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DHS / Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS)

2 09, 2020

Q & A with U.S. Immigration Law Expert, Richard Hanus – Attorney at Law

By |2020-09-02T10:09:37-05:00September 2nd, 2020|Categories: DHS / Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), DHS / Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Employment Authorization / Work Cards in the U.S., Employment-Based Immigration Law, Family-Based Immigration Law, Green Cards, Immigrant Visas for Spouse / Fiancee / Child Visas, Immigration and Criminal Law / Detainees, immigration reform, Lawful Permanent Residence in the U.S.|

Published September 2, 2020 Tune in on September 17, 2020 at 7 pm CDT when I will be hosting the first of a series of live web events to address the latest U.S. immigration law issues facing individuals, families and businesses. See: https://www.facebook.com/events/633307637623680/ I will answer your questions on topics ranging from green cards, U.S. citizenship, work visas and defense in deportation/removal proceedings. Whether you are in the U.S. or overseas, in lawful status or undocumented, a U.S. citizen or non-citizen, an intending immigrant or a U.S. employer of a foreign national, this event is for you, as I will address [...]

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26 08, 2020

With Filing Fees Skyrocketing in October, Now Might be the Perfect Time to Apply to Become a U.S. Citizen

By |2020-11-14T12:39:37-06:00August 26th, 2020|Categories: Asylum in the United States, Citizenship / Naturalization and the N-400 Application, DHS / Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), Employment Authorization / Work Cards in the U.S., Employment-Based Immigration Law, Green Cards, U.S. Immigration Law and Legislation|

Published August 26, 2020 By: Richard Hanus, Esq. As of October 2, 2020, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s immigration benefits arm – Citizenship and Immigration Services (CIS) - is set to increase filing fees on a variety of applications.  Most notably, the filing fee to submit an N-400 Application for Naturalization, currently totaling $725.00, is scheduled to skyrocket to $1,170.00 when the new fee schedule takes effect. Other filing fee increases include petitions for most work visas, including for H-1B and L-1 visas, ranging from 21% to 75%, making it even more expensive for companies and foreign workers to avail of the [...]

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30 07, 2020

Uncertainty All Around For DACA and U.S. Immigration Operations In General

By |2020-11-14T12:40:15-06:00July 30th, 2020|Categories: Amnesty for Immigrants in the U.S., Citizenship / Naturalization and the N-400 Application, Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), DHS / Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), Employment Authorization / Work Cards in the U.S., Employment-Based Immigration Law, Family-Based Immigration Law, U.S. Immigration Law and Legislation, Undocumented Immigrants and Workers in the U.S.|

Published July 30, 2020 By: Richard Hanus, Esq. The nonstop, unprecedented flow of immigration news continues, including with regard to the impact of the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision rejecting the Trump Administration’s attempt to terminate the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) Executive Order.  For certain, since the SCOTUS ruling, the Administration has waffled about DACA’s future, first making it clear it was going back to the drawing board to rescind DACA and curing the legally deficient procedures previously employed to end the program.  Then later, the President announced he wanted to find a way to make “DACA (people) happy” with [...]

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16 07, 2020

10 Years Just Happened in 3 Months – An Unprecedented Volume of Immigration Law Events

By |2020-11-14T12:40:40-06:00July 16th, 2020|Categories: Amnesty for Immigrants in the U.S., Asylum in the United States, Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), DHS / Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), Employment Authorization / Work Cards in the U.S., Employment-Based Immigration Law, Family-Based Immigration Law, Foreign Exchange Student Visas to the U.S., Immigrant Health Care Workers in the U.S., Immigrant Visas for Spouse / Fiancee / Child Visas, Immigration and PERM / Labor Certification, Non-Immigrant Visas for Temporary Workers / H-1B, U.S. Immigration Law and Legislation, Undocumented Immigrants and Workers in the U.S., United States Embassies Abroad|

Published July 16, 2020 By: Richard Hanus, Esq. In my 25+ years as an immigration lawyer, my area of practice has never been as important or relevant as it is today.  This Administration has made it this way, bringing U.S. immigration law into the spotlight as one of the bedrock issues of its campaign and presidency.   Whether it really merits this level of attention is questionable, given other more pressing problems plaguing this nation.  Loud, news attracting immigration policies are released every other day, and whether their legality is held up in court seems to be beside the point.   The policies touch on illegal immigration [...]

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30 06, 2020

Supreme Court Administers CPR and Revives DACA…..For Now

By |2020-11-14T12:41:17-06:00June 30th, 2020|Categories: Amnesty for Immigrants in the U.S., Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), DHS / Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), Employment Authorization / Work Cards in the U.S., immigration reform, Removal / Deportation Proceedings and Court Hearings, Undocumented Immigrants and Workers in the U.S.|

Published June 30, 2020 By: Richard Hanus, Esq. Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals – better known as DACA – was an Executive Order issued by President Obama in 2012 after our Congress was unable to agree on an appropriate answer to our nation’s “12 million undocumented” state of affairs.  Once in place, DACA allowed approximately 700,000 young adults who were brought to the U.S. illegally as children to gain legal status and employment authorization for 2 year increments and otherwise be protected from deportation.  8 years later, tens of thousands of DACA recipients are accomplished professionals, teachers, artists, business leaders and students, [...]

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23 06, 2020

A Chokehold On Legal Immigration: 6 Things to Know About the Extended Immigration Ban and Where Things are Headed

By |2020-11-14T12:42:04-06:00June 23rd, 2020|Categories: Customs and Border Patrol / Travel to and from the U.S., DHS / Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), Employment-Based Immigration Law, Family-Based Immigration Law, Foreign Exchange Student Visas to the U.S., Green Cards, Immigrant Health Care Workers in the U.S., Immigrant Visas for Spouse / Fiancee / Child Visas, Lawful Permanent Residence in the U.S., Non-Immigrant Visas for Temporary Workers / H-1B, U.S. Immigration Law and Legislation, United States Embassies Abroad|

Published June 23, 2020 By: Richard Hanus, Esq. 1. The Administration says it is looking to protect or create American jobs with the latest immigration ban and eventually seek to establish a merit based immigration system.  But a close look at the Administration's actions for the past 3+ years will reveal a methodical strategy to thwart practically every process available for individuals and companies to utilize established immigration laws.  With the latest Immigration Ban/Executive Orders and other measures implemented since this Administration took office, the U.S. has sent an unmistakable signal to the world’s most talented students, future business and scientific [...]

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11 06, 2020

Immigration Related Government Offices Inching Their Way Back To Normalcy

By |2020-11-14T12:42:38-06:00June 11th, 2020|Categories: Asylum in the United States, Citizenship / Naturalization and the N-400 Application, Conditional Permanent Residence Based on Marriage, DHS / Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), Family-Based Immigration Law, Green Cards, Removal / Deportation Proceedings and Court Hearings|

Published June 11, 2020 By: Richard Hanus, Esq. U.S. Department of Homeland Security – Citizenship and Immigration Service local offices (US DHS/CIS): In the past week, the public has seen the first signs of normal operations at US DHS/CIS offices across the U.S., including the Chicago Field Office.   Approved applicants for U.S. citizenship who have been waiting to be scheduled for a ceremony to be sworn in as U.S. citizens are finally starting to receive notifications to appear.  The new dates are for mid-June, and due to social distancing requirements the number of applicants scheduled have been significantly reduced compared to previous practice. Further, [...]

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7 06, 2020

Update: Immigration Options for Healthcare Professionals in the Age of Covid-19

By |2020-11-14T12:43:01-06:00June 7th, 2020|Categories: DHS / Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), Employment-Based Immigration Law, Green Cards, Immigrant Health Care Workers in the U.S., Immigration and PERM / Labor Certification, Non-Immigrant Visas for Temporary Workers / H-1B, U.S. Immigration Law and Legislation, United States Embassies Abroad|

Published June 7, 2020 By: Richard Hanus, Esq. Although the April 20, 2020 Executive Order on Immigration placed significant obstacles to immigration into the U.S., important exceptions were made for healthcare workers.  Further, the U.S. Department of State had previously announced its intention to give priority and expedited visa processing for healthcare professionals seeking to enter the U.S. during the Covid-19 pandemic.  Specifically, the U.S. Department of State on March 26, 2020 issued a directive in the name of quickly increasing our nation’s capacity to better address the pandemic, encouraging eligible classes of medical professionals to reach out to the U.S. consular post processing [...]

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28 05, 2020

Another Federal Court Win For Work Visa Employers and Workers; Do We Really Want to Put Out the Unwelcome Mat for Talented Foreign Students?

By |2020-11-14T12:43:26-06:00May 28th, 2020|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., Non-Immigrant Visas for Temporary Workers / H-1B, U.S. Immigration Law and Legislation|

Published May 28, 2020 By: Richard Hanus, Esq. Securing approval of an immigration petition filing to facilitate the employment of a foreign professional and issuance of an H-1B visa has only gotten harder over the years, especially under the current administration. But in response to lawsuits filed challenging the legality of  denials of H-1B petitions for workers assigned to 3rd party work locations, the federal government has agreed to settle the dispute and essentially give in to the principal claims the plaintiff petitioning employers asserted.   This outcome marks another victory in a series of recent court challenges to federal policy on work visa petitions. [...]

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13 05, 2020

Large Scale H-1B Visa Lawsuit Settled; The Latest on Immigration Office and Court Operations

By |2020-11-14T12:44:00-06:00May 13th, 2020|Categories: Asylum in the United States, Citizenship / Naturalization and the N-400 Application, Conditional Permanent Residence Based on Marriage, DHS / Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), Employment Authorization / Work Cards in the U.S., Employment-Based Immigration Law, Family-Based Immigration Law, Green Cards, Immigrant Health Care Workers in the U.S., Immigrant Visas for Spouse / Fiancee / Child Visas, Non-Immigrant Visas for Temporary Workers / H-1B, Removal / Deportation Proceedings and Court Hearings, United States Embassies Abroad|

Published May 13, 2020 By: Richard Hanus, Esq. Update:  One Year and a Federal Lawsuit Later, DHS Finally Approves 150 Pending H-1B Filings for Lab Technologists I cannot recall a time when so many federal lawsuits to compel or correct decisions by the Department of Homeland Security/Citizenship and Immigration Services (DHS/CIS) have been filed.  One recent example is the lawsuit filed by Management Healthcare Systems LLC (doing business as MedPro Staffing) in the District of Columbia 3 months ago to compel DHS/CIS to finally decide over 150 visa petitions for foreign medical lab technologists. At the time of filing in February, 2020, [...]

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