Designations were extended until 1/2/20 in order to ensure continued compliance with the preliminary injunction in Ramos v. Nielsen....
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DHS announced that it will terminate the Temporary Protected Status (TPS) designation for Nepal on June 24, 2019. DHS determined that the country conditions in Nepal have improved since the 2015 earthquake and subsequent aftershocks. Watch for further details regarding re-registration procedures to be posted in the Federal Register. For more information, read this Immigration Impact blog post from the American Immigration Council. Source: AILA Infonet ↓ Download the press release (pdf)...
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In the case NAACP v. Trump, on April 24, 2018, Judge Bates of the D.C. District Court ruled that the Trump administration unlawfully ended the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) plan. While the decision means that DACA may be reinstated and will be available to new applicants, Judges Bates stayed his order for ninety days, during which the Department of Homeland Security can regroup and issue a new rescission of DACA with new evidence and reasoning. Right now, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is still accepting DACA renewal applications for individuals with current or expired DACA benefits, but...
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Family-based application filing dates for Mexican citizens (F1, F2A & F3) and Chinese nationals, and final action dates for Indian nationals, Philippine citizens, and Mexican visas, all moved up. Dates for religious workers and EB-5 (I5 and R5) became authorized again....
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[callout] On Monday, February 26, 2018, the Supreme Court rejected the federal government’s proposal to bypass the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit to hear a challenge of the legality of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. The Supreme Court rejected the government’s petition, allowing the case to move through its normal appeals process, which may take several additional months. While the litigation is pending, USCIS will continue accepting and processing DACA renewal applications. As stated on their website, USCIS will adjudicate cases based on the terms in place before DACA was rescinded on September 5, 2017. It...
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On January 13, 2018, USCIS issued guidance governing the continued acceptance of DACA renewal applications, in light of the federal court injunction. Applicants whose DACA expired on or after September 5, 2016 may file their renewal request with USCIS, effective immediately. With a few exceptions, your DACA renewal application will be processed according to the previous protocol. For more information about adjudication, see the guidelines set forth in the June 15, 2012 DACA memo (PDF), and the USCIS DACA Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ). If your DACA expired prior to September 5, 2016, your renewal application must meet the burden of a first-time application,...
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On January 9th, 2018, the United States District Court for the Northern District of California enacted a nationwide injunction to the current administration’s plans to block DACA. US District Judge Alsup’s order states that while the lawsuit on DACA is pending, DACA grantees may continue to apply for DACA renewals. However, USCIS is not required to process applications for initial DACA applications (applications made by those who have never been granted DACA before). Information about when applications will be accepted by USCIS is still unclear. This post will be updated as information becomes available by the Department of Homeland Security. You...
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