Chicago Immigration Law Blog
What if US immigration questions the legitimacy of my marriage?
Most family-based immigration relies on eligibility through marriage. Marrying a current citizen, in fact, is one of the simplest ways to immigrate to the United States. Thus, it is not uncommon that a hopeful immigrant marries or attempts to marry a citizen for the...
New USCIS discretionary standard adds uncertainty to, could delay green card applications
Updates to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) Policy Manual will change the review of applications for adjustment of status, more commonly known as green card applications. Under the new guidance to adjudicating officers at the USCIS, discretionary...
USCIS Staff Furlough Likely to Delay Processing at National Benefit Center
800 contracted staff at the National Benefit Center (NBC) would be placed on furlough if a new United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) plan is implemented. Currently, the NBC uses 1,300 such contractors, illustrating the magnitude of the furlough....
Nationwide COVID-19 Injunction on the Public Charge Rule Stayed
The United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit has stayed a preliminary injunction against the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) applying its expanded public charge rule. Due to pending litigation around this issue, the expanded rule still cannot be...
Potential Presidential Proclamation on CCP Travel Ban
In continuation with the fast-paced actions the Trump administration has been taking against immigration, the administration is considering a blanket ban against members of the Chinese Communist Party, a party whose membership ranges in the tens of millions. The...
What is the difference between family and employment-based immigration?
Immigration laws are specific to the situation, which is why there are so many options when it comes to visas. Two of the most common visa types are family and employment. According to the American Immigration Council, if you compare family and employment visas, you...
Federal Lawsuit in California against USCIS’ Proposed Fees Increase
A group of non-profit organizations are suing the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) in federal district court in California over the agencies’ proposed rule change that massively increases the fees...
Scheduled USCIS Furlough Averted until Sept 30 2020
USCIS announced that it would not go through with its anticipated furloughs on August 30, 2020, preventing roughly 70% of their employees from being furloughed. For months, USCIS has asked Congress for a financial bailout, as USCIS warned them of budgetary shortfalls...
Federal Lawsuit in Massachusetts against USCIS’ Proposed Citizenship Fee Increase
Starting on October 2, 2020, the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) plan to increase the fee for citizenship applicants. A Massachusetts-based non-profit is challenging the new USCIS rule, suing the agency in federal court to both declare the...
Proposed DOJ Regulation Would End Administrative Closure
Cases for removal are heard by immigration judges within the Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR), with appeals of those decisions going to the Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA). A recent proposal to change federal regulations governing the EOIR and BIA...
