Recently, the Department of State released guidance to assist U.S. Citizens petitioning for family members in Lebanon. Here are the highlights: To facilitate family reunification, full immigrant visa processing has resumed for Lebanese family members of U.S. citizens, at the U.S. Embassy in Beirut. Routine nonimmigrant visa processing is not…
Articles Posted in Immigrants
USCIS Releases Updated Guidance for Expedite Request Criteria
On October 11, 2024, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) released updated guidance for requests to expedite travel-related documents and expedite requests relating to government interests. The guidance is effective immediately. Who may file an expedite request? Individuals who are located inside the United States may request that USCIS…
DOS Immigrant Visa Backlog Report: Increase in Applicants Scheduled for IV Interviews in October 2024
In this blog post, we discuss the release of the Department of State’s October 2024 Immigrant Visa Backlog report. This is a monthly publication that provides data and statistics regarding the number of immigrant visa cases currently at the National Visa Center waiting for interviews, documentarily complete cases that have been…
Where the Presidential Candidates Stand on Immigration
The U.S. presidential election is set to be held in just fifteen days and the stakes couldn’t be higher for immigrants at the mercy of our broken immigration system. In this blog post, we discuss where the presidential candidates Kamala Harris and Donald Trump stand on key issues relating to…
Biden Administration Announces DED and TPS Protections for Lebanese Nationals in the United States
Today, October 17, 2024, the U.S. government announced new measures providing immigration relief to Lebanese nationals currently residing inside the United States. 18-Month Designation of TPS for Lebanon Firstly, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has announced the designation of Lebanon for Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for a period of 18 months.…
November Visa Bulletin: Major Movements in Family Sponsored Categories, No Movement Across All Employment Categories
Today, the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Consular Affairs published the November Visa Bulletin. In this blog post, we breakdown the movement of the employment-based and family-sponsored categories in the coming month. USCIS Adjustment of Status For employment-based and family-sponsored preference categories, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has confirmed it…
Biden Administration Will Not Renew Humanitarian Parole Program for Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans, and Venezuelans (CHNV)
In a shocking turn of events, the Biden administration recently announced that it will not be renewing humanitarian parole protections for nationals of Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela. The CHNV parole program was first launched in October of 2022 to discourage illegal border crossings. It previously allowed qualifying nationals and…
Parole in Place Lawsuit Intensifies as Intervening Parties Appeal to the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals
New details have emerged relating to a pending lawsuit before the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas known as Texas et. al. vs. DHS et. al., Case No. 6:24-cv-00306 (E.D. Tex.), which is currently blocking the approval of applications filed under the Biden administration’s parole in place…
October Visa Bulletin: EB-3 Advancements and Retrogressions, and Major Movement Across Family-Sponsored Categories
Today the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Consular Affairs published the October Visa Bulletin. In this blog post, we breakdown the movement of the employment-based and family-sponsored categories in the coming month. USCIS Adjustment of Status For employment-based preference categories, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has confirmed it will use…
BREAKING: Federal Judge Extends Administrative Stay for Parole in Place Applications under the Keeping Families Together Program Until September 23
We have new developments to report relating to pending litigation for parole in place applications in the case Texas et. al. vs. DHS et. al., Case No. 6:24-cv-00306 (E.D. Tex.). Yesterday evening, federal Judge J. Campbell Barker of the Eastern District Court of Texas issued a court order extending his…