Status (“TPS”) for Haitians who were in the U.S. and could not return to the Haiti as a result of the devastations left by a 2010 earthquake and subsequently by a 2015 hurricane. Haitians that were in the U.S. under this Temporary Protection Program will be
Federal Judge Blocks Trump Administration Sanctuary Cities Order
On Monday, November 20 th , a federal judge permanently blocked President Trump’s executive order cutting funding from jurisdictions that do not cooperate with U.S. immigration authorities. U.S. District Court Judge William Orrick, in lawsuits brought by the California counties of San Francisco and Santa Clara, ruled that the Administration did not have the constitutional
The Updated and Improved Provisional Waiver and Recent Processing Times
Updated September 2019 What is an I-601A waiver (Provisional Waiver)? The I-601A, Provisional Unlawful Presence Waiver, is a waiver that was introduced in 2013 under the Obama Administration. This waiver allows certain individuals, who entered the United States unlawfully, to be able to pursue residency while maintaining family unity, granted they meet the criteria of
TPS
The Trump administration continues its anti-immigrant agenda by ending TPS for some countries and threatening to remove the designation for more. Most recently, the administration announced it will terminate Nicaraguan TPS, with the last day of TPS to be Jan. 5, 2019. This follows the termination of TPS status for Sudan (last day:Nov. 2, 2018). Honduran
USCIS Announces Higher Scrutiny for Petitions to Extend Nonimmigrant Status
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) recently announced that it is instructing its officers to apply the same level of scrutiny to both initial petitions and extension requests for certain nonimmigrant visa categories. The guidance applies to almost all nonimmigrant classifications filed using Form I-129, Petition for Nonimmigrant Worker. Adjudicators are instructed to thoroughly review the
Update on Employment Based Interview Requirement
USCIS announced that adjustment of status interviews are now required for all employment based immigration. On October 1 USCIS began phasing in this requirement. In the past USCIS waived the interview requirement for most employment based applications for adjustment of status to permanent resident. Under the law it could require an interview on a case
Why It is Critical to Understand the New 90-day Rule Regarding Misrepresentation Based on Conduct
What is the 90-day rule? The 90-day rule is crucial for immigrants to understand, especially when it comes to potential misrepresentation. The Department of State (DOS) recently revised the Foreign Affairs Manual (FAM) to include an updated section called “Inconsistent Conduct Within 90 Days of Entry.” Section 9 FAM 302.9-4(B)(3) applies to foreign nationals in
DACA may be down, but it is not yet out
By Attorney Jose Aponte, Powers Law Group Ever since the story hit the newswires that the Trump Administration was rescinding the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, much has already been said and written by pundits on both sides of this debate. For those few who still don’t know, the DACA program allowed some
New Interview Requirements
by Attorney Michele L. Strickland, Powers Law Group Beginning October 1, 2017 Immigration (USCIS) will require in person interviews for green card applicants who are sponsored by employers and who are refugee/asylee relatives. In the past an interview was not required for these applicants. This change will likely slow the process and create larger backlogs.
