Group Appointments for Nonimmigrant Visas in India

A group of ten or more applicants are able to schedule a group appointment at a U.S. consulate in India, provided certain conditions are met. This is a convenient option for groups that qualify and example include, but is not limited too, school trips, professional trainees, performance troops, and tour groups. It is important to…

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USCIS Proposes Fee Increase and Imposition of New Fees

The proposed rule by the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) to increase fees for most immigration benefit requests is likely to have a significant impact on employers in the United States. If implemented, employers will pay significantly more for most nonimmigrant and immigrant filings. One of the key takeaways for employers from the…

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Obtaining Green Card after Status Violation: 245(k) Benefit

The immigration provision of Section 245(k) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) allows certain individuals, who are present in the United States after having failed to maintain lawful immigration status, to adjust their status to that of a lawful permanent resident (LPR) without having to leave the country. This exemption applies to an applicant who…

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Cross Chargeability to get your Green Card

Foreign nationals from certain countries hoping to become lawful permanent residents (LPRs) in the United States face extended backlogs due to visa number availability. The number of LPRs that can be granted each year is capped and controlled by limiting the visa numbers that are issued. Each family or employment-based immigrant category has its own…

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Green Card Validity for Renewals Extended to 24 Months

As of September 26, 2022, the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has implemented a new policy to extend the validity of a person’s permanent resident card (green card) for 24 months beyond the expiration date upon filing a Form I-90. Form I-90 is used by lawful permanent residents to renew or replace their…

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Presumption of Immigrant Intent for Nonimmigrant Visas

Nonimmigrants, or individuals who enter the United States temporarily for a specific purpose, such as tourism, education, or business, may face a presumption of immigrant intent when applying for a visa or attempting to enter the country. This means that the individual is assumed to have the intent to immigrate permanently to the United States,…

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Legal Separation after Green Card: Affect on Naturalization

Filing for naturalization, or becoming a U.S. citizen, is a process that many green card holders go through in order to gain the rights and privileges of being a U.S. citizen. However, the process can be more complicated for green card holder who are divorced or legally separated from their U.S. citizen spouse. In this…

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Medical Waiver for Applicants with Disabilities

The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) recently announced an updated policy regarding medical certification for disability exceptions (form N-648) aka Medical Waiver to make the naturalization process more accessible for applicants with disabilities by providing more streamlined and efficient process and reducing the burden on the applicants and medical professionals. The process of naturalizing…

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Immigration Consequences for Marijuana

In recent years, many states in the United States have legalized the use, possession, and sale of marijuana for medical or recreational purposes. However, despite these state law changes, marijuana remains illegal under federal law and non-citizens can still face serious immigration consequences for marijuana offenses. First, it is important to understand that marijuana is…

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Impact of the Termination of ACICS Accreditation

The U.S. Department of Education (DOE) recently terminated recognition of the Accrediting Council for Independent Colleges and Schools (ACICS) as an accrediting agency on August 19, 2022. This decision of termination of ACICS accreditation has significant implications for certain foreign nationals, particularly those who are seeking to enroll in an English language study program at…

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