Immigration Updates

It’s been a busy year for lawmakers dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic. Legislation was passed that prevents evictions, provides testing, treatment, and vaccination against COVID-19. It may be easy to forget heading into the new year there are other laws that will be taking effect. Below is a recap of laws that will be taking…

In general, a qualifying domestic violence conviction triggers deportation regardless of sentence, and regardless of whether the conviction is a felony or misdemeanor. The domestic violence deportation ground appears at the Immigration and Nationality Act (“INA”) Section 237(a)(2)(E)(i), 8 USC section 1227(a)(2)(E). Many domestic violence convictions fall into other grounds of deportation, such as aggravated…

Falling out of love is a downward spiral that can trigger intense negative feelings. When those negative feelings manifest themselves in in various ways, the stage is set for domestic violence to take place. In New York City domestic violence falls under the umbrella of “cruel and inhuman treatment,” and such treatment, specially as part…

In cases of divorce planning or child custody, family is at the heart of the dispute. It is all too easy to feel alone and overwhelmed during such a difficult time. The family court deals primarily with the problems of children and their families. The court hears cases involving: In all child support proceedings in…

As exceeding unemployment limits can result in a loss of status, we are reminding F-1 aliens participating in post-completion Optional Practical Training (OPT), and their designated school officials (DSOs), that they must update the employer information in the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS), including unemployment data. Federal regulations require F-1 aliens to notify…

While studying in the United States, it is important to maintain your F or M student status. Your status relates to the purpose, or reason for why you want to come to the United States. The U.S. Department of State issues you your visa based on your intended purpose. If the Department of State issues…

On June 19, 2020, Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany confirmed that for now, President Trump has no plans to lift restrictions discussed below for the Schengen area. On May 24, 2020, based on concerns regarding COVID-19, President Trump issued a proclamation suspending the entry of individuals who were physically present in Brazil during the 14-day period…

Visa Waiver Program (VWP) program allows citizens from participating countries to travel to the U.S. as non-immigrants for business, tourism, transit and medical purposes. Travelers arriving into the U.S. under the VWP are permitted to stay up to 90 days per visit and not required to obtain other travel authorizations, such as a U.S. visa.…

Immigration applications are the most common trigger of adverse immigration consequences. When an immigrant applies for an immigration benefit or status, such as green card or naturalization, s/he must demonstrate that s/he is admissible to the U.S. and has good moral character. Immigration adjudicators often compel applicants to divulge information about their family court cases…

On Friday, a newly-finalized asylum agreement with Honduras took effect. The agreement means that the U.S. may send some asylum seekers to Honduras rather than handle their asylum claim here. Critics of the agreement say it violates our obligations under international asylum law, particularly since Honduras has high levels of violence and corruption. On Friday,…