On January 17, 2017, USCIS published new guidelines on the use of translators at USCIS interviews. See https://www.uscis.gov/sites/default/files/USCIS/Laws/Memoranda/2017/2017-17-1-RoleUseInterpreters-PM-602-0125-1.pdf. The policy sets forth requirements for the interpreter's qualifications including fluency, competency and impartiality. The policy prohibits the use of an interpreter who is under the age of 18, who Read More
April 2017 Department of State Visa Bulletin
The US Department of State released the April 2017 Visa Bulletin. Find the Visa Bulletin, with priority dates for family-based and employment-based visas, at https://travel.state.gov/content/visas/en/law-and-policy/bulletin/2017/visa-bulletin-for-april-2017.html. Read More
New White House Executive Order on Immigration
See the White House's website for Trump's latest Executive Order. https://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2017/03/06/executive-order-protecting-nation-foreign-terrorist-entry-united-states Read More
Apply for US Citizenship!
Now is the time to apply for US citizenship if you are eligible. Consult with me or another immigration attorney about your eligibility and check out USCIS.gov for information about the citizenship/naturalization test. The basic requirements for citizenship are: Five or three years of "green card"/LPR/lawful permanent resident status. You need five years of "green card" status unless for the past three years you Read More
Immigration under Donald Trump
Donald Trump and his administration issued memoranda relating to the administration's deportation/removal priorities. These memos do not change the definition of deportable, that is, reasons why someone could be deported from the US. However, the memos signal a drastic change from President Obama's humane focus on immigrants with certain criminal backgrounds, to anyone who has ever made any criminal mistake (whether Read More
AILA New England Conference
As a member of the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA), I benefit from a wonderful, smart community of immigration lawyers in the New England Area. Each month our AILA chapter has a meeting on a timely topic, and each year, the chapter hosts an amazing conference. I am excited to attend this year's conference on March 3. At the conference, I look forward to hearing from government officials about new Read More
Trump Issues Anti-Immigrant Executive Orders
Yesterday Trump issued an aggressive, anti-immigrant, unrealistic executive order that seeks to build more detention facilities and a wall between the US and Mexico, that targets immigration enforcement against immigrants with "southern" violations, that hopes to charge unqualified local and states law enforcement officials with federal immigration jobs, and that takes away the dignity of millions of immigrants Read More
Trump Vows to Build a Wall, Scare Immigrants, and Deny Help to Refugees
The new administration set the tone for immigration months ago. Today we see that it plans to continue its anti-immigrant stance. Check out the Boston Globe article at https://www.boston.com/news/politics/2017/01/24/trump-to-move-on-border-security-immigration-enforcement. Read More
Visa Bulletin
The new visa bulletin is available at https://travel.state.gov/content/visas/en/law-and-policy/bulletin/2017/visa-bulletin-for-february-2017.html. Read More
USCIS Processing Times
About every month, USCIS publishes processing times for its decisions on most USCIS forms. Whenever you receive a receipt notice from USCIS, it should have an address at the bottom of the form (generally on the left side). That is the office that is processing the form. At the top of the form, there is a "receipt" or "priority" date. Check the status of your form by looking at the Processing Times for the office Read More
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