The Journal Gazette reported today that some Hispanic Groups rallied yesterday to support legislation that would grant legal status to certain children of illegal immigrants. The Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors Act, known as the DREAM Act would grant conditional legal status to students younger than 35 who were brought to the U.S. before the age of [...]

The filing of a Fiancé(e) visa (K-1 Visa) petition by a U.S. citizen petitioner to bring his or her foreign born fiancé(e) can get very complicated.  There are strict rules that must be followed in order to bring a future spouse into the U.S. prior to marriage and application for a green card. Following these five tips will increase your chances of [...]

The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has updated the number of filings for H-1B petitions for the fiscal year 2010 program. The total applications filed as of April 26, 2009 is 45,000, which is 20,000 short of the H-1B Cap. The USCIS has received 20,000 petitions for applicants with advanced degrees, known as the H-1B Masters Cap.  USCIS will, however, continue [...]

The Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR) announced today that ten immigration judges were sworn in on April 24, 2009 at the EOIR Headquarters in Falls Church, Va. The judges were appointed by the Attorney General and they now join the ranks of over 220 immigration judges located throughout the 50 immigration courts nationwide. What [...]

Change you can believe in? More of the same? You decide. The Houston Chronicle reports that President Obama’s choice to head Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) says he wants to continue the Bush administration’s E-Verify system. Here’s what John Morton said in his Senate confirmation hearing last week: “We cannot make sustained reductions in illegal immigration without [...]

The filing of a Permanent Alien Labor Employment Certification with the US Department of Labor (USDOL) under the PERM program can be tricky. We often are hired by employers to fix an insufficient PERM application. Based on the errors we most often see, we offer these 5 tips that will increase your chances of obtaining PERM certification: Answer each question on the [...]

The College Board released a report titled, “Young Lives on Hold: The College Dreams of Undocumented Students” which supports passage of the DREAM Act. If passed, the DREAM Act will amend the immigration law to allow certain immigrant students who graduate from an American High School, are of good moral character, arrived in the U.S. as children, [...]

The Orlando Sentinel reported today that a federal judge in Los Angeles tentatively ordered the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to reopen the cases of 22 individuals who were denied legal permanent residence because their U.S. citizen spouses died during the application process. U.S. District Judge Christina A. Snyder ruled the so-called “widow penalty” doesn’t require that immigrants’ permanent residency applications [...]

The Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA) ruled yesterday that Immigration Judges no longer have jurisdiction to adjudicate an application submitted by an Arriving Alien seeking adjustment of status under the Cuban Adjustment Act.  There is a limited exception for aliens who have been placed in removal proceedings after returning to the United States pursuant to a grant of advanced parole.  An Arriving [...]

The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced yesterday that it has received approximately 44,000 H-1B petitions towards the Congressionally mandated 65,000 cap. The USCIS will continue to accept petitions subject to the general cap. Historically, the general H-1B visa cap has been reached within the first one to two days of the application period.  However, last year, the USCIS kept [...]