News Updates

2022 DIVERSITY VISA LOTTERY – ONLINE ENTRY PERIOD

18:17 01 October in News Updates by Larrabee

Begins at Noon EDT on Wednesday, October 7, 2020 Ends at Noon EST on Tuesday, November 10, 2020 The Diversity Immigrant Visa Program (also known as the Green Card or DV 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 in one of the family-based or employment-based categories. For fiscal year 2022, 55,000 diversity visas will be available. There are various bills pending before Congress which call for the...

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Court Enjoins USCIS Fee Increase Rule Due to Take Effect October 2, 2020

20:14 30 September in News Updates by Larrabee

On September 29, 2020, a California federal judge granted a motion for preliminary injunction, barring U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) from increasing filing fees for immigration benefits two days before the rule was to take effect. The court based its holding on the following:  That acting Homeland Security Chief Chad Wolf was likely improperly appointed; the Final Rule violates some procedural and substantive requirements of the Administrative Procedures Act; the Department of Homeland Security failed to consider important aspects of the problem; the Trump administration did not explain its shift in policy; and that by charging a fee for asylum...

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WEEKLY IMMIGRATION UPDATE 9.28.2020

22:45 28 September in News Updates by Larrabee

HEADLINES   October Visa Bulletin Shows Major Movement in Employment-Based Cases; USCIS Applies Filing Date Rather Than Final Action Date to Certain Adjustment Applications- USCIS issued guidance the same day stating that the Filing Date, rather than the Final Action Date, applies to employment-based I-485 adjustment of status applications. ICE Proposes a Fixed Time Period of Admission and Extension-of-Stay Procedure for Nonimmigrant Students, Exchange Visitors, Foreign Media Representatives - ICE proposes to amend its regulations by changing the admission period of F, J, and I individuals from duration of status to admission for a fixed time period. EAD Delays Due to...

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WEEKLY IMMIGRATION UPDATE 9.22.2020

19:15 22 September in News Updates by Larrabee

HEADLINES   1.  DV-2020 Applicants Cannot Be Denied Visas Under COVID Guidance, Court Says - The order states that the government must undertake "good-faith efforts" to expeditiously process and adjudicate DV-2020 diversity visa and derivative beneficiary applications and issue or reissue diversity and derivative beneficiary visas to eligible applicants by September 30, 2020. 2.  Ninth Circuit Rules President Can End TPS - TPS beneficiaries from Haiti, Nicaragua, and Sudan could be required to leave the United States (or find another legal way to stay) by March 2021. Those from El Salvador, by far the largest group at an estimated 263,000, could be expelled...

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WEEKLY IMMIGRATION UPDATE 9.14.2020

22:23 14 September in News Updates by Larrabee

HEADLINES    1. U.S. Revokes More Than 1,000 Visas for Chinese Students, Researchers - The revocations appear to result from President Trump's proclamation in May 2020 suspending the entry of certain students and researchers from China. 2.  When Is a Furlough Not a Furlough? - Despite USCIS backing off from plans to furlough thousands of employees nationwide, the agency is going ahead with furloughs of at least 800 private contractors who work for a contractor that provides services at the National Benefit Center in Missouri. 3.  Second Circuit Stays Preliminary Injunction in Public Charge Rule Challenge, Allowing USCIS to Move Forward - The U.S....

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Wildfires in California, Oregon and Washington

18:50 11 September in News Updates by Larrabee

The LAC family sends our thoughts and support to our colleagues, clients, family and friends through the West Coast who are facing evacuations due to unprecedented wildfires throughout the region. We also join the nation in remembering the lives lost on September 11, 2001, and honoring the many firefighters and first responders who risked and lost their lives to save others.  We extend our thanks to the next generation of men and women who continue that important work in our local communities.   Firefighters, first responders - thank you for your service. Operations at the LAC office in San Diego, California are uninterrupted.  ...

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WEEKLY IMMIGRATION UPDATE 9.08.2020

17:56 08 September in News Updates by Larrabee

HEADLINES   DHS Sends H-1B, Work Authorization Rules to OMB for Review Before Publication - DHS has sent several rules to OMB for final review, including an interim final rule to redefine what constitutes an H-1B specialty occupation and an employer-employee relationship, and a proposed rule to eliminate eligibility for work authorization for certain people who have final orders of removal but are temporarily released from custody on an order of supervision, with limited exceptions. DHS To Propose Major Expansion of Biometrics Collection and Use - Among other things, DHS proposes that any applicant, petitioner, sponsor, beneficiary, or individual...

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WEEKLY IMMIGRATION UPDATE 8.31.2020

20:05 31 August in News Updates by Larrabee

HEADLINES   1.  USCIS Cancels Planned Furloughs But Predicts Further Backlogs and Slowdowns; House Passes Related Bill - Just five days before furloughs were set to begin for more than 13,000 USCIS employees, the agency announced that it was canceling those plans. However, USCIS said backlogs and wait times would increase across the board. Meanwhile, the House of Representatives passed a related emergency funding bill, but its fate in the Senate is uncertain. 2.  State Dept. Expands Interview Waiver Eligibility for Certain Nonimmigrants - The Department of State has temporarily expanded the ability of consular officers to waive the in-person interview requirement for...

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WEEKLY IMMIGRATION UPDATE 8.25.2020

15:25 25 August in News Updates by Larrabee

HEADLINES 1. Breaking News:  USCIS Averts Furlough of Nearly 70% of Workforce -- U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services announced today that the agency will avert an administrative furlough of more than 13,000 employees, scheduled to begin Aug. 30 as a result of unprecedented spending cuts and a steady increase in daily incoming revenue and receipts. 2.  Extreme Wait Times at Baja California Land Border Ports of Entry:   New protocols to deter unnecessary border crossings are causing wait times in the non-SENTRI lanes to exceed 6 hours at many times of the day, having a significant impact on daily border crossers.  To reduce the...

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