Immigration Updates

(i) In general.-An alien present in the United States without being admitted or paroled, or who arrives in the United States at any time or place other than as designated by the Attorney General, is inadmissible. (ii) Exception for certain battered women and children.-Clause (i) shall not apply to an alien who demonstrates that- (I)…

Not all criminal history disqualifies an applicant from receiving a visa or green card. Generally speaking, immigration authorities may deny entry if you have been convicted of any of the following crimes of “moral turpitude”: Even crimes that normally would render a person inadmissible may be subject to a waiver under certain circumstances. Moreover, convictions…

The DACA and DAPA Deferred Action Initiatives

“Pela autoridade que me foi conferida como presidente pela Constituição e pelas leis dos Estados Unidos da América, incluindo a Lei de Imigração e Nacionalidade (INA), Título 8 do Código dos EUA, parágrafo 1101 e alterações subsequentes, e a seção 301 do Título 3 do Código dos Estados Unidos, e para proteger os americanos de…

Release Date: March 15, 2017 U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services will begin accepting H-1B petitions subject to the fiscal year 2018 cap on April 3, 2017. All cap-subject H-1B petitions filed before April 3, 2017, for the FY 2018 cap will be rejected. The H-1B program allows companies in the United States to temporarily employ…

Terrorism-Related Inadmissibility Grounds (TRIG) Generally, any individual who is a member of a “terrorist organization” or who has engaged or engages in terrorism-related activity as defined by the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) is “inadmissible” (not allowed to enter) the United States and is ineligible for most immigration benefits. The definition of terrorism-related activity is…

By: Immigration Attorney Norka M. Schell In the year of 2016, the election of Donald Trump was significant for the direction it signaled U.S. immigration policy would be taking in the foreseeable future. The elected President proposes to build a wall on the Mexican border; to deport illegal immigrants; and to block the inflow of…

By: Walter Ewing In the event that there was any doubt, women and children from Central America’s Northern Triangle—El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras—are fleeing the same horrific conditions that were driving them out of their countries in large numbers two years ago. That is why apprehensions of Northern Triangle refugees have gone up this year,…

In New York City, defendants are brought before a Judge for arraignment within 24 hours of the arrest. After the case has been docketed by the court and the complaint and accused’s criminal history are ready, the defendant is brought to Criminal Court for arraignment. In New York City’s five boroughs, criminal court arraignments are…

Validity of Marriage for Immigration Purposes The applicant must establish validity of his or her marriage. In general, the legal validity of a marriage is determined by the law of the place where the marriage was celebrated? (“place-of-celebration rule”). Under this rule, a marriage is valid for immigration purposes in cases where the marriage is…