Immigration and Firm News

USCIS has announced that it will provide certain relief for Filipino victims of Typhoon Hiyan that struck the Philippines on November 8, 2013. Many people were hoping that the Attorney General would declare the Philippines eligible for Temporary Protected Status (TPS) treatment authorizing those Filipinos in the US as of November 8, 2013 to apply for a special status and work authorization as has been done historically for other countries such as Somalia, El Salvador, Haiti and Syria, among … [Read more...]

USCIS has finally released a long awaited policy memo about "Parole in Place" or PIP. PIP is a procedure that permits qualifying family members who entered the U.S. without inspection (EWI), who ordinarily would need to leave the US to process a family based green card abroad, to be able to apply for green cards (adjustment of status) in the U.S., provided USCIS agrees to "parole" the individual. At this Seattle immigration law firm, we have worked on these cases before, and have found the … [Read more...]

Now that the government has reopened, there are a few lingering immigration related issues. Today, USCIS issued this advisory concerning work visa applications: We would like to share the following information on Form I-129 H-1B, H-2A, and H-2B petitions. If an H-1B, H-2A, or H-2B petitioner submits evidence establishing that the primary reason for failing to timely file an extension of stay or change of status request was due to the government shutdown, USCIS will consider the government … [Read more...]

In the world of immigration and citizenship law, our clients deal with many government agencies. My readers know that I like to cite directly to government sources; so, let's take a look at the contingency plans of various federal agencies in case Congress puts us all over the fiscal cliff into a government shutdown next week. Keep in mind that things are changing by the hour. If ever there is a time for it, should there be a shutdown, patience will certainly be a virtue while our crazy … [Read more...]

I previously wrote about the new I-9 form published by USCIS on March 8. The Handbook for Employers, or M-274, has also been updated. The biggest changes are the additional and expanded pictures of the various documents employers are likely to encounter. However, there are also a number of minor changes that can raise a number of questions by employers as to the appropriate documents that are acceptable or raise questions about the details in completing the I-9s. Today, I attended a … [Read more...]

Today, USCIS published a notice of revised I-9 form in the Federal Register. USCIS states: "Although employers should begin using the 03/08/13 dated form right away, older forms dated 02/02/09 and 08/07/09 will be accepted until May 7, 2013. After May 7, 2013, only the 03/08/13 will be accepted. The revision date is on the lower left corner of the form." USCIS has also scheduled free webinars to help employers understand the new form. Primary changes to the new form include more thorough … [Read more...]

It's been 27 years since Congress passed the 1986 Immigration Reform and Control Act (IRCA) requiring employers to document the work permission status of ALL new hires, including US citizens, on Form I-9. After all those years, employers still contact our office wanting to hire, or continue employing undocumented workers, or they simply want to "help" an employee who they don't realize lacks permission to work. Many employers sound clueless about IRCA requirements, even when there is so much … [Read more...]

One of the most frustrating aspects for immigrants and their families is figuring out the status of their cases pending before USCIS, the courts or the State Department that runs the National Visa Center and US Consulates abroad where visas are issued. The USCIS 1800# customer service number has been a quagmire for years, as any immigration practitioner or applicant can tell you. Run by a third party contractor, the phone tree alone can lead a caller to neverland. Then, if you are lucky to get … [Read more...]

USCIS recently issued a new final regulation that goes into effect on February 1, 2013 specifying that Immigrant Visa recipients must pay a new and additional "Immigrant Fee" of $165.00. Applicants who receive Immigrant Visas at US consulates and embassies abroad will be required to pay the new fee online before they travel to the US. See www.pay.gov. The $165.00 fee covers the cost of green card production and other visa related services by USCIS associated with State Department visa … [Read more...]

In November 2012, USCIS created a new Entrepreneur Pathways portal purportedly to make it easier for foreign national entrepreneurs to navigate the immigration system. Previously in 2011, USCIS Director Alejandro Mayorkas announced a new Entrepreneurs in Residence (EIR) initiative to promote better adjudications for entrepreneurs. EIR would also include training adjudicators about real world business scenarios including start up ventures, financing, hiring methods, and other features of the … [Read more...]