Articles Posted in Immigration News

On Saturday, June 20, 2015, the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) and their local Washington, DC Chapter have partnered with some local charities to offer free immigration law services. The event is AILA’s fifth annual Pro Bono Clinic which is being held in conjunction with AILA’s 2015 Annual Conference on Immigration Law! This Free Legal Clinic will take place in Washington, D.C. at Carlos Rosario International Public Charter School. There will be dozens of Immigration Attorneys from around the country available to answer questions and assess each participant case as it pertains to Immigration Law.

AILA Executive Director Crystal Williams stated, “The Washington, DC, area is both historic and vibrant; it’s a place where immigrants have flourished and where the three branches of our government make, execute, and rule on policies affecting immigrants. We welcome the chance to join our partners in offering knowledge and expertise to help families and individuals in the area,”

All interested individuals are encouraged to attend this event, including members of the press. Immigrants interested in speaking with an attorney are encouraged to sign up in advance.

Processing Time reports for all of the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) Service Centers were released on 6/9/15 with processing dates as of 3/31/15.

If you filed a petition with one of the Service Centers, please review the links below to determine the applicable processing time associated with your particular case.

California Service Center (CSC)

On May 1, 2015, the USCIS issued a new version of Form I-907, Request for Premium Processing Service and as of Monday June 1st it’s the only version that they will accept. The edition date for this new version of the form in (1/29/15) and that date is printed at the bottom of every page. The USCIS will only accept the new version of the form and will reject any previous editions if submitted.

Source of Information:

USCIS.gov, 5/27/15, News Alert:

On April 1, 2015, President Obama signed a Presidential Proclamation making last month, April 2015, “National Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Month, 2015“. In conjunction with that proclamation, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Council on Combating Violence Against Women (CCVAW) released the “DHS Resource Guide on Combating Violence Against Women“! This comprehensive guide provides summaries and links to programs, initiatives, training, and services that can be used to combat these types of crimes. For more information on the subject, please read the articles linked below.

Source of Information:

DHS.gov, 4/30/15, Publications:

USCIS is warning U.S. citizens that they must follow inter-country adoption procedures before legally adapting a child from Nepal! The country of Nepal was devastated by a magnitude 7.8 earthquake that hit on April 25, 2015 and another magnitude 7.3 that hit on May 12, 2015.

Before a child may immigrate from Nepal to the United States, USCIS must determine that the child qualifies as an “orphan” under the immigration laws of the United States, and that the adoptive parents are capable of providing proper care. Also the Nepali authorities must determine whether the child can be legally adopted under their country’s laws. The USCIS will consider each case individually before making a final determination.

Source of Information:

Processing Time reports for all of the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) Service Centers were released on 5/12/15 with processing dates as of 3/31/15.

If you filed a petition with one of the Service Centers, please review the links below to determine the applicable processing time associated with your particular case.

California Service Center (CSC)

USCIS has released a News Alert highlighting some of the available immigration relief measures that may assist eligible Nepali nationals. The country of Nepal was devastated by a magnitude 7.8 earthquake that hit on April 25, 2015.

Immigration relief measures that may be available upon request include:

• Change or extension of nonimmigrant status for an individual currently in the United States, even if the request is filed after the authorized period of admission has expired;

USCIS has released a News Alert highlighting some of the available immigration relief measures that may assist eligible Yemeni nationals. The country of Yemen has going conflicts between several different groups, which are pushing the country to the edge of civil war.

Immigration relief measures that may be available upon request include:

• Change or extension of nonimmigrant status for an individual currently in the United States, even if the request is filed after the authorized period of admission has expired;

The USCIS has announced that starting Friday, May 1, 2015 they will ONLY accept the new version of the Form I-129, Petition for a Nonimmigrant Worker (edition date: 10/23/14). USCIS will continue to accept both old and new versions of this Form (I-129) until April 30, 2015.

Purpose of Form*

For petitioners filing on behalf of a nonimmigrant worker to come to the United States temporarily to perform services or labor, or to receive training, as an H-1B, H-1C, H-2A, H-2B, H-3, L-1, O-1, O-2, P-1, P-1S, P-2, P-2S, P-3, P-3S, Q-1 or R-1 nonimmigrant worker. Petitioners may also use this form to request an extension of stay in or change of status to E-1, E-2, E-3, H-1B1 or TN, or one of the above classifications for an alien.

What is Family Detention? Family detention is the increasingly alarming practice of detaining immigrant families, including babies and children, with their parents in ICE detention centers across the country.

We urge everyone to sign the petition insisting that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) release Melida and her 4-year-old daughter, Estrella, from family detention. For 8 months they have been held in ICE’s Karnes County Residential Center. Melida also has a 10-year-old U.S. citizen daughter; a sister with a green card; and other U.S. citizen family and friends, all waiting for her in New York and willing to care for her while her case proceeds. The long-term detention has made Estrella chronically ill, resulting in her hospitalization. Melida is terrified of returning to Guatemala, where the family of the gang member who was convicted of murdering her sister-in-law wants retribution.

ICE has the authority to release her and her daughter, but so far has denied every request. If Prosecutorial Discretion means anything, it means that Melida and Estrella should be released. You can sign the MoveOn.org petition for ICE Director Saldana at http://petitions.moveon.org/sign/tell-ice-to-release-melida?source=c.tw&r_by=13011783.