Diana Vellos Coker and Fausta Albi present “What Every In-House Counsel Needs to Know About Immigration Compliance” at the Association of Corporate Counsel San Diego Chapter’s February 2015 Brown Bag Program. Click here for more information. <-- Back to LAC Blog...
The President’s Immigration Accountability Executive Actions -- Benefits for individuals in the United States pursuant to employment-based visas: Below is a summary of the issues pertaining to individuals in the U.S. pursuant to employment-based visas. The details are still unclear. Specifically, eligibility criteria, process for application, timing of regulations are largely unknown. However, these are the principal components as we currently understand them. Timing of Filing for Adjustment of Status for quota backlogged individuals The ability of individuals with an approved I-140 employment-based immigrant petition who are caught in the quota backlogs to file for adjustment of status will be advanced to...
On November 20th, President Obama confirmed that he will sign an Immigration Accountability Executive Action. His speech was brief, but he highlighted the main points of his Executive Action. The White House has outlined these in a fact sheet and posted it on its website -- http://m.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2014/11/20/fact-sheet-immigration-accountability-executive-action. We wanted to highlight a few: Creating a mechanism that requires certain undocumented immigrants to pass a background check to make sure that they start paying their fair share in taxes. In order to promote public safety, DHS is establishing a new deferred action program for parents of U.S. Citizens or LPRs who are not enforcement...
The U.S. Department of State announced today that effective November 12, 2014 the U.S. and China will extend the visa validity period issued to students and visitors for business and pleasure....
Larrabee Albi Coker LLP is ranked First Tier in San Diego, California in Immigration Law for 2015 by U.S. News and World Report. The U.S. News and World Report - Best Lawyers "Best Law Firms" rankings are based on a rigorous evaluation process that includes the collection of client and lawyer evaluations, peer review from leading attorneys in their field, and review of additional information provided by law firms as part of the formal submission process....
The 2016 Diversity Visa (DV) Lottery online entry period will begin at Noon ET on October 1, 2014, and will end at Noon ET on November 3, 2014. Applicants may access the eligibility requirements, instructions for application, and FAQs for the 2016 Diversity Immigrant Visa Program at: http://travel.state.gov/content/dam/visas/DV-2016-Instructions-Translations/DV_2016_Instructions_English.pdf. The Diversity Immigrant Visa Program (also known as the Green Card Lottery) provides immigrant visas each fiscal year for persons from countries with low rates of immigration to the United States. Essentially, this program provides certain nationalities with the opportunity to win the chance to apply for a green card, without having to qualify...
As we continue to follow the historic U.S. Supreme Court decision that struck down Section 3 of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) and the impact of that decision on U.S. immigration, we wanted to advise our clients of recent guidance issued by the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) and by the U.S. Department of State (DOS) on this topic. The USCIS recently released updated FAQs -- http://www.uscis.gov/family/same-sex-marriages. We would like to highlight the following Q&A present within the USCIS FAQs which indicates that in addition to immigrant filings for same-sex spouses, nonimmigrant dependent filings (e.g., H-4, L-2, etc.) are...
On Thursday, June 27, 2013 the United States Senate passed S. 744, the "Border Security, Economic Opportunity, and Immigration Modernization Act," (Comprehensive Immigration Reform) with a vote of 68-32. With the passage of this bill, the Senate has moved the United States in the direction of immigration reform that is vital to businesses, the economy, and immigrant families. In response to the vote, President Obama issued a statement, lauding the Senate's action: Today, the Senate did its job. It's now up to the House to do the same. As this process moves forward, I urge everyone who cares about this issue to keep...
On June 26, 2013 the U.S. Supreme Court issued a decision that struck down Section 3 of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA). Section 3 defines marriage as between a man and a woman. The Supreme Court's decision affirmed that the federal government does not have any legitimate reason to discriminate against married couples based on their sexual orientation. Department of Homeland Security's Secretary Janet Napolitano issued a press release stating "Today's historic decision means that our immigration system must stop treating gay and lesbian families differently than other families. "I applaud today's Supreme Court decision in...
If you are a frequent international traveler, you may benefit from enrollment in one of U.S. Customs and Border Protection's Trusted Traveler programs. The Trusted Traveler programs allow CBP to pre-screen the traveler resulting in expedited admission for the traveler and allowing CBP to focus its time and attention on higher-risk travelers. Each of the Trusted Traveler programs require a thorough background check and an application fee, and exclude anyone with even a minor criminal, immigration or customs violation. For those enrolled, participation can significantly reduce a person's travel time. For example, at the San Ysidro, California land border port of...
