The long-awaited Executive Order temporarily suspending the immigration of certain aliens into the United States has been released. WHO IS IMPACTED BY THE EXECUTIVE ORDER? The order entitled, “Proclamation Suspending the Entry of Immigrants Who Present Risk to the U.S. Labor Market During the Economic Recovery Following the COVID-19 Outbreak,”…
Articles Posted in Green card
BREAKING UPDATE: Executive Order Will Apply Only to Green Cards and Last 60 Days
In this post, we bring you a late-breaking update regarding the President’s recent tweet announcing the temporary suspension of immigration into the United States by executive order. While the President has not yet signed the executive order suspending immigration, in a press briefing held today, reporters had the opportunity to…
COVID-19 UPDATE: Are Green Card Interviews Being Waived?
UPDATE: Green card interviews are being waived for at least some applicants during COVID-19 Unprecedented times call for unusual measures. Recently USCIS announced the closure of field offices nationwide—until May 3rd–to help slow the spread of COVID-19. This announcement was immediately concerning given that green card applicants (family and employment-based)…
I am in the U.S. on an E-2 visa, can I apply for a small business loan under the CARES Act? Is there a Public Charge impact to applying for loans under the CARES Act if I am on a Visa?
In this post we would like to address some of our clients frequently asked questions regarding the Payment Protection Program, a loan forgiveness program created by the CARES Act (Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act). In response to the Coronavirus pandemic, the United States government recently passed a bill…
CARES Act: What’s Inside the Coronavirus Aid Package? Are Aliens Eligible?
It has been nearly two weeks since the President of the United States declared a public health emergency for COVID-19, forcing the American economy to come to a screeching halt. Thereafter, states enacted their own measures requiring non-essential businesses across the country to shutter temporarily until the virus has been…
All About Form DS-5540 Public Charge Questionnaire: Who Must Complete It?
In this post, we will discuss Form DS-5540, a mandatory public charge questionnaire that must be completed by all foreign nationals seeking an immigrant visa at a U.S. Consulate or Embassy abroad and some non-immigrant visa applicants. What is Form DS-5540, Public Charge Questionnaire? Shortly after the publication of the…
All About The New Form I-944, Declaration of Self-Sufficiency
Applying for adjustment of status just became a lot more difficult. After announcing the nationwide implementation of the final rule “Inadmissibility on Public Charge Grounds” on February 24, 2020, USCIS unveiled a brand-new form (Form I-944) that must be filed with all applications for adjustment of status postmarked on or…
BREAKING NEWS: Public Charge Rule Now Applies to Illinois Residents
On February 21, 2020, the Supreme Court of the United States by a vote of 5-4 stayed the remaining statewide injunction issued by the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, which prevented the government from enforcing the Inadmissibility on Public Charge Grounds rule also known as the…
March 2020 Visa Bulletin Highlights
In this blog post, we discuss visa bulletin trends and projections for the month of March. The U.S. Department of State (DOS) recently released the March 2020 Visa Bulletin revealing some good and bad news for employment based categories and family preference categories. Adjustment of Status Filing Charts March 2020:…
Public Charge FAQs for Applicants Living in Illinois (No Longer Applies)
PLEASE NOTE: THE INFORMATION IN THIS POST NO LONGER APPLIES. ON FEBRUARY 21, 2020, THE SUPREME COURT ISSUED A RULING ALLOWING THE GOVERNMENT TO IMPLEMENT THE PUBLIC CHARGE RULE TO RESIDENTS IN THE STATE OF ILLINOIS. USCIS HAS ANNOUNCED THAT THE PUBLIC CHARGE RULE WILL BE IMPLEMENTED NATIONWIDE INCLUDING IN…