- First, Portugal has now been designated as a treaty country. Thus, Portuguese passport holders are eligible to obtain E-1 and E-2 visas as
USCIS Extends Green Card Validity Extension to 24 Months for Green Card Renewals
Effective Sept. 26, 2022, USCIS is automatically extending the validity of Permanent Resident Cards (also known as Green Cards) from 12 months to 24 months for lawful permanent residents who file Form I-90, Application to Replace Permanent Resident Card.
USCIS has updated the language on Form I-90 receipt notices to extend the validity of a
I-751 Petition Receipt Notices and I-829 Petition Receipt Notices Now Valid for 24 Months as Proof of Status
On Sept. 3, 2021, USCIS announced that Petitioners who file a Form I-751 Petition to Remove Conditions on Residence or a Form I-829 Petition by Entrepreneur to Remove Conditions on Permanent Resident Status will receive a Form I-797 receipt notice that can be presented with their Form I-551, Permanent Resident Card, as evidence of continued
COVID-19 Vaccine Added To Requirements For Green Card Processing, Effective Oct. 1
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has announced that, effective Oct. 1, the COVID-19 vaccine is included in the list of vaccines required for applicants to obtain permanent residence and refugee status. By way of background, the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA), at section 212(a)(1)(A)(ii), sets out the requirement that, in order to
Important Update on Immigration Issues Related to U.S. Permanent Residents Unable to Travel Back to U.S. Due to Coronavirus Outbreak in China
The coronavirus “2019-nCoV” epidemic has resulted in a lockdown of millions of people in China, just as the country was celebrating the Lunar New Year 2020. Many are unable to leave their cities either due to travel restrictions imposed by the government or fear of being infected by the virus by boarding a bus, train,
Important Development for Vietnamese and Chinese EB-5 Investors in October 2018
This coming October, USCIS is allowing a number of foreign nationals to apply for adjustment of status earlier than they would otherwise be eligible. Specifically, USCIS has announced that it will allow individuals with immigrant petitions in employment-based categories to apply for adjustment of status based on the cutoff dates in the “Dates for Filing”
Maintaining Eligibility for Permanent Residence for EB-5 Investors: Nonimmigrant Status
As we previously reported, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) issued a Policy Memorandum entitled “Updated Guidance for the Referral of Cases and Issuance of Notices to Appear (NTAs) in Cases Involving Inadmissible and Deportable Aliens” on June 28, 2018. This Policy Memorandum was issued in response to President Trump’s Executive Order
Retrogression FAQs for Vietnamese EB-5 Based Green Card Applicants
As you may know, the EB-5 immigrant visa category is expected to retrogress for Vietnam this year. Below is a guide to frequently asked questions pertaining to the announcement of retrogression.
1. Is there a mechanism by which my child or children may continue to be eligible for immigrant visas as my dependents based on
Homeland Security Inspector General Issues Report on USCIS Processing Times for Green Cards
On March 14, USCIS released an Inspector General’s report on Green Card Processing Times. The report found that green card processing times exceeded the existing 120-day goal by taking an average of 282 days to complete. The report identified processing times are greatly affected by interviews and vetting occurring at USCIS.
The report made two
President Trump Endorses New Bill Addressing ‘Green Card’ Immigration
Today, President Trump joined Senator David Perdue (R-GA) and Senator Tom Cotton (R-AR) announcing the introduction of a bill titled “Reforming American Immigration for a Strong Economy Act,” known also as the “RAISE Act.” The president praised the work of the senators and in a statement added, “We want a merit-based system. One that protects workers, our workers, our taxpayers, and one that protects our economy. We want it merit-based.”
Highlights from the bill are included below:
- Eliminates the diversity visa program.
- Sets the maximum number of refugee admissions to 50,000 per fiscal year.
- Worldwide level of family sponsored immigrants is 88,000. The number of humanitarian paroles, if the individual has not departed or has not adjusted status, will be counted against that number.
- A new classification is created for the alien parents of adult U.S. citizens for admission for five years, but will not be able to receive public benefits or work authorization.
- A person cannot naturalize if the person who executed an affidavit of support failed to reimburse the Federal Government for all mean-tested public benefits received by the person during the 5-year period.
- Annual and quadrennial reports will be required to monitor the progress and numbers.
- The creation of an immigration points system to replace the employment-based immigrant visa categories.
- Effective date will be the first day of the first fiscal year that begins after the date of enactment. Those exempt are those who have been granted admission prior to enactment, but he or she will need to enter within one year of enactment.
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