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11 12, 2021

Chicago Immigration Attorney: Top Questions to Ask Before Hiring One

By |2021-12-11T14:11:31-06:00December 11th, 2021|Categories: General|

By Richard Hanus, Esq, Published December 11, 2021 Are you looking for a Chicago immigration attorney? An immigration lawyer can help you with all of your immigration needs. They are knowledgeable about the laws and regulations that govern U.S. citizenship, visas, green cards, deportation defense, naturalization and more. If you're in need of an experienced professional to represent your interests in court or before government agencies such as USCIS or ICE, it's time to find the best lawyer possible. But what questions should you ask? We've put together a list of suggestions. Keep reading to learn more. Question 1: What Are [...]

2 12, 2021

Asylum Claim of Gay Man from Mexico Rejected By U.S. Court of Appeals

By |2021-12-02T20:58:09-06:00December 2nd, 2021|Categories: General, Asylum in the United States|

By:  Richard Hanus, Esq. Published December 2, 2021 Under U.S. immigration law, foreign nationals fearing return to their home country due to persecution by their home government on account of their race, religion, political belief or social group are eligible for asylum in the U.S.  In such cases it must be the home country government doing the persecuting, or a group the government is unwilling or unable to control.  If these conditions are in place, the foreign national can be granted asylum in the U.S. and placed on a path to obtain lawful permanent residence (green card) and eventually even U.S. citizenship. [...]

14 11, 2021

Dude, Where’s My EAD?

By |2021-11-14T10:36:43-06:00November 14th, 2021|Categories: General, Employment Authorization / Work Cards in the U.S.|

By:  Richard Hanus, Esq. Published November 14, 2021 Next to a U.S. passport, or permanent resident card (“green card”), the Employment Authorization Document is perhaps the most valuable document issued by our immigration authorities.  A valid Employment Authorization Document, or EAD, can make or break a foreign national’s life in the U.S., providing a legal basis to work, obtain a social security number and maintain a driver’s license.  It can also impact the operations of all kinds of businesses and organizations, including the delivery of critical goods and medical services.  Unfortunately, even as a function supported by filing fees, EAD processing continues at [...]

18 10, 2021

COVID Vaccine = Easier Entry into the U.S.

By |2021-10-18T10:11:53-05:00October 18th, 2021|Categories: General, Customs and Border Patrol / Travel to and from the U.S.|

By:  Richard Hanus, Esq. Published October 18, 2021 U.S. immigration law is confusing enough.  Add the pandemic to the mix and the confusion increases exponentially.  When it comes to foreign national entry into the U.S., a mish mosh of COVID related restrictions have been set in place over the past 21 months both from the U.S. side as well as via foreign nation restrictions.  Factor in COVID related delays at U.S. consular posts across the world - stemming from severe staffing reductions - and international travel these days can present as an endlessly blurry picture. One component of this discussion is set to change [...]

4 10, 2021

The Biden Administration Rolls Out a New Approach to DACA

By |2021-10-05T06:53:45-05:00October 4th, 2021|Categories: General, Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA)|

By:  Richard Hanus, Esq. Published October 4, 2021 For the past decade, the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program has given more than 700,000 undocumented young adults a chance at a normal life, albeit only in renewable, 2 year increments.  Since its inception though, DACA has been the subject of contentious political feuding and dozens of federal court challenges.  In the past week, as Congress squabbles endlessly over pending infrastructure and budget bills (which include ambitious immigration proposals), the Biden Administration presented a new, regulation based, approach toward ensuring DACA applicants will continue to have a future in the U.S. As [...]

19 09, 2021

The Latest on I-751 Receipts and DHS/CIS COVID Vaccine Requirements

By |2021-09-20T07:47:40-05:00September 19th, 2021|Categories: General, Conditional Permanent Residence Based on Marriage|

By:  Richard Hanus, Esq. Published September 19, 2021 I-751 Receipts Now Feature a 24 month Extension of Resident Status Foreign nationals obtaining lawful permanent resident status, also known as a “green card”, based on a recent marriage are accorded a 2 year conditional resident card – a process that is among the most popular U.S. immigration avenues.  The process of renewing the 2 year card involves the filing of an I-751 Petition to Remove Conditional Basis of Residence and in recent years the processing time for such filings have skyrocketed.  To address this reality, U.S. Department of Homeland Security/Citizenship and Immigration Services (DHS/CIS) now [...]

7 09, 2021

Best Immigration Law Firms: What to Look For

By |2021-09-07T07:27:38-05:00September 7th, 2021|Categories: General|

By:  Richard Hanus, Esq. Published September 7, 2021 Are you or a loved one in need of an attorney to assist you with a United States immigration matter? Are you among the more than 800,000 immigrants looking to apply for naturalization in the country each year? Whether you are applying for U.S. permanent residence or naturalization, seeking asylum, or attempting to obtain a temporary U.S. visa, you need an experienced immigration lawyer on your side. Read on to learn about what to look for in the best immigration law firms! U.S. Immigration Specialization The top immigration law firms are the ones [...]

29 08, 2021

No Covid-19 Vaccination, No Green Card: New Requirement for Adjustment of Status Applicants

By |2021-08-29T12:40:36-05:00August 29th, 2021|Categories: General, Lawful Permanent Residence in the U.S.|

By:  Richard Hanus, Esq. Published August 29, 2021 The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) just announced it now classifies COVID-19 as a “Class A inadmissible condition”, and applicants present in the U.S. seeking to adjust status to lawful permanent resident (green card) will soon be required to provide proof of vaccination.  The COVID 19 vaccine requirement goes into effect for immigration related medical exams performed on or after October 1, 2021, adding to the list of other vaccination requirements applicants must comply with, including for mumps, measles, rubella, and hepatitis A and B. An effective date has yet to be imposed for overseas [...]

26 07, 2021

With Another Pause in the Program, Will DACA Immigrants Ever Find Peace?

By |2021-07-26T21:04:24-05:00July 26th, 2021|Categories: General, Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA)|

By:  Richard Hanus, Esq. Published July 26, 2021 It’s been almost 10 years since our nation put into action an initiative known as Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals or “DACA” to allow undocumented immigrants brought to the U.S. as children to have a morsel of immigration status.  This morsel came in the form of a 2 year, renewable employment authorization document and a shield from being deported.  After various stops and starts in the meantime, the DACA rollercoaster once again came to a stop last week for thousands of first time applicants who were advised that their process must be put on hold.   As has [...]

12 07, 2021

The Cruelest Processing Delays Immigration Applicants Face These Days

By |2021-07-12T20:01:33-05:00July 12th, 2021|Categories: General, Lawful Permanent Residence in the U.S.|

By:  Richard Hanus, Esq. Published July 12, 2021 Whether because of the pandemic or the previous administration’s lowered prioritization of many aspects of our legal immigration system, record setting delays in immigration processes have been many and far reaching.  The two agencies most responsible for processing immigration benefits are the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Citizenship and Immigration Services (DHS/CIS) and the U.S. Department of State.  The delays plaguing these agencies have wreaked havoc, both financially and emotionally, on the lives and households of tens, if not hundreds, of thousands of foreign national applicants.  In particular, for applicants in the U.S., it’s [...]

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