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On December 23, 2021, in consultation with the Department of Homeland Security, the Secretary of State authorized consular offices through December 31, 2022, to waive in-person interview requirements for certain nonimmigrant visa applicants. Who is covered under the expanded authorization? Newly covered visa types: The new authorization applies to those applying for H-1, H-3, H-4,… Read More

The Parliamentarian, the Senate ‘referee,’ rejected the Democrats’ latest attempt at including an immigration proposal in the Build Back Better bill. The Democrats have submitted three different immigration proposals to the Parliamentarian to put immigration reform through a process called “budget reconciliation.” Bills that go through budget reconciliation only need a simple majority to bypass… Read More

Immigrants who want to get a green card are required to undergo a medical exam, the results of which are recorded in Form I-693. These results are valid for two years after the civil surgeon (a doctor designated by USCIS) signs the form. However, during the Trump administration, USCIS only accepted medical examination forms (Form… Read More

Two weeks ago, Democrats were given hopeful signals that the Senate Parliamentarian would approve their proposals for undocumented immigrants to be included in a “human infrastructure bill.” We’ve reported on these proposals on our blog, including allowing millions of undocumented people to apply for work permits and permission to travel. While the official ruling has… Read More

On December 2, 2021, the CDC announced that ALL travelers travelling to the United States two years or older via air travel, regardless of vaccination status or citizenship will be required to take a COVID-19 viral test and show a negative result to the airline, no more than one day before boarding a flight. This new… Read More

As of Monday, the United States has begun sending deportation notices to 78,000 migrants who allegedly crossed the U.S.-Mexico border this year without authorization. Many of the recipients are families with children. The dispatch effort is called “Operation Horizon” and will put tens of thousands of people who received “ad hoc” processing on the border… Read More

House Passes Immigration Measures as Part of Build Back Better Act We applaud today’s passage by the House of Representatives of the “Build Back Better Act” by a vote of 220 to 213. The bill will now go to the Senate for consideration. Allen Orr, President of the American Immigration Attorney Association  said, “We welcome the… Read More

We urge our readers to take action and contact your representative in Congress to Provide a Path to Citizenship and Visa Backlog Reforms Through Budget Reconciliation.  Congress is voting on this bill sometime this week.  Contact your representative and tell them that now is the time for Congress to deliver a pathway to citizenship for people… Read More

The Department of Homeland Security has announced the automatic extension of TPS designations for El Salvador, Haiti, Honduras, Nepal, Nicaragua, and Sudan. TPS beneficiaries from these six countries will retain their status, provided they continue to meet all the individual requirements for TPS eligibility. The automatic extension of TPS-related documentation includes Employment Authorization Documents (EADs)… Read More

The Justice Department announced today that they will no longer impose case completion quotas for immigration judges that were imposed upon them by the prior administration.  The judges claimed that completion quotas undercut the judges’ authority and discretion to decide matters before them.  Immigration Judges are employees of the Department of Justice and they typically… Read More