Archive for the ‘Legal News’ Category
BIDEN Announces NEW ACTIONS to Keep Families Together
President Biden and the White House announced two new immigration actions to keep families together. These new actions are easily the most significant and consequential actions for families since the DACA program. The full details of the actions have not been released yet, but the two new actions are summarized below per the White House […]
What we saw in Trump’s First Presidency, What to Expect in a Potential Second Trump Presidency
This is a bit of a lengthy video blog where I discuss what we saw in a First Trump Presidency. I highlight some of his key policies and attacks on our immigration system. I also discuss what we might see in a second Trump Presidency.
New Asylum Video Blogs
I wanted to post more information on asylum, so I recently created three video blogs. Below are links and descriptions: Basics of Asylum Law. In this video, I look at the legal definitions of “Refugee” and “Asylee”. It is important to understand that just being from a country with political unrest, general violence, and/or instability […]
NEW USCIS FEES FOR COMMON APPLICATIONS
As of April 1, 2024, fees for certain USCIS forms have increased. These are the most common forms that we file and their updated prices: I-130 (Petition for Alien Relative) paper filing $675 and online filing $625 I-131 (Application for Travel Document) $675 I-485 (Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status) $1,440 I-601A (Provisional […]
DACA Processing Times
Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipients are experiencing longer processing times than usual. There are currently only two USCIS service centers handling all DACA renewals, and processing times vary among each center. USCIS suggests that DACA recipients submit renewal applications at least 150 days before expiration date. We highly recommend doing this. This is […]
USCIS Fee Increases go into place on April 1, 2024
USCIS Fee increases will go into effect on April 1, 2024. Most immigration filings with UCSIS are increasing, though a few filings remain unchanged (or have slight decreases in fees). If you have an immigration or petition that you are working on, we encourage you to file before April 1. Also of note, work permission […]
What Happened in the 2023 H-1b Lottery – Why so many applicants?
This video discusses the very high numbers of H-1b applicants in the 2023 (fiscal year 2023) lottery.
First Video Blog – The Public Charge Ground and What Benefits Count
First I have started to create and post video content. The point is to share information and inform people about immigration law with video content. I also have created a fun, topical video series called “ChatGPT v. Immigration Lawyer”. In this series, I challenge the artificial intelligence power of ChatGPT with certain immigration questions. The […]
USCIS Announces H-1b Registration Period – March 1 – March 17
Today, USCIS announced the registration period for this year’s H-1b lottery. The registration period will run from March 1 – March 17, 2023. If you are using a law firm, you should start providing the required information in February. If you have any questions about the H-1b lottery or the registration process, contact us via […]