Visas
The EB-5 Visa Program Placed Under Microscope in Senate Hearing
The Immigrant Investor Program, also known as “EB-5,” has become an increasingly important source of investment for development projects in the United States, attracting billions of dollars to the U.S. economy and creating tens of thousands of jobs in the United States. However, that program came under intense scrutiny this… Read More
The Long Road to Biometric Entry Exit
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) released a new report this week detailing visa overstays in Fiscal Year (FY) 2015, estimating approximately 415,000 individuals overstayed their visa in the past year. The report was referenced heavily in a Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Immigration and the National Interest hearing… Read More
Second Circuit Requires Government to Notify Affected Parties Prior to Visa Petition Revocation
In a breakthrough decision issued at the end of last year, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, which sits in New York City, ruled that U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) must provide notice of its intent to revoke an immigrant visa petition to those who… Read More
DHS Begins Raids and Deportations of Central American Mothers and Children
This past weekend, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) conducted immigration raids, primarily in Georgia, Texas and North Carolina where, according to DHS, they rounded up 121 individuals, mostly women and children. DHS now is transporting the families to Texas to process them for deportation. The raids were anticipated,… Read More
House Passes Visa Waiver Program Bill that Excludes Nationals of Syria, Iraq, Iran and Sudan
While Congress may be backing away from targeting the refugee resettlement program in reaction to recent terrorist attacks, lawmakers appear to have found a new target: the Visa Waiver Program (VWP). The VWP allows travelers from certain countries to enter the United States without obtaining a visa in advance. Currently, 38 countries, including France, the United Kingdom and Taiwan, are part of this program, with over 20 million visitors utilizing it each year. It was created to facilitate more efficient inbound travel to the U.S. and requires pre-screening of travelers who are pre-approved through the program. In designating a country to participate, the Department of Homeland Security, in consultation with the Secretary of State, considers only those the U.S. holds "the best law-enforcement and security relationships with." Read More
Setting the Record Straight on the Leaked Government Memo on Work Authorization
Recently, a leaked memo related to the Department of Homeland Security’s ongoing deliberations about reforming the employment-based immigrant visa system was published online. An “investigative associate” with the restrictionist organization Immigration Reform Law Institute (IRLI) wrote an op-ed in The Hill making grossly inaccurate statements about the contents of… Read More
DHS Secretary Johnson Discusses Border Security, Executive Action, Refugees and PEP
On Thursday, Secretary Jeh Johnson of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) addressed the 12th Annual Immigration Law and Policy Conference, covering a wide-range of topics, from border security to the new Priority Enforcement Program (PEP) to executive action and refugees. Secretary Johnson began his remarks calling attention to… Read More
Report Highlights Uncertain Futures of Unaccompanied Child Migrants
Although their numbers have declined this year, unaccompanied children (UACs) from El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Mexico continue to arrive at the U.S.-Mexico border by the thousands. Many—particularly those from Central America—are refugees fleeing horrific levels of violence in their home countries. Others might more properly be termed… Read More
Visa Bulletin Change Fails to Deliver
A grave error was made last month by the Departments of State (DOS) and Homeland Security (DHS) when they dashed the hopes of thousands of would-be permanent resident applicants who had expected to apply to adjust their status in October, but became ineligible after DOS reissued the monthly Visa Bulletin. Read More
Fifty Years Later, the Immigration Act That Transformed America
Fifty years ago this past Saturday, President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) into law. This Act is best known for having dismantled an earlier immigrant admission system that was based on national origin quotas. Instead, the INA established a new immigration system that prioritized… Read More
All gifts are matched dollar for dollar
No one should face the immigration system alone
