Immigration and Firm News

Some great news for certain applicants seeking immigrant visas (permanent residence) at US consulates abroad who need waivers of inadmissibility for unlawful presence in the USA! Beginning August 29, 2016, more potential applicants will become eligible to file family unity provisional waivers (Form I-601A) for unlawful presence.  It is important to note that provisional waivers are merely a procedural remedy as to time and place for filing the waiver application and is not a statutory change … [Read more...]

Immigration lawyers and their clients have been waiting years for USCIS to issue some clarity on the meaning of "extreme hardship" required in many waiver applications.  Waivers are additional applications required where a person is found to be inadmissible for a visa or green card, or removable from the US.  Waivers are like exceptions to grounds of inadmissibility or removability. Some grounds do not permit any waivers at all. The most common type of waiver application is one which requires … [Read more...]

On July 22, 2015, USCIS issued proposed rules in the Federal Register that expand Provisional Unlawful Presence Waivers of Inadmissibility.  Anyone can submit comments on or  before September 21, 2015. They should be sent to uscisfrcomment@dhs.gov using "DHS Docket No. USCIS-2012-0003" in the subject line. Note, your comments will be publicly available.  The proposed rule stems from one of President Obama's Executive Actions announced in November 2014 in which he stated that he wanted to expand … [Read more...]

President Obama's November 20, 2014 announcement of Executive Action actually included 12 memos to various agencies with instruction to create or amend administrative policies or to issue new regulations.  One of those memos deals with expansion of the provisional stateside or family unity waiver for unlawful presence.  By way of background, waivers are additional applications required of nonimmigrants visa applicants or permanent resident applicants who are inadmissible to the US or removable … [Read more...]