Blog

Questions arise about marital status and filing for VAWA.

The Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) is a federal act designed to protect vulnerable spouses and children. It is recognition that the United States does not condone illegal/immoral behavior of U.S. citizens and green card holders. The program allows victims of battery or extreme cruelty to get green cards. This is true even if the person who was abused is ...

Because of political and civil unrest in Haiti, this past Saturday, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced it is offering Temporary Protected Status (TPS) to Haitians who were in the U.S. as of May 21, 2021. DHS estimates there are 100,000 people eligible for the program.

The Secretary of Homeland Security has, for humanitarian reasons, undertaken action to help Venezuelan students here on F-1 visas. Venezuelan citizen students will now (1) be able to get work authorization, and (2) be able to reduce their school load (and still be in compliance with their visa). These allowances are initially scheduled to remain in place until September 9, ...

The House of Representatives yesterday passed a bill that would create a pathway to citizenship for Dreamers. The Dream and promise Act would provide certainty to undocumented people who came to the U.S. before the age of 19. Instead of being subject to various policy changes with DACA, this offers permanency. The bill would also allow those with TPS to ...

The Los Angeles Times is reporting Venezuelans are going to be allowed temporary protected status (“TPS”). An announcement is scheduled by the White House for later today. This is great news for deserving people from Venezuela.

Last Friday, as part of the new administration's immigration reform efforts, ICE quietly announced a new appeals process (“Ice Case Review”) involving arrests, detention and deportation. This is a follow up to the agency's recent announcement that their priorities will be on national security and public safety; the focus will now be on criminals rather than just anyone undocumented.

Without fanfare and on his last day in office, President Trump issued a Memorandum protecting most Venezuelan exiles from deportation. The program grants work authorization which, in Florida, allows for the recipient to get a driver's license. With the program, the United States will defer for 18 months the removal of most Venezuelan nationals who were present in the U.S. ...

USCIS has issued a policy memorandum (PDF, 277.32 KB) directing the phased expansion of in-person interviews for petitioners filing Form I-730, Refugee/Asylee Relative Petition. These additional interviews will provide an opportunity to evaluate a petitioner's credibility, supporting our mission to detect and prevent fraud and risks of harm to the United States and ensure the integrity of the immigration system.

You may request DACA if you were under the age of 31 as of June 15, 2012....