As the immigration executive action remains in legal limbo, the Obama Administration and U.S. Justice Department are reportedly ramping up their efforts to save the programs and deportation relief that would have been provided by this action. In fact, some are calling their most recent actions to further the immigration executive action an “aggressive” legal […]
Days ago, U.S. District Judge Andrew Hanen denied a request made by the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) to lift his injunction, which placed a block on the immigration executive action (IEA). This means that, currently, the promised deportation relief offered by the IEA will remain unavailable until the courts resolve the issues regarding the […]
On February 28, 2014, the Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA) issued a decision that effectively revoked the comparable grounds rule it had been using to determine whether immigrants convicted of crimes would be eligible for relief from deportation per Section 212(c). The BIA’s recent ruling falls in line with the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2011 ruling […]
Since the U.S. Department of Labor ("DOL") introduced General Administration Letter ("GAL") 1-97, the only viable way to apply for an Alien Labor Certification is through the Reduction in Recruitment ("RIR") method. Prior to GAL 1-97, the DOL had been under much criticism due to extreme delays in the processing of traditional labor certification applications, […]
The USCIS issued a press release last month, indicating that it would begin issuing two-year Employment Authorization Documents (EADs) to people with pending I-485 Applications for Adjustment of Status (AOS). Almost immediately, calls began flooding in to the law office, with current and prospective clients insisting that they be included in this new "program." Despite the […]
The Reduction in Recruitment or "RIR" method of filing Labor Certification Applications has been a very popular topic in the press lately. Attorneys tout the RIR request as a much faster way of obtaining a green card than the traditional labor certification process. Although RIR is definitely faster if successful, applicants should be aware of […]
Although President Bush signed into law the Child Status Protection Act ("CSPA") nearly two months ago, many questions remain unanswered as to who will actually benefit from the law and what actions green card applicants must undertake to ensure that benefits are not lost. In an effort to answer some of these questions, the INS […]
Reconciling several years worth of inconsistent Federal Court rulings, Board of Immigration Appeals precedent and contrary argument from the defense bar, the United State Supreme Court issued a ruling restoring 212(c) relief to thousands of deportable aliens in the United States. The case, INS, v. St. Cyr, decided June 25, 2001, held that Federal Courts […]
As policymakers, special interest groups, health care professionals and others discuss the need for health care reform in the US and debate how this reform should take place, one of the most important issues to health care is being left out of the debate: the national nursing shortage. So far, the debate over health care […]
On October 28, 2009, President Obama signed into law amendments to the Immigration & Nationality Act (INA) reversing the longstanding rule that visa petitions filed for relatives are automatically revoked upon the death of the Petitioner. The new law will ameliorate the harsh, unfair consequences resulting to thousands of beneficiaries of family and employment-based visa […]
