On August 9, 2018, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (“USCIS”) published a Memo entitled Accrual of Unlawful Presence and F, J, and M Nonimmigrants (the “Memo”) which provided that F, J, and M nonimmigrant students would begin accruing unlawful presence...
There are serious consequences for foreign nationals reentering or attempting to reenter the U.S. after receiving a prior final order of removal (deportation). The consequences include ineligibility for immigration benefits and the risk of criminal prosecution for immigration violations. Removal...
In March 2019, the Social Security Administration (SSA) announced that it would revive the controversial practice of sending “no match” letters to employers across the country, notifying them that an employee’s Social Security number does not match SSA’s official records....
On January 1, 2019, Illinois enacted the Voices of Immigrant Communities Empowering Survivors (VOICES) Act. The VOICES Act sets uniform T and U Visa certification standards for all law enforcement agencies in Illinois. Congress established the T and U Visas...
USCIS has announced changes to the Application to Extend/Change Nonimmigrant Status (Form I-539). This immigration application is commonly used by spouses and children in H-4 or L-2 status to change or extend their status while in the U.S. It can...
The lottery window for H-1B Cap Petitions opens up on April 1st, 2019, leaving employers just a few weeks to file H-1B petitions for foreign nationals requiring work authorization for the fiscal year beginning October 1, 2019. Because time is...
After many months of speculation, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) officially submitted a rule to the Office of Management and Budget (OBM) on February 20, 2019 proposing to eliminate the H-4 EAD. The proposed rule, titled “Removing H-4 Dependent Spouses from the...
Note: This article focuses on the requirements and procedures applicable to medical exams for green cards filed in the United States. If you are applying for a green card outside of the United States through a U.S. consulate or embassy,...