Trump administration rescinds foreign students rule
In response to several lawsuits, the Trump administration backs down from its proposed policy to invalidate student visas for those attending online only courses dues to the COVID-19 pandemic. Here is the article about this recent development written by John…
International Students Will Lose Their Visas if Their Schools Only Offer Online Classes Due to COVID-19 Pandemic
On July 6, 2020, the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) issued modifications to the temporary exemptions put in place due to COVID-19. Prior to COVID-19, students that held F-1 and M-1 nonimmigrant visas were only allowed to take one…
What You Need to Know about the New USCIS Policy H-1B Memo
On June 17, United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) issued a policy memorandum adjusting some petition requirements for H-1B nonimmigrants. It was prompted to change some of its requirements for H-1B nonimmigrant petitions after the IT Serve Alliance lawsuit…
Q&A Webinar Replay: Trump’s Immigration Ban -June 24, 2020
Attorney Ann Massey Badmus answers questions on the latest Trump Immigration Ban on immigrant visas (#greencards) and H-1B, H-2B, L-1, and some J-1 visa programs. The ban affects workers and family members who are outside the U.S. and haven’t yet…
Children of Permanent Residents and U.S. Citizens Exempt from New Immigration Ban
June 24, 2020 – Last month, litigators from the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA), Justice Action Center (JAC), and Innovation Law Lab, with pro bono support from Mayer Brown LLP, filed a lawsuit on behalf of U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents petitioning for…
An update on citizenship application delays due to COVID-19
On June 17, the New York Times reported that approximately 650,000 citizenship applications were pending in the first quarter of the 2020 fiscal year. When the USCIS shut down in person services at its offices on March 18, naturalization ceremonies were delayed…
COVID-19 Pandemic and the Public Charge Rule for Intending Immigrants
The public charge rule is in place so that “an alien who is likely at any time to become a public charge” will be “generally inadmissible to the United States and ineligible to become a lawful permanent resident.” There are certain public…
Trump’s Proclamation Suspends H-1B, H-2B, J-1, and L-1 Visas for Applicants Outside the U.S.
The most recent executive order which attempts to reduce immigration to the U.S. was issued late this afternoon, June 22, 2020. With some exemptions, it suspends the “entry into the United States of any alien seeking entry pursuant to” an…
The effects of President Trump’s April 2020 Proclamation on minors hoping to immigrate
When President Trump issued his “Proclamation Suspending Entry of Immigrants Who Present Risk to the U.S. Labor Market During the Economic Recovery Following the COVID-19 Outbreak” on April 22, 2020, the proclamation made no exception for the visa applications of…
Social media’s role in the immigration process
Recently, there has been an increasing emphasis put on applicants’ social media usage by the Department of State. Questions regarding applicants’ social media accounts now are included on Forms DS-160 and DS-260. Due to the fact that the emphasis on social…
