CBP Announces e-SAFE Pilot Program for Online Filing of Waiver Applications
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has announced a new online system - the Electronic Secured Adjudication Forms Environment, known as e-SAFE.
The new system will allow for the electronic filing of certain waiver applications. Specifically, it allows Form I-192, Application for Advance Permission to Enter as a Nonimmigrant, and Form I-212, Application for Permission to Reapply for Admission into the United States After Deportation or Removal, to be submitted online for citizens of specified visa exempt countries including Canada, Palau, the Federated States of Micronesia and the Marshall Islands. These waiver applications are for nonimmigrants who have been found inadmissible and who are otherwise barred from entry to the U.S.
Applicants will be able to view their application status, submit additional information if requested, and ultimately learn the outcome of their online waiver application through this system.
Need help with your waiver application?
Contact us today at theteam@huwelaw.com, or 415-496-9040.
USCIS announces the beginning of “eProcessing”
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has recently announced that it will begin “eProcessing” cases. The official announcement states that “eProcessing will be a complete digital experience, from applying for a benefit, to communicating with USCIS, through receiving a decision on a case.” The hope is that this new system will “improve decision timeliness, increase transparency during the application process, and accelerate the availability of online filing for all immigration benefits.”
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has recently announced that it will begin “eProcessing” cases. The official announcement states that “eProcessing will be a complete digital experience, from applying for a benefit, to communicating with USCIS, through receiving a decision on a case.” The hope is that this new system will “improve decision timeliness, increase transparency during the application process, and accelerate the availability of online filing for all immigration benefits.”
The first step in this transition is to allow certain nonimmigrants applying for a change of status or an extension of status to do so online.
Historically major changes in the processing system have been implemented slowly, over the course of many months or years. We expect that this will be the case here as well, and that the transition may be a bumpy one. Contact us at theteam@huwelaw.com or 415-496-9040 to learn more.
Can you apply for a green card this month? Check the May Visa Bulletin!
Have you been “waiting in line” for a green card to become available in your preference category? You can check the U.S. Department of State Visa Bulletin for May 2019 to see if your priority date is current this month.
USCIS has determined that in May, the Dates for Filing Chart must be used for family-sponsored green cards, and the Final Action Dates Chart used for employer-sponsored green cards.
To view the full Bulletin, please visit:
Need help interpreting the Bulletin and preparing and filing your green card application?
Contact us at theteam@huwelaw.com or 415-496-9040 today.
Military Parole-in-Place as a Path to a Green Card: What You Need to Know
Do you meet the following criteria? (1) You are an immigrant who entered the U.S. without a visa, (2) you are the spouse, parent, or child under 21 of a U.S. citizen, and (3) you have a close relative who is a member or former member of the U.S. Military? If so, you may be eligible for a green card via a special immigration benefit called “Parole-in-Place.”
In general, a “lawful admission” to the U.S. is required for the spouse, child, or parent of a U.S. citizen to be eligible for a green card. Parole-in-Place is a program that was created in year 2013 to help certain immigrants who do not have a “lawful admission” to obtain one without leaving the country.
What are the eligibility requirements for Parole-in-Place?
• You are physically present in the United States, but were not lawfully admitted
• You are the spouse, parent, or son or daughter (of any age) of an active duty member of the U.S. Armed, the Selected Reserve of the Ready Reserve, or former member of the U.S. Armed Forces or Selected Reserve of the Ready Reserve (including individuals who served in the military but are now deceased)
• You have no prior criminal convictions or other serious adverse factors
Even if you are eligible for Parole-in-Place, you must have a U.S. citizen spouse, parent, or child over the age of 21 who can serve as your sponsor for a green card.
If you believe you may be eligible for this amazing benefit, please contact us at theteam@huwelaw.com, or 415-496-9040 to learn more.
From TPS to a Green Card: One Man’s Journey
As an immigration lawyer in today’s changing world, I am frequently approached by prospective clients whose Temporary Protected Status (TPS) has been scheduled to terminate. They are often scared and bewildered, wondering what, if any, option they have?
As an immigration lawyer in today’s changing world, I am frequently approached by prospective clients whose Temporary Protected Status (TPS) has been scheduled to terminate. They are often scared and bewildered, wondering what, if any, option they have?
Luckily, with some legal maneuvering it is often possible for someone in this situation to obtain a green card sponsored by an immediate relative. Below is our client Jose’s story.
Jose arrived in the U.S. in year 2001 from El Salvador. He crossed the border without a visa, fleeing a brutal civil war that was raging there at the time. He entered the U.S. frightened and with little money, hoping to start a new life here.
Our government granted Jose Temporary Protected Status, or TPS, due to the unsafe conditions in El Salvador. As the years passed and those conditions continued, Jose was allowed to renew his grant of TPS every 18 months. He resided and worked in the U.S. as an upstanding member of society for nearly a decade. The U.S. had become his home.
In year 2010, Jose met Clara, a U.S. citizen by birth. He and Clara started dating, fell in love, and decided to get married in year 2012. Jose’s immigration status remained that of TPS. Because Jose had entered the country illegally, he believed that he was not eligible for a green card through Clara.
Years later, our government announced that they would be terminating TPS for El Salvador. Jose suffered anxiety every day, not knowing how he would be able to remain in the U.S. with his life partner Clara. Then Jose met me.
I explained to Jose that he did have options. And one of those options was to obtain a lawful entry to the U.S. by applying for permission to travel outside of the country and reenter under TPS. While the timing would be tight because we knew at that point that Jose’s TPS would be terminated in less than a year, I reassured him that this was doable. Once Jose obtained the lawful entry, Clara would be able to sponsor him for his green card. Once we submitted the green card application, he would have permission to remain in the U.S. while it was pending.
Jose got his permission to travel and left and reentered the U.S., we applied for his green card, and he is now a permanent resident of the United States. He no longer fears deportation and separation from his wife of 7 years.
Jose’s story is not unique. Our immigration laws and policies are complex, and too many immigrants do not know their options. We offer a thorough initial legal evaluation to review your history in detail, explain all possible paths, and create a plan moving forward. Contact us today to learn more: 415-496-9040 or theteam@huwelaw.com.
