‘Twas the Night Before Immigration Reform
‘Twas the night before immigration reform, when all through the Congressional House Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse.
Immigration stakeholders hoped with bated breath For some kind of action before all had left.
On Friday, December, 18th, the 2016 Consolidated Appropriations Act (H.R. 2029) was signed into law. This law funds the federal government to the end of Fiscal Year 2016, but it also included changes to the Visa Waiver Program (VWP).
New Restrictions on Visa Waiver Program Eligibility for Certain Individuals (Effective Date: December 18, 2015):
– Individuals who have been present in Iraq, Syria, Iran, or Sudan (or other countries designated by DHS as supporting terrorism or “of concern”) at any time on or after March 1, 2011, are not eligible to participate in the VWP. The new law exempts those performing military service in the armed forces of a VWP country or those carrying out official duties in a full-time capacity in the employment of a VWP country government. In addition, DHS may waive exclusion from the VWP program if it would be in the law enforcement or national security interests of the United States.
Immigration Policy Center Releases Updated State-by-State Fact Sheets (2015)
The Immigration Policy Center (IPC) has released all fifty states, the District of Columbia and the United States (Overall), for a total of fifty-two updated fact sheets with accompanying info graphics and other details. These fact sheets highlight the demographic and economic impact of Immigrants, Asians and Latinos in each state. The Immigration Policy Center (IPC) is the research and policy division of the American Immigration Council (AIC).
As Washington D.C. continues the discussion of Comprehensive Immigration Reform, we thought that it would be a good time to provide some statistics on the Immigrant population in the United States as provided by this IPC research. Once a week we will be posting a blog with information on three states at a time. This week we will highlight; Michigan, Minnesota & Mississippi.
Attorney Kellie Lego has been selected to the 2016 Super Lawyers – Maryland Rising Stars list in the field of Immigration Law. Each year, no more than 2.5 percent of the lawyers in the state are selected by the research team at Super Lawyers to receive this honor. A candidate must be either 40 years old or younger or in practice for 10 years or less. This is Kellie’s fourth consecutive Maryland Rising Star honor (2013-2016).
Super Lawyers, a Thomson Reuters business, is a rating service of outstanding lawyers from more than 70 practice areas who have attained a high degree of peer recognition and professional achievement. The annual selections are made using a patented multiphase process that includes a statewide survey of lawyers, an independent research evaluation of candidates and peer reviews by practice area. The result is a credible, comprehensive and diverse listing of exceptional attorneys.
The Super Lawyers lists are published nationwide in Super Lawyers Magazines and in leading city and regional magazines and newspapers across the country. Super Lawyers Magazines also feature editorial profiles of attorneys who embody excellence in the practice of law. For more information about Super Lawyers, visit SuperLawyers.com.
Immigration Policy Center Releases Updated State-by-State Fact Sheets (2015)
The Immigration Policy Center (IPC) has released all fifty states, the District of Columbia and the United States (Overall), for a total of fifty-two updated fact sheets with accompanying info graphics and other details. These fact sheets highlight the demographic and economic impact of Immigrants, Asians and Latinos in each state. The Immigration Policy Center (IPC) is the research and policy division of the American Immigration Council (AIC).
As Washington D.C. continues the discussion of Comprehensive Immigration Reform, we thought that it would be a good time to provide some statistics on the Immigrant population in the United States as provided by this IPC research. Once a week we will be posting a blog with information on three states at a time. This week we will highlight; Maine, Maryland & Massachusetts.
Administrative Appeals Office (AAO) Processing Times were released with processing dates as of 12/1/15.
If you filed an appeal, please review the link below to determine the applicable processing time associated with your particular case.
The Department of State has released its latest Visa Bulletin.
Click here to view the January 2016 Visa Bulletin
The monthly Visa Bulletin has changed. The bulletin now summarizes the availability of immigrant numbers during the reported month for: “Application Final Action Dates” (consistent with prior Visa Bulletins) and “Dates for Filing Applications,” indicating when immigrant visa applicants should be notified to assemble and submit required documentation to the National Visa Center using Consular Processing (outside of the US) or file on their own with USCIS Form I-485 (within the US).
MVP Law Group, P.A. makes available the information and materials in this forum for informational purposes only. The information is general in nature and does not constitute legal advice or any contractual obligations. Further, the use of this site, and the sending or receipt of this information, does not create an attorney-client relationship between us. Therefore, your communication with us through this forum will not be considered as privileged or confidential.
Question #1 – Criminal Convictions Will a criminal conviction impair my ability to receive a temporary visa?
Answer #1 It depends upon the type of criminal conviction. Depending upon the seriousness of the criminal conviction, it is possible to be inadmissible and/or deportable for certain criminal convictions – crimes of moral turpitude, crimes involving domestic violence. You should speak with an Immigration Attorney to further discuss your situation.
USCIS has released a Fact Sheet on the Refugee Security Screening process. USCIS would like to show their commitment to protecting the American public and meeting our national security needs. This fact sheet provides an overview of refugee security screening and background checks.
The U.S. Refugee Admissions Program (USRAP) is an interagency effort involving a number of governmental and non-governmental partners both overseas and in the United States. USCIS follows the standards developed by the USRAP and federal law. Refugee applicants are subject to the highest degree of security screening and background checks for any category of traveler to the United States. All refugee applicants and their family members included in the application must complete and clear biographic (events in a person’s life) and biometric (pictures and fingerprints) security checks, obtain a medical examination, as well as undergo an in-depth interview with an Officer of the USCIS.
For more detailed information about this subject please review the USCIS Web Page, “Fact Sheet: Refugee Security Screening“. There is also a White House Blog post, “Watch: Here’s What the Refugee Screening Process Looks Like“, which includes a video!
Immigration Policy Center Releases Updated State-by-State Fact Sheets (2015)
The Immigration Policy Center (IPC) has released all fifty states, the District of Columbia and the United States (Overall), for a total of fifty-two updated fact sheets with accompanying info graphics and other details. These fact sheets highlight the demographic and economic impact of Immigrants, Asians and Latinos in each state. The Immigration Policy Center (IPC) is the research and policy division of the American Immigration Council (AIC).
As Washington D.C. continues the discussion of Comprehensive Immigration Reform, we thought that it would be a good time to provide some statistics on the Immigrant population in the United States as provided by this IPC research. Once a week we will be posting a blog with information on three states at a time. This week we will highlight; Kansas, Kentucky & Louisiana.
H1B Visa Lawyer Blog