January 2018 Visa Bulletin Released
The U.S. Department of State has released the Visa Bulletin for January 2018. In addition to filing and filing action dates, the Bulletin includes information on the diversity visa cut-offs, the Special Immigrant translator visa availability, and the scheduled expiration of two employment visa categories.
The U.S. Department of State has released the Visa Bulletin for January 2018. In addition to filing and filing action dates, the Bulletin includes information on the diversity visa cut-offs, the Special Immigrant translator visa availability, and the scheduled expiration of two employment visa categories.
USCIS has advised that in January it will be accepting adjustment of status applications based on filing dates for family-based cases. However, final action dates must be used for employment-based cases.
To view the full Bulletin, please visit:
https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/legal/visa-law0/visa-bulletin/2018/visa-bulletin-for-january-2018.html
To discuss your immigration goals, please contact us at theteam@huwelaw.com or 415-496-9040.
Update: TPS to End for Haiti
On November 10th, we posted on Temporary Protected Status (TPS) ending for Nicaragua, and hypothesized that it could soon be terminated for Haiti as well.
This week the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced that yes, it would be terminating the TPS designation for Haiti. The nearly 60,000 Haitians who are currently present in the U.S. in TPS have until July 22, 2019 to either depart or to find another way to remain here lawfully under our immigration laws. You can read more here:
For someone from Haiti who has been residing in the U.S. in TPS for years, this may be a terrifying prospect. The good news is that other legal immigration avenues may be available for a person in this situation. For example, if an individual is married to a U.S. citizen, one option may be an application for permanent residency (a “green card”) with the spouse serving as the sponsor. If the individual has been a victim of crime while in the U.S., they may be eligible for a U visa, which is a path to a green card.
It is important to meet with an immigration attorney as soon as possible to learn about the viability and risks and benefits of other immigration paths. Please contact us at theteam@huwelaw.com or 415-496-9040 to schedule an initial legal evaluation.
December 2017 Visa Bulletin Released
The U.S. Department of State has released the Visa Bulletin for December 2017. This Bulletin includes information on the diversity visa cut-offs, the Special Immigrant translator visa availability, the retrogression of Philippines family-sponsored preference categories, and the scheduled expiration of two employment visa categories.
USCIS has advised that in December it will be accepting adjustment of status applications based on filing dates for family-based cases. However, final action dates must be used for employment-based cases.
To view the full Bulletin, please visit:
https://travel.state.gov/content/visas/en/law-and-policy/bulletin/2018/visa-bulletin-for-december-2017.html
To discuss your immigration goals, please contact us at theteam@huwelaw.com or 415-496-9040.
TPS Ending for Nicaragua: Are Haiti and El Salvador Next?
This week the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced that it would be terminating the Temporary Protected Status (TPS) designation for Nicaragua. Nicaraguans who are currently present in the U.S. in TPS have until January 5, 2019 to either depart or to find another way to remain here lawfully under our immigration laws.
Due to recent rhetoric from the Trump administration, many believe this signals the beginning of a dismantling of the entire TPS program. The program allows immigrants from countries that have been designated as temporarily unsafe, due to ongoing armed conflict, natural disaster, or some other extraordinary and temporary condition, to live and work in the U.S. for a specific time period. Since the program’s inception in 1990, the U.S. has granted TPS to immigrants from ten countries, in many instances repeatedly renewing the designation over a period of a decade or more.
The current TPS designations for Haiti and El Salvador are set to expire in January and March 2018, respectively. Both are under review, and it is possible that DHS will soon announce the termination of TPS for immigrants from these countries. If termination occurs, it is unclear whether recipients will be given extra time in TPS beyond the current expiration date.
For someone from one of these countries who has been residing in the U.S. in TPS for years, this may be a terrifying prospect. The good news is that other legal immigration avenues may be available for a person in this situation. For example, if an individual is married to a U.S. citizen, one option may be an application for permanent residency (a “green card”) with the spouse serving as the sponsor. If the individual has been a victim of crime while in the U.S., they may be eligible for a U visa, which is a path to a green card.
It is important to meet with an immigration attorney as soon as possible to learn about the viability and risks and benefits of other immigration paths. Please contact us at theteam@huwelaw.com or 415-496-9040 to schedule an initial legal evaluation.
November 2017 Visa Bulletin Released
The Department of State has released the visa bulletin for November 2017.
USCIS has advised that next month it will accept adjustment of status applications for family-based preference filings based on the filing dates chart, but that the final action dates chart must be used for employment-based preference filings.
To see the full bulletin, please visit:
To discuss your immigration goals, please contact us at theteam@huwelaw.com or 415-496-9040.
