Immigration News and Standards | Yao Law Group

U.S Citizenship and Immigration Services

USCIS Site Visits

November 28, 2018

The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) works to deter and detect fraud in all immigration programs. The H-1B visa program helps U.S. companies recruit highly skilled foreign nationals when there is a shortage of qualified workers in the country. Since 2009, USCIS has been increasing targeted inspections and anti-fraud site visits in regards to the H-1B visa, to ensure that employers and foreign workers are complying with the requirements of the H-1B nonimmigrant classification. These compliance review site visits are conducted to review foreign national employees specifically to ensure that the employer is complying with claims made in the I-129 petition, and specifically that they are authorized to work in their current positions.

USCIS Increases Premium Processing Fee

November 28, 2018

Effective October 1st, U.S. Citizen and Immigration Services (USCIS) has increased the premium processing fee from $1225 to $1410 for Form I-129, Petition for a Nonimmigrant Worker and Form I-140, Immigration Petition for Alien Workers.

THE FUTURE OF DACA

November 28, 2018

The Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program (DACA), also was formed through executive order by former President Barack Obama in 2012 and allows certain people, called Dreamers, who come to the United States illegally as minors to be protected from immediate deportation. Recipients are able to request “consideration of deferred action” for a period of two years which is subject to renewal.

The End of DACA

November 28, 2018

Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (also known as DACA), ordered by the Obama administration in 2012, is a program that has offered temporary protection from deportation to nearly 800,000 people who were brought to the country illegally as children, allowing them to obtain work permits, be eligible for driver’s licenses, and complete schooling.

The Diversity Green Card Lottery

November 28, 2018

The Diversity Immigrant Visa Program was first created in 1980, mainly to benefit Irish immigrants. Senator Edward Kennedy of Massachusetts and Representative Bruce Morrison of Connecticut, both Democrats, invoked a “diversity” rationale in noting that the program would help the many Irish in the United States who had overstayed their temporary visas. The program was then changed to accept anyone from countries that don’t send many immigrants to the United States. In 1990, the program was passed through a bill signed into law by former President George Bush. This program gives individuals from select countries the opportunity to win a visa by random selection. It is managed by the State Department and has been functioning since 1995.

Immigrants make America great protest sign

The Dark Side of Living as an Undocumented Immigrant

November 28, 2018

Approximately 43.3 million foreign-born people live in the United States, which includes 20.7 million naturalized U.S. citizens and 22.6 million noncitizens. Of the noncitizens, 13.1 million are lawful permanent residents, 11.1 million are unauthorized migrants, and 1.7 million hold temporary visas. There were 11.3 million unauthorized immigrants in the U.S. in 2016. Six states account for 59% of unauthorized immigrants: California, Texas, Florida, New York, New Jersey and Illinois.

Should I file my O-1 visa with an Agent-Petitioner or an Employer-Petitioner

November 28, 2018

The O-1 nonimmigrant visa is for the individual who possesses extraordinary ability in the sciences, arts, education, business, or athletics, or who has a demonstrated record of extraordinary achievement in the motion picture or television industry and has been recognized nationally or internationally for those achievements.

R.I.P Yates Memo_ 2004-2017

November 28, 2018

The Yates Memo, published in 2004, entitled The Significance of a Prior CIS Approval of a Nonimmigrant Petition in the Context of a Subsequent Determination Regarding Eligibility for Extension of Petition Validity, instructed immigration officers to give “deference” to the findings of a prior approved visa petition when adjudicating petition extensions (i.e. visa renewals), as long as the key elements were unchanged and there was no evidence of a material error or fraud related to the prior determination.

Protect Yourself From an Immigration Raid

November 28, 2018

You can protect yourself from an immigration raid!

If ICE agents or police come to detain or arrest you at your home, do not let them in unless they present a valid warrant with your name on it that is signed by a judge.

Blogs

USCIS Site Visits

USCIS Increases Premium Processing Fee

THE FUTURE OF DACA

The End of DACA

The Diversity Green Card Lottery

Should I file my O-1 visa with an Agent-Petitioner or an Employer-Petitioner

R.I.P Yates Memo_ 2004-2017

Protect Yourself From an Immigration Raid

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