Law Blog

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has announced an 18-month extension of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for nationals of Somalia through September 17, 2009. Under this extension, those who have already been granted TPS are eligible to live and work in the United States for an additional 18 months and continue to maintain their status. DHS also automatically extended the validity of Employment Authorization Documents (EAD) held by eligible Somalis for an additional six... Read More

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has issued revised instructions for USCIS Form I-131, Application for Travel Document.  The instructions include changes, effective March 5, 2008, that require applicants for re-entry permits and refugee travel documents to provide biometrics (e.g., fingerprints & photographs) at a USCIS Application Support Center (ASC) for background and security checks and requirements for secure travel and entry documents containing... Read More

The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) instructs "panel physicians" designated in other countries for conducting medical examinations of immigrants to the U.S. in coordination with consular immigrant visa processing. In late 2007, CDC announced two changes for these medical exams.

First, CDC appears to have changed the vaccination requirements for all applicants examined abroad by panel physicians as follows:

Rotavirus vaccine, hepatitis A... Read More

On February 28, 2008, the Executive Office of Immigration Review (EOIR) announced that it has issued the "Immigration Court Practice Manual" which provides uniform procedures, recommendations, and requirements for persons who present cases before the immigration courts. The Manual will go into effect April 1, 2008, and local operating procedures for immigration courts will no longer be used.  For counsel or representation regarding removal procedures with the Executive... Read More

WASHINGTON—U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has revised the filing instructions for the Petition for Alien Relative (Form I-130). Effective immediately, all petitioners filing stand-alone Form I-130s must file their petitions with the Chicago Lockbox instead of a USCIS Service Center. A USCIS Update was issued on December 3, 2007, encouraging petitioners to file with the Chicago Lockbox while the form was being revised. Now that the revision is complete,... Read More

Immigration Judge Paul Schmidt of the Immigration Court at Arlington, VA, granted asylum to a Salvadoran brother and sister finding they demonstrated a well-founded fear of persecution by the infamous Mara Salvatrucha ("MS-13") gang.  After reviewing the respondents' claims and the Department of State's country report on El Salvador, the immigration judge ruled that the brother belonged to a "particular social group," namely, of "young Salvadoran... Read More

The USCIS announced the 100 questions & answers that comprise the civics component of the new naturalization test on Sept. 27, 2007.  Starting October 1, 2008, the USCIS will administer this new test to citizenship applicants.  The USCIS claims its revised naturalization test will help strengthen assimilation efforts by emphasizing fundamental concepts of American democracy, basic U.S. history, and the rights and responsibilities of citizenship.  The Service hopes... Read More

   On September 5, the U.S. Citizenship & Immigration Services (USCIS) announced an interim rule regarding the "U" visa, a nonimmigrant classification that provides temporary immigration benefits to certain victims of crimes who assist government officials in investigating or prosecuting the criminal activity.

    U nonimmigrant visas will be set aside for victims of criminal activity who: suffered substantial mental or physical abuse because of... Read More

Regardless of where one stands on the issue of Immigration and the Comprehensive Immigration Reform (CIR) reform bill before Congress, I am finding in my practice that many immigrants, whether legal or illegal, are often making a grave mistake by placing all their hope in proposed legislation.  This can have particularly bad consequences when one chooses not to apply for immigration benefits for which one is currently eligible (especially before July 30, 2007, when the USCIS... Read More