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FAQs: Immigration-Related COVID-19
Due to the rapid spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), we are facing a global pandemic and today’s national emergency announcement may have raised questions about the status of immigration processes and the status of your case. At Lal Legal, we are monitoring developments closely and updating clients as needed as to how this impacts their cases. More information on the novel coronavirus can be found here including how... -
New Trump Travel Bans In Light of COVID-19 Are Short-Sighted and Reactionary
The United States has issued a new travel ban targeted at limiting travel from Europe in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. Yesterday, President Trump issued Proclamation 9984 (Suspension of Entry as Immigrants and Nonimmigrants of Persons Who Pose a Risk of Transmitting 2019 Novel Coronavirus and Other Appropriate Measures To Address This Risk), which limits travel from EU-specific countries. This follows on the heels of travel bans against all persons... -
H-1B Lottery Registration Now Underway
There are a number of changes to the H-1B process this year, and we want to make employers, recruiters and potential beneficiaries aware of these upcoming deadlines and changes. Important Dates for H1B Registration Process March 1st, Noon EST, 2020 : Employer can start to submit H1B Registrations after creating an account with USCIS March 20th, Noon EST, 2020 : H1B Registration period ends. March 31st, 2020 : H1B Lottery/ Selection Results Deadline... -
Trump Administration Expands Muslim Travel Ban
Today, the Trump administration added six more countries to the list of nations facing stringent travel restrictions. Nigeria, Myanmar (Burma), Eritrea, Sudan, Tanzania, Kyrgyzstan are the new countries to face travel restrictions of varying degrees. The visa ban takes effect on February 21, 2020. There is no expiry date on the visa ban. All six countries have substantially large Muslim populations. These six countries join nationals from Iran, Libya,... -
USCIS Sets Effective Date for Public Charge Rule: Feb 24, 2020
Please note that the public charge rule only applies to new applicants for family-based adjustment of status, employment-based cases, diversity visas and non-immigrant visas. If you or your case does not fall into these specific categories, the public charge rule does not apply to you. USCIS has officially announced that the the public charge rule goes into effect on February 24, 2020 except for in the State of Illinois where... -
Supreme Court Greenlights ‘Public Charge’ Rule
In a narrow 5-4 decision along ideological lines, the Supreme Court has given the Trump administration the greenlight to enforce a rule that could make it harder for certain immigrants to gain green cards in the United States. -
EADs automatically extended to Jan. 4, 2021 for six TPS-designated countries
DHS automatically extended the validity of Employment Authorization Documents (EADs) listed in the table below issued under the TPS designations for El Salvador, Haiti, Honduras, Nepal, Nicaragua, and Sudan through January 4, 2021. EADs with the following expiration dates and a category code of A-12 or C-19 are now valid through January 4, 2021: 07/22/2017 11/02/2017 01/05/2018 01/22/2018 03/09/2018 06/24/2018 07/05/2018 11/02/2018 01/05/2019 04/02/2019 06/24/2019 07/22/2019 09/09/2019 01/02/2020 01/05/2020 03/24/2020 -
USCIS Accepting Green Card Applications Under LRIF Act Now
The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services is now accepting applications to adjust status to lawful permanent resident from certain Liberian nationals under Section 7611 of the National Defense Authorization Act (PDF) for Fiscal Year 2020, Liberian Refugee Immigration Fairness (LRIF), which was signed into law on Dec. 20, 2019. Section 7611 of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2020, Liberian Refugee Immigration Fairness (LRIF), allows Liberian nationals and their... -
Victory – SIJS Settlement Final. USCIS Resumes Processing SIJS Applications
After more than a year of holding Special Immigrant Juvenile (SIJ) cases in abeyance and denying many by adding extraneous requirements, USCIS will resume processing them as part of a settlement agreement in J.L. v. Cuccinelli, 18-CV-4914 (N.D. Cal.) A long-time client of Lal Legal filed a class action lawsuit earlier this year alleging that U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) imposed a new requirement on SIJ-classification eligibility and... -
PSA: File Green Card Applications Before October 14th!
On August 14, 2019, DHS published a final rule on the public charge ground of inadmissibility. The final rule becomes effective Oct. 15, 2019. The inadmissibility ground at issue says a person is inadmissible if they are likely to become a public charge and applies to individuals seeking admission into the United States or applying for adjustment of status. Many classes of immigrants are exempt from public charge grounds...
