Recent Blog Posts
What Criminal Offenses Make You Deportable
If you are an immigrant living on a visa in the United States, you could be subject to deportation for a variety of reasons. Until you are naturalized as a citizen, a criminal conviction can lead to deportation. Not all crimes carry deportation as a penalty for otherwise legal immigrants, however. Continue reading for… Read More »
President Biden’s Sweeping Immigration Reforms Have Already Started
Immigration advocates have faced blessed little good news for the past four and a half years. With the new federal administration, however, and with a new Democratic Congress, there is hope for the future. President Biden has announced his intention to pursue comprehensive immigration reform, including a significant revival of the Deferred Action for… Read More »
President Biden’s Immigration Plans
President Biden has stated that he intends to immediately send a bill to congress proposing many promising and bold immigration reforms. President Biden’s plan includes: Temporary residence for DREAMERS (DACA holders) for five years followed by naturalization in three years. Temporary Protected Status (TPS) holders to receive permanent residence. Doing away with the three… Read More »
DACA Still Under Fire Despite Court Rulings
Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) is a program put into place by former President Obama that shields immigrants from deportation if they were brought to the country at a young age. President Donald Trump has made it a mission to end the program during his term, and DACA opponents have continued these efforts… Read More »
Federal Judge rules DACA reinstated in full.
On December 4, 2020, a U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York ordered DHS to fully reinstate the DACA program. The order is effective immediately, and DHS is required by the order to post a public notice stating that it is accepting new, initial DACA applications, work permits are valid for… Read More »
How to Apply for Citizenship in New York?
There are several different pathways to obtaining United States citizenship in New York. Whether you are a noncitizen already in the country working with a temporary visa, a lawful permanent resident, or are located outside the country and hoping to enter, there is a process for becoming a citizen. The procedure can be difficult… Read More »
New Citizenship test to go into effect December 1, 2020
USCIS has announced that all applicants for naturalization who file their applications on or after December 1, 2020 will be given a new civics test. The current history/civics test is a 10 question test. The questions asked at a naturalization interview are pulled from a list of 100 possible test questions. In order to… Read More »
How to Get Married in NY With a K-1 Visa
If you are an American citizen with a non-citizen fiancée and hope to reunite with your partner, you may need to apply for a K-1 Visa on their behalf. A K-1 Visa allows a non-citizen to visit the United States in order to get married. After the marriage, the non-citizen may obtain permanent resident… Read More »
Federal Court Rules Government Can End Protected Status for 300,000 Immigrants
The federal administration under the guidance of President Trump is continuing its perpetual mission of limiting immigration and treating even legal immigrants like second-class individuals. The federal government won an unfortunate victory recently in federal court, as the appellate court ruled that the government was within its rights to end protected status for immigrants… Read More »
What is PERM? Applying for a Green Card Through Your Employer
If you have an employer in the United States, you may be able to get your lawful permanent residence status (green card) through that employer. Several common forms of green card sponsorship through employment begin with PERM labor certification. Continue reading to learn about PERM labor certification and the steps necessary to obtain permanent… Read More »
