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An Update on Processing Times
A lot of changes have happened in our immigration system, especially since Trump took office. One of the biggest changes I have seen is in processing times. Certain types of cases that used to take 3 to four months are now taking anywhere from 11.5 months to 23 months. An immigration officer had told me that when the administration changed, they saw a 300% increase in filings. That, coupled with the fact that they aren’t enough officers to keep up with the caseload, has resulted in long delays. People who live in cities with large immigrant populations are experiencing longer delays than people who live in smaller cities. Here’s an…
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If You Have Been a Victim of a Crime, You May Qualify for a U Visa
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If You Have Been a Victim of a Crime, You May Qualify for a U Visa
When I first started practicing immigration law, U visa cases were one of the first kinds of cases I handled. I still handle a lot of these types of cases now. U visas (aka U nonimmigrant status) are for victims of certain types of crimes who have been affected physically and emotionally, they reported the crime to law enforcement, and they were helpful to the investigation/prosecution of the crime. One of the most common ones I see is domestic violence crimes. Congress created this visa in the year 2000 as part of legislation focused on strengthening the investigation of certain crimes to encourage people to report crimes regardless of their…
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An Update on Processing Times
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Summary of Immigration Updates in the Second Quarter of 2017
As we near the end of the second quarter of the year, things surrounding the state immigration laws seem to still be changing. I’m sure you heard the most news surrounding the controversial travel ban. The U.S. Supreme Court will hear full arguments on it in the Fall to decide if it is constitutional. However, until then, they decided to implement it partially. The supreme court has said that this partial reinstatement would only apply to foreign nationals from Syria, Iran, Yemen, Libya, Sudan, and Somalia who cannot show any relationship with a person or entity in the United States. This will not apply to anyone who already has…
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Parole in Place: Active/Retired Military Members – Petitioning Immediate Relatives For Permanent Residency Even if They Came to U.S. W/O Inspection
On November 15, 2013, United States Immigration and Citizenship Services (“USCIS”) issued a memorandum amending the USCIS Adjudicator’s Field Manual to allow for parole requests to be made on behalf of certain military family members. So, what does this mean? Essentially, this allows an active duty or retired military member to request “parole in place” from USCIS for a spouse, child, or parent. If that “parole in place” is granted, a petition for permanent residency may be filed for these qualifying family members, but the qualifying family members must be in the United States and their only immigration violation is that they entered the country without inspection/admission. The approval of…
