Opportunities to streamline Immigration processing

Opportunities to streamline Immigration processing Biden’s Philosophy The new era ushered in by the Biden administration brings with it encouraging signs that the government, including USCIS, is starting to emphasize operational efficiency in its policies and practices, focusing on building a fair and accessible system of legal immigration. For example, in his first 100 days […]

Update: ICE Rescinds Online Education Policy in Win for Colleges & Int’l Students

Update: ICE Rescinds Online Education Policy in Win for Colleges & Int’l Students Yesterday, U.S. District Court Judge Allison D. Burroughs announced that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) will rescind its recent policy requiring international students to depart the U.S. if all of their classes are taught online. The rescission resolves a lawsuit filed […]

International Students Must Depart if College Goes Fully Online

As universities around the country announce their plans for the fall in light of COVID-19, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has announced its rules governing student visas for the upcoming semester. ICE is eliminating the exemption that it made for students taking online classes in the spring and summer semesters. The new rule, applicable this […]

Proclamation 10014

Proclamation 10014 Citing a threat to the jobs of American workers amid the COVID-19 crisis, President Trump has issued a proclamation that suspends entry to the U.S. of foreign nationals seeking certain employment-based nonimmigrant visas.[1] The Executive Order prohibits entry into the U.S. for new H-1B, L-1, H-2B, and certain J-1 nonimmigrants, as well as […]

Satisfactory Departure for Visa Waiver Entrants and Nonimmigrant Visa Holders

Satisfactory Departure for Visa Waiver Entrants and Nonimmigrant Visa Holders Satisfactory Departure is a regulatory provision by which Visa Waiver Program (VWP) entrants may be granted an additional 30 days to depart the United States if, due to an emergency, they cannot depart before their 90-day authorized stay expires. Traditionally, Satisfactory Departure has been granted […]

Trump’s Executive Order to “Suspend Immigration”: Is it really a broad sweeping suspension?

Trump’s Executive Order to “Suspend Immigration”: Is it really a broad sweeping suspension? In a late-night tweet on April 20, 2020, President Trump indicated his intention to temporarily suspend immigration into the U.S. due to the COVID-19 pandemic. On April 22, 2020, he signed his official proclamation, effective April 23, 2020 at 11:59pm. The scope […]

Update on U.S Department of State and Customs and Border Protection Responses to COVID-19

Update on U.S Department of State and Customs and Border Protection Responses to COVID-19 The U.S. Department of State (DOS) and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agencies have each made several changes and accommodations in response to the ongoing COVID-19 crisis, which we detail below. However, many uncertainties remain for both immigrant and nonimmigrant […]

COVID-19 Update: U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Changes and Responses

COVID-19 Update: U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Changes and Responses U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has made several changes and accommodations in response to the ongoing COVID-19 crisis, the most relevant of which we detail below. Our summary and assessment of USCIS’ COVID-19 responses are a selection of the most current updates. However, many […]

Immigration Implications of Accepting Financial Assistance in the Wake of COVID-19

Immigration Implications of Accepting Financial Assistance in the Wake of COVID-19 Questions and uncertainties abound concerning the immigration implications of the federal government’s COVID-19 relief packages, such as: As a foreign national in the U.S. on an employment-based visa, will your immigration status be put in jeopardy if you work from home, lose your job, […]