In a new policy memorandum, the USCIS is marshalling its resources against the largely chimeric danger of unlawful voting, forcing naturalization applicants to prove a negative assessment of their good…
US ICE Deporting Anyone Granted Withholding of Removal Persons granted “Withholding of Removal” have traditionally been safe from deportation as generally the government does not try to send people to…
BIA Failed to Consider Evidence – Mental Health & Social Conditions In the case of Marlon McDougall v. Pamela Bondi (231722.P.pdf ) the 4th Cirrcuit Court of Appeal found that…
Mother of a US Navy Seaman Deported . . . . He filed for his mother over a year ago . . . . US immigration law permits “immediate…
Extension of Venezuelan TPS – through April 2, 2026 On September 5, 2025, US District Court Judge Edward Chen of San Francisco blocked Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem’s new order…
New Family Unity Executive Order (June 18, 2024) (CANCELLED by Current ADMINISTRATION) The court rendered a 6-3 verdict in the case between the Department of State v. Sandra Munoz, U.S.…
New Family Unity Executive Order (June 18, 2024) (CANCELLED by Current ADMINISTRATION) Many have heard of the new policy announced by the Biden administration which will target one of the…
Since the Temporary Protected Status (TPS) became available to Venezuelans and Burmans, many questions have arisen for the citizens of these countries, who previously filed for political asylum Dreamers .…
Martin Luther King Memorial Final Rule Effective May 4, 2022, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is temporarily amending existing DHS regulations related to expiring…
New Family Unity Executive Order (June 18, 2024) (CANCELLED by Current ADMINISTRATION) The USCIS has issued the following statement through their public engagement services: Secretary Mayorkas Designates Cameroon for Temporary…
USCIS Agrees to Restore Path for Permanent Residence for TPS Beneficiaries A significant agreement has been reached to permit the adjustment of certain Foreign Nationals with potential who would otherwise…
EB-5 Program Re-Authorized (3/15/22) In quick summary, the reauthorization contains the following provisions: The EB-5 Regional Center program was reauthorized as amended on March 15, 2022 effective on various…
“Camp Marriages” Recognized Again Effective immediately, USCIS officers will recognize a derivative refugee or asylee if there is evidence of an informal marriage where the spouses were unable to have…
TPS Designation for HAITI! On May 26, 2021, the USCIS Public Engagement Division recently sent its email stating: On May 22, Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro N. Mayorkas announced a new 18-month…
Legal Permanent Residents should avoid traveling outside the US During the COVID-19 pandemic, travel restrictions can change quickly for both lawful permanent residents and others seeking to enter or return…
When Will the US Embassy Act on My Visa? US Embassies Prioritize Visa Applications to Remedy Backlog The Covid-19 crisis has affected immigrant and nonimmigrant visas processing at U.S. Embassies…
Since the Temporary Protected Status (TPS) became available to Venezuelans and Burmans, many questions have arisen for the citizens of these countries, who previously filed for political asylum One of…
Presidential Proclamation Ends Discrimination of certain Foreign Nationals Did you apply before January 2021 for an immigrant Visa? Was it rejected because you are a national of one of the…
Burma has been designated for TPS Syria extended till September 2022 Secretary of Homeland Security is designating Burma (Myanmar) for Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for 18 months. This new designation…
Are you a national of Liberia or Venezuela? The Deferred Enforced Departure (DED) status allows citizens from Liberia, and soon, Venezuela, to remain in the country for the time established…
President’s Executive Order Restoring America’s Welcome to Immigrants The President has issued an Executive Order which changes the policy direction of the Federal agencies which implement the immigration system. This…
President’s Executive Order Restoring America’s Welcome to Immigrants Today, January 8, 2021, the US Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit affirmed the preliminary injunction of the Maryland US District…
Re-Starting DACA – Filing as a Dreamer! Thanks to recent court action, those who are eligible under the original DACA rules can now file new applications, despite the President’s executive…
EMPLOYERS: How to Fill out or Update your Foreign Worker I-9s Every US employer must maintain USCIS Form I-9 for their US based employees, whether US Citizens, legal permanent residents…
Donald Trump’s final blows to immigration After 4 years of a government focused on diminishing immigration to the United States, the final days of Donald Trump have been dedicated to…
4th Circuit Further Defines Family Asylum Group A comprehensive decision, Sandra Hernandez-Cartagena v. William Barr (https://www.ca4.uscourts.gov/opinions/191823.P.pdf) by the 4th Circuit overturning and remanding a denial of asylum by an immigration…
CHANGE OF ADDRESS!!! IBLF has now changed its physical address from 1915 Eye Street NW – Fifth floor to a location just down the street on Farragut Square, same zip…
PROPOSED New USCIS Fees (Oct 2, 2020) – NOT IN EFFECT DUE TO COURT INJUNCTION Immigration benefit request Current fee $ Final fee $ Change ($) Percentage change I-90 Application…
4th Circuit Upholds Block of Anti-Abortion Rule In a 9 to 6 en banc published ruling on September 3, 2020, the 4th Circuit Court of Appeals upheld a lower court…
USCIS cancels planned massive furloughs U.S. CITIZENSHIP AND Immigration Services said Tuesday that it has halted plans to furlough 70% of its workforce on Sunday, saving some 13,400 employees from temporary…
Restrictions to Work Authorization for Asylum Applicants to Begin on August 25,2020 USCIS announced a final rule modifying DHS’s regulations governing asylum applications, interviews and eligibility for employment authorization based on a…
US immigration services set to furlough two-thirds of its workers after coronavirus stimulus talks fail U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services notified about 13,400 of its 20,000 employees that they would…
Congressional Leaders Urge ICE and DHS to Withdraw New Guidance for International Students Taking Online Courses Ninety nine (99) members of Congress sent a letter to DHS and ICE urging…
4th Circuit Denies Asylum Claim On Family Relation One of the most difficult areas of asylum law is to determine what social group you are in if you are claiming…
US Supreme Court Preserves DACA The Supreme Court ruled Thursday, June 18th, that the Trump administration cannot carry out its plan to shut down the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals…
Unable to Depart US Due to Pandemic? Avoid Overstay! Request “Satisfactory Departure” Were you admitted to the United States under the Visa Waiver Program (VWP)? —> There is no provision…
IBLF during the Pandemic While our office is closed in accordance with the recommendation of government officials, we are still receiving and processing mail, email, and conducting video and telephone…
H-1B Statutes Are Carefully Crafted to Be Misleading to the Casual Reader
Virginia Law Criminalizing Gang Activity Not Categorically a CIMT On July 19, 2019 the US Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals issued its decision finding that the Virginia offense of participating…
4th Circuit Finds Domestic Violence can be Legitimate Asylum Claim The Fourth Circuit issued a published decision (which means it has precedential value which must be followed by judges within…
Immig Judges’ Authority to Administratively Close Restored The US Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals has restored Administrative Closure as an inherent power of Immigration Court judges, effectively overruling the current…
EB-5 Q&A: What qualifies as an EB-5 troubled business? Answer: A troubled business is defined as a business that has been in existence for at least two years, has incurred…
Head of Household Tax – Head of Household (Considered Unmarried) Many married people file their taxes as Head of Household in order to save money, not realizing that there are…
Family Can Be Social Group Family Based Asylum Claim Explained – 4th Circuit The 4th Circuit held: “The BIA and the IJ improperly focused on whether Gomez’s father and brother…
