Executive Action 2014

11-20-2014
President Obama  is scheduled to announce his plans for executive action for immigration reform today. It is anticipated that more than five million persons who have lived in the United States without legal status for at least five years may be eligible to apply for Deferred Action and a work permit.

According to administration officials who have direct knowledge of the plan, Mr. Obama’s executive action will include changes that will significantly refocus the activities of the government’s 12,000 immigration agents, protect undocumented immigrants who came to the United States as children, and make clear deportation should still be the policy for convicted criminals. In addition, it will include an expansion of Mr. Obama's Deferred Action program (DACA) that went into place in the summer of 2012 and current age limits will be eliminated. Full details to follow.  

The new immigration reform for Deferred Action will apply to all nationalities and will benefit a large Hispanic population which is currently without legal status. Our staff are fully bilingual in Spanish and English. Please call 1-877-341-2482 toll free  to schedule a time to speak to an Attorney. Our initial consultation is free and we offer payment plans and financing for the immigration work permit.
01-19-2020
H-1 B Registration starts March 01, 2020

By: David Gardner

USCIS has announced the formal implementation of the new rule which requires H-1B petitioners to pre-register electronically in order to be eligible to file a petition for the immigration fiscal year which commences October 01, 2020. The earliest date for filing H-1B petitions in April 01, 2020, however the pre-registration period commences March 01, 2020.

09-22-2019 EB5 INVESTMENT AMOUNT INCREASES NOVEMBER 21, 2019 - INVESTORS FROM INDIA RUSH TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF LOWER AMOUNT

By: David Gardner

07-25-2019
NINTH CIRCUIT VICTORY FOR VICTIMS OF INEFFECTIVE ASSISTANCE OF COUNSEL

This month, our law firm, together with Co-Counsel Louis A Gordon, won a major victory in the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. The case impacts many immigrants who have suffered from bad or ineffective advice from prior Counsel. The Court in its published decision, Flores v Barr, overturned a Board of Immigration Appeals ruling which denied our client, the Petitioner, the opportunity to have his case reopened because of ineffective assistance of his prior immigration lawyer. 

07-24-2019
FINAL EB5 PROGRAM RULE PUBLISHED TODAY. MINIMUM INVESTMENT AMOUNT WILL INCREASE EFFECTIVE NOVEMBER 21, 2019

Investors and EB5 industry professionals have been anxiously waiting for the publication of a final regulation regarding the EB5 Program. USCIS has now published the final regulation which modifies the  proposed rule which was announced in February this year.

06-15-2019
E-1 and E-2 Now Available for New Zealand

New Zealand citizens can now obtain E-1 and E-2 treaty trader and investor visas to work in the U.S. These categories, which allow up to 2 years’ renewable stay, are determined by trade treaties secured between the U.S. and the foreign country or by Congressional legislation.

Citizens of New Zealand who are already inside the U.S. may file Form I-129 to change status – a spouse or child of such an applicant should file Form I-539 to change status to match the E-category applicant. 

06-14-2019
Waiting List Announced for Indian EB-5 Starting in July

The latest Visa Bulletin, published by the U.S. Department of State (DOS) earlier this month, confirms industry predictions of a waiting list for Indian-born EB-5 investors. Starting in July 2019, EB-5 visas will be available only to those Indian-born investors who filed their petitions before 05/01/2017. This cut-off date creates a waiting list of approximately two years, which is significantly shorter than the waiting list currently facing mainland Chinese-born investors, which currently stretches back to 10/01/2014.

06-10-2019
Premium Processing Returns to H-1B

Starting June 10, 2019, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) will resume Premium Processing for all remaining H-1B petitions. This completes a trial arrangement whereby USCIS allowed limited Premium Processing starting May 20 for H-1B petitions with a Change of Status. The approach was introduced after recent years eliminated Premium Processing altogether, resulting in lengthy delays, with some H-1B petitions remaining under adjudication even after the usual annual start date of October 1.