H1B Visa Lawyer Blog

August 20, 2024

DHS Implements Keeping Families Together

On Monday, August 19, 2024, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced they will be publishing a notice on the Federal Register that they are now implementing “Keeping Families Together”! This process is for certain noncitizen spouses and stepchildren of U.S. citizens who qualify for the program to Parole in Place (PIP). The Director of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), Ur M. Jaddou stated, “This process to keep U.S. families together will remove these undue barriers for those who would otherwise qualify to live and work lawfully in the U.S., while also creating greater efficiencies in the immigration system, conducting effective screening and vetting, and focusing on noncitizens who contribute to and have longstanding connections within American communities across the country.” For details and to see if you qualify, please review the USCIS News Release, “DHS Implements Keeping Families Together“.

Source of Information:

USCIS (USCIS.gov), 8/19/24, News Release:

August 19, 2024

Immigrants in each State (fact sheets): Florida, Georgia and Hawaii – Update

by Kellie N. Lego

UPDATE: Explore American Immigration Council’ interactive map to get more comprehensive information on U.S. immigration data and its impact!

The American Immigration Council (AIC) has released all fifty states and the District of Columbia, for a total of fifty-one updated state-by-state fact sheets highlighting immigration data and facts. These fact sheets highlight the demographic and economic impact of Immigrants in each state.

With national immigration policy being discussed, we thought that it would be a good time to provide some statistics on the Immigrant population in the United States as provided by this AIC research. Once a week we will be posting a blog with information on three states at a time. This week we will highlight; Florida, Georgia and Hawaii!

August 16, 2024

MVP “Immigration Q & A Forum” – 8/16/24

by Kellie N. Lego

MVP Law Group, P.A. makes available the information and materials in this forum for informational purposes only. The information is general in nature and does not constitute legal advice or any contractual obligations. Further, the use of this site, and the sending or receipt of this information, does not create an attorney-client relationship between us. Therefore, your communication with us through this forum will not be considered as privileged or confidential.

Has the notice listing the requirements and forms needed to apply for Biden’s new program been released and I just missed them? No, the Federal Register listing the eligibility requirements and process for applying for Parole in Place has not been released to the public as of the date of this publication. Notice has been made available indicating that the public will be able to apply for the PIP program beginning on Monday, August 19, 2024; however, nothing has been published/released yet advising the public on how to apply (i.e., what forms are required, what filing fees are required, etc.)

I need to provide a copy of my I-94 to my Attorney for my transfer filing. Where can I find it? An I-94 is an electronic record of your arrivals to and departures from the United States. The system is now entirely electronic, no paper I-94 records are issued. An I-94 record can be accessed at the following link – https://i94.cbp.dhs.gov/I94/#/home, click on GET MOST RECENT I-94, click I ACKNOWLEDGE AND AGREE, and next enter the necessary details from your passport and click NEXT. Once the I-94 record appears you can print it and you will have the option at the bottom of the screen to obtain your I-94 travel history, click on the blue button to obtain your I-94 travel history and print it.

August 13, 2024

Immigration News – Top News Stories – US Presidential Election and Immigration – One AP Article for each Main Candidates

by Kellie N. Lego

List of some of the Top News Stories related to the US Presidential Election and Immigration, one Associated Press (AP) article each, one for the Democratic Candidate Kamala Harris and one for the Republican Candidate Donald Trump:

AP News (apnews.com), 8/10/24:

Trump is putting mass deportations at the heart of his campaign. Some Republicans are worried

August 12, 2024

MVP “Immigration Q & A Forum” – This Friday, August 16, 2024

by Kellie N. Lego

We wanted to find a new way to engage our reader base. Every other Friday, we will post the ten (10) best/most frequently asked questions received during the week from our h1bvisalawyerblog, Facebook, and Twitter readers. We will answer those questions and provide the Q&A on our H-1B Visa Lawyer Blog.

If you have a burning question, are seeking assistance with a difficult immigration related case, wish to discuss your views on Comprehensive Immigration Reform, DREAMers, Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, priority dates, the monthly visa bulletin, adjustment applications, etc., please contact us by submitting your question/comment/viewpoint in our comment box provided on our H-1B Visa Lawyer Blog.

Our next “Q & A Forum” will take place this Friday, August 16, 2024. Act now and submit your questions!

August 9, 2024

Visa Bulletin – September 2024

by Kellie N. Lego

The Department of State has released its latest Visa Bulletin.

Click the link to view the September 2024 Visa Bulletin

The monthly Visa Bulletin has changed. The bulletin now summarizes the availability of immigrant numbers during the reported month for: “Application Final Action Dates” (consistent with prior Visa Bulletins) and “Dates for Filing Applications,” indicating when immigrant visa applicants should be notified to assemble and submit required documentation to the National Visa Center using Consular Processing (outside of the US) or file on their own with USCIS Form I-485 (within the US).

August 8, 2024

California Service Center Moving to New Address August 12

by Kellie N. Lego

The USCIS California Service Center is moving to a new location as of August 12th. The new location will streamline their processing by all being in one central location. The new address is listed below:

California Service Center

2642 Michelle Drive 

August 7, 2024

2024 USCIS Forms Updates – 8/1/24

by Kellie N. Lego

The USCIS Forms Updates web page lists their most recently updated forms. The list includes forms as they publish them and includes a brief explanation for the update.

The updated form listed below is their most recent addition to the list, dated July 31, 2024 and August 1, 2024!

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August 6, 2024

USCIS Will Conduct Second Random Selection for Regular Cap from Previously Submitted FY 2025 H-1B Cap Registrations

by Kellie N. Lego

In March of this year, USCIS completed its initial random selection on properly submitted electronic registrations for the fiscal year 2025 H-1B cap, they have now determined they need more H-1B registrations to reach regular FY2025 allocation. They don’t need to conduct a second selection for the advanced degree exemption (Master’s Cap)!

For more detailed information about this subject please review the USCIS News Alert, “USCIS Will Conduct Second Random Selection for Regular Cap from Previously Submitted FY 2025 H-1B Cap Registrations“.

Source of Information:

August 5, 2024

Reminders on the Process to Promote the Unity and Stability of Families

by Kellie N. Lego

On June 18th, President Biden announced that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) will take action to ensure that U.S. citizens with noncitizen spouses and children can keep their families together, using Parole in Place. They will begin accepting applications on August 19th and this will allow certain noncitizen spouses of U.S. citizens and their children to apply for lawful permanent residence. They are already eligible to apply for lawful permanent residence but would have to leave the United States to do so. Using Parole in Place, they would not have to return to their country of origin.

On July 17th, USCIS released a News Alert, “Reminders on the Process to Promote the Unity and Stability of Families“.This News Alert contains details about: Eligibility, a Timeline, What You Can Do Now listing and warning about SCAMS! Please review it for the latest information!

Source of Information: