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DHS / Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS)

8 12, 2008

UPDATE: The Truth about Foreign Nurses and US Immigration Law

By |2008-12-08T02:00:10-06:00December 8th, 2008|Categories: DHS / Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), Employment Authorization / Work Cards in the U.S., Employment-Based Immigration Law, Foreign Exchange Student Visas to the U.S., Green Cards, Immigrant Health Care Workers in the U.S., Non-Immigrant Visas for Temporary Workers / H-1B, U.S. Immigration Law and Legislation|

UPDATE: The Truth about Foreign Nurses and US Immigration Law Published December 8, 2008 As of this writing there truly is no speedy and simple way to facilitate the issuance of either immigrant or temporary work visas for Registered Nurses from most foreign nations (Canada and Mexico are the only exceptions). Knowing the truth about foreign nurses and US immigration law is critical, specifically because US employers and future US RN employees are desperate to be matched up with each other There is an abundance of misinformation out there, and Employers, and especially prospective work visa holders are vulnerable to misinformation […]

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5 11, 2008

Barack Obama and the Future of Our Immigration Laws

By |2008-11-05T13:46:56-06:00November 5th, 2008|Categories: Amnesty for Immigrants in the U.S., DHS / Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), DHS / Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Removal / Deportation Proceedings and Court Hearings, U.S. Immigration Law and Legislation, Undocumented Immigrants and Workers in the U.S.|

Barack Obama and the Future of Our Immigration Laws Published: November 5, 2008 Today’s article is not a political one, especially because I am just as tired as you are of hearing about how wonderful or terrible an Obama presidency will be. The campaign is finally over, the hoopla is hopefully dying down, and whether you think President Elect Barack Obama is the real deal or just a fantasy – or maybe something in between, at some point in the near future the immigration issue will be up for discussion. On many people’s minds is whether comprehensive immigration reform – including […]

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10 10, 2008

Filing Locations for N-400: Applications for Naturalization Stay the Same… For Now

By |2008-10-10T07:06:17-05:00October 10th, 2008|Categories: Citizenship / Naturalization and the N-400 Application, DHS / Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS)|

Filing Locations for N-400: Applications for Naturalization Stay the Same… For Now Published October 10, 2008 In the past week or so, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service has reversed course and now confirms that the filing locations for N-400 Applications for Naturalization will not change as recently announced. Therefore prospective applicants are directed to disregard any filing location change notification . For the time being, applications should be filed at the following Service Centers (per US CIS): If you live in AZ, CA, HI, NV, Territory of Guam, or the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands: California Service Center PO Box […]

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8 08, 2008

Oath Ceremonies at US CIS, Chicago District Office

By |2008-08-08T10:34:10-05:00August 8th, 2008|Categories: Citizenship / Naturalization and the N-400 Application, DHS / Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS)|

Oath Ceremonies at US CIS, Chicago Distrit Office Published August 8, 2008 When I attended a client’s Naturalization Interview earlier this week, I observed a departure from what has typically been Chicago CIS office procedure. Applicants who were being approved for U.S. citizenship at their interview were being asked to stick around an extra half hour to receive printed notices, scheduling them to return to CIS, Chicago in a week for an oath ceremony. This is quite a speedy result. Usually when a Naturalization application is approved, an oath ceremony notice is mailed to the applicant a week or two later, […]

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10 07, 2008

Extending Visitor/Tourist Visa Status: It’s Gotten Complicated

By |2008-07-10T08:14:00-05:00July 10th, 2008|Categories: Customs and Border Patrol / Travel to and from the U.S., DHS / Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS)|

Extending Visitor/Tourist Visa Status: It’s Gotten Complicated Published July 10, 2008 While the laws governing the extension of visitor/tourist visa status for foreign nationals visiting the U.S. have not changed, the manner in which the Department of Homeland Security’s Citizenship and Immigration Service (CIS) is applying the law certainly has. This change in approach is definitely reason for prospective applicants to think twice about seeking to extend their stay in the U.S. Firstly, as many of our readers know, for those required to obtain a visitor visa (B-1/B-2) to enter the U.S., the process and requirements for getting the visa in […]

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7 06, 2008

CIS to “Move Up” Adjustment of Status (I-485) and Naturalization (N400) Applications for Immigrants Who Stand to Lose SSI Benefits

By |2008-06-07T12:50:11-05:00June 7th, 2008|Categories: Citizenship / Naturalization and the N-400 Application, DHS / Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), Green Cards, Lawful Permanent Residence in the U.S.|

CIS to “Move Up” Adjustment of Status (I-485) and Naturalization (N400) Applications for Immigrants Who Stand to Lose SSI Benefits Published June 7, 2008 Each year, thousands of disabled and elderly immigrants (permanent residents), refugees and asylees lose their right to federal Supplemental Security Income benefits (SSI), due to a regulation restricting collection of these benefits to a seven-year timeframe. Without U.S. citizenship or status as a legal permanent resident (in cases where the immigrant can prove a qualifying ten-year work history), there is no way to continue receiving SSI benefits after the seven years are up. Because many Adjustment of […]

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14 04, 2008

CIS Issues New Rule Regarding OPT Program

By |2008-04-14T14:00:36-05:00April 14th, 2008|Categories: DHS / Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), Employment-Based Immigration Law, Foreign Exchange Student Visas to the U.S., Non-Immigrant Visas for Temporary Workers / H-1B|

CIS Issues New Rule Regarding OPT Program April 14, 2008 The OPT (Optional Practical Training) program allows nonimmigrants who are in the United States – usually following the completion of their F-1 program – to temporarily, and with authorization, work in their field of training for one year. The Department of Homeland Security has made two changes to the OPT program, both of which went into effect on April 8. From the standpoint of an advocate, these are positive changes for both employers and foreign students studying in the U.S. Extension of OPT status for certain fieldsOne of the changes affects […]

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28 02, 2008

Homeland Security Addresses Name Check Delays

By |2008-02-28T14:00:36-06:00February 28th, 2008|Categories: Citizenship / Naturalization and the N-400 Application, DHS / Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), Green Cards, Immigration and Criminal Law / Detainees, Lawful Permanent Residence in the U.S., Removal / Deportation Proceedings and Court Hearings|

Homeland Security Addresses Name Check Delays February 28, 2008 In what appears to be a significant victory for customers of the Citizenship and Immigration Service (CIS), the U.S. Department of Homeland Security has announced its plan to eliminate systemic delays currently plaguing decision-making for many immigration applications, most notably I-485 applications for adjustment of status to permanent residence. Large numbers of applicants for U.S. permanent residence and naturalization have faced significant, sometimes multi-year, delays in the adjudication of their applications as a result of delays in the FBI name check process. In recent years, the FBI name check and other security […]

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15 02, 2008

New Poverty Guidelines In Effect For Sponsors Completing Affidavits Of Support

By |2008-02-15T14:00:36-06:00February 15th, 2008|Categories: DHS / Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), Family-Based Immigration Law|

New Poverty Guidelines In Effect For Sponsors Completing Affidavits Of Support February 15, 2008 Before any intending family-based immigrant is issued their visa, or approved for adjustment of status, the petitioning U.S. family member or their joint co-sponsor will have to submit an I-864 Affidavit of Support and most of the time, satisfy certain income requirements (exceptions exist for those proving their financial health via assets owned such as bank/brokerage accounts, real property, etc). The income requirements (125% of the poverty level) for sponsors residing in the lower 48 contiguous states in the U.S. are set forth below: 2008 Poverty Guidelines […]

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2 02, 2008

USCIS Director Testifies Before Congress: “Naturalization Delays: Causes, Consequences and Solutions”

By |2008-02-02T14:00:36-06:00February 2nd, 2008|Categories: Citizenship / Naturalization and the N-400 Application, DHS / Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS)|

USCIS Director Testifies Before Congress: “Naturalization Delays: Causes, Consequences and Solutions” February 2, 2008 As many in the U.S. immigrant community are aware, on July 30, 2007 U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) dramatically increased filing fees for nearly all of its immigration-related applications. This fee increase was deemed necessary as a means to fund efforts reduce delays in the processing of the numerous applications and petitions filed with USCIS every year. However, nearly seven months after the fees were increased, no significant progress has been made in improving processing efficiency or reducing backlogs. In fact, processing times for many applications […]

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