Client walked into the office and demanded info about the new Obama amnesty.”I need to apply as soon as possible and hope you can help me.” Where did you hear about amnesty, I asked. A local paralegal told me about it and told me to put a deposit down and…
The college dreams of thousands of students who are illegal immigrants moved closer to fulfillment Wednesday after the state Senate approved a bill that for the first time would give them access to public financial aid. Part of a two-bill package known as the California Dream Act, the measure would…
It is tempting to imagine that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has adopted a kinder and more just approach to its immigration enforcement mission. After all, the department announced in recent days that it will henceforth focus its enforcement efforts on “high priority” immigration cases; that is, those cases…
A federal judge temporarily blocked enforcement of Alabama’s new law cracking down on illegal immigration, ruling Monday that she needed more time to decide whether the law opposed by the Obama administration, church leaders and immigrant-rights groups is constitutional. The brief order by U.S. District Judge Sharon L. Blackburn means…
As many of you may know the DOL has suspended issuing prevailing wage determinations for several weeks now. Such determinations are essential to start any PERM case. On Wednesday, August 24, 2011, AILA received reports from members that PERM prevailing wage determinations are beginning to be received for requests submitted…
Reflecting a change in deportation policy, the Obama administration has dropped its attempt to remove a member of a same-sex California couple who overstayed his visa. The announcement in a case pending before an immigration judge in San Francisco represents the administration’s decision to put a greater focus on deporting…
Three alleged members of an international alien smuggling scheme were charged Tuesday with smuggling hundreds of aliens from China into the United States. The charges stem from an investigation conducted by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). HSI agents arrested Hak Tung Lam, 44, of Flushing,…
Attorney Ekaterina Powell from our office wrote this great article on maintaining H-1B compliance procedures by employers. If you are an H-1B employer, you need to be familiar with the H-1B regulations and Labor Condition Application (LCA) compliance procedures. Each employer petitioning for an H-1B worker has to file a…
The Obama Administration’s Immigration announcement is not an Amnesty program. The consumer advisory from AILA put out a warning stating that: Do not believe anyone who tells you they can sign you up for a work permit (Employment Authorization Document or “EAD”) or get you legal status based on the…
Attorney Ekaterina Powell from our office has prepared this article on acquiring U.S. citizenship through parents where the individual is born abroad. In certain situations, a person who was born abroad to a U.S. citizen parent and who has been living abroad for years may have acquired U.S. citizenship at…