Immigration Insights & Issues Blog
Key legal insights into modern immigration challenges.
To reduce the backlogs of National Interest Exception (NIE) applications required by the Presidential Proclamations (Proclamations) regarding travel from designated countries to the U.S. due to the pandemic, the U.S. Department of State (DOS) announced on July 6, 2021, that it will extend the validity period of NIEs from 30 days to 12 months from …
Continue reading ” Department of State Extends NIE Validity Providing Relief for Travelers”
On June 9, the Office of the Director of United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) issued three Policy Alerts (PAs), which continue a trend by USCIS to insert (hopefully) more reason and justice in adjudications by the agency. The PAs were issued on the following issues: Increasing the validity period of employment authorization card …
Continue reading “USCIS June Policy Alert Trio Provides Some Love to Beleaguered Applicants”
April 1, 2021 marked the beginning of consular processing at U.S. consulates and embassies throughout the world without the restrictions imposed on certain nonimmigrant visa processing under Presidential Proclamation 10052, which went into effect on June 24, 2020 during the Trump administration (PP 10052).[1] The legal bases cited for the imposition of PP10052 were §212(f) …
On December 31, 2020, President Trump extended Proclamations 10014 and 10052 noted in this article until March 31, 2021 with a requirement to review the proclamations for modifications every 30 days by the Secretaries of Homeland Security, State, and Labor. In the proclamation issued on December 31, 2020, President Trump continued to invoke economic conditions …
Continue reading “COVID-19 Travel Restrictions Shelf Life Update (Through Jan. 1, 2020)”
On November 23, 2020, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) issued a welcome announcement in light of ongoing delays by the agency to adjudicate employment authorization documents (EADs). This announcement extends the acceptance of an I-797 Notice of Action for approval of an employee’s I-765, Application for Employment Authorization, as a List C, item #7 …
As employers continue to try to find ways for essential nonimmigrants and their dependents to be issued H-1B, H-2B, L-1, and J-1 (intern, trainee, teacher, camp counselor, au pair, or summer work travel program) visas subject to Presidential Proclamation 10052 (Proclamation 10052), on August 12, the State Department updated its list of examples (August 12 …
The Trump administration has already announced its goal to end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) policy commenced on June 15, 2012 by President Obama within the next six months post the decision of the U.S. Supreme Court on June 18 finding that the decision of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to end …
Continue reading “The DACA Decision – Supreme Court’s Ruling Provides Temporary Uncertain Relief”
After numerous rumors in the past few days regarding the suspension of immigration to the United States (U.S.), President Trump’s Proclamation was finally published on June 22 (June Visa Processing Proclamation or JVPP) after numerous discussions regarding its scope. Please refer to my prior summary on the April 22, 2020 Proclamation 10014 as to the …
On March 24, 2020, two notices (Notices) were published in the Federal Register by United States (U.S.) Customs and Border Protection (CBP) related to limitations on cross-border travel along the northern[1] and southern[2] borders of the U.S. Both of these restrictions went into effect as 11:59 p.m. (EDT) on March 20, 2020, and remained in …
After numerous rumors in the past few days regarding the suspension of immigration to the United States (U.S.), President Trump’s Proclamation (Suspension Proclamation) was finally published on April 22. The Proclamation references the disruption of the economy post COVID-19 as a basis for the Proclamation. The Proclamation does not address the current dichotomy between family-based …