Rabinowitz & Rabinowitz, P.C.

06/30/2022

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) released an Eligible to Naturalize Fact Sheet for Texas, focusing on the Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington area. The fact sheet shares key demographic factors of individuals who are Lawful Permanent Residents (“LPRs”), such as countries of birth, age, gender and number of years in LPR status. According to the fact sheet, the top five countries of birth from those who are LPRs in the region are Mexico, India, Vietnam, China and Burma....

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) released an Eligible to Naturalize Fact Sheet for Texas, focusing on the Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington area. The fact sheet shares key demographic factors of individuals who are Lawful Permanent Residents (“LPRs”), such as countries of birth, age, ...

05/26/2022

The U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey approved a settlement in a class-action lawsuit filed against U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on behalf of foreign national students who enrolled in the University of Northern New Jersey (UNNJ), a fake institution created by the U.S. government to crack down on student visa fraud. The court issued an order granting final approval of the settlement agreement on May 3, 2022....

The U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey approved a settlement in a class-action lawsuit filed against U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on behalf of foreign national students who enrolled in the University of Northern New Jersey (UNNJ), a fake institution created by the U...

04/22/2022

On March 30, 2022, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced a final rule to expand its Premium Processing Service to enable applicants to pay additional fees in return for faster processing times in certain immigration categories. The final rule will be effective 60 days after being published in the Federal Register. USCIS plans to implement Premium Processing in phases over a three-year period that starts in 2022....

On March 30, 2022, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced a final rule to expand its Premium Processing Service to enable applicants to pay additional fees in return for faster processing times in certain immigration categories.

03/16/2022

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is granting an 18-month redesignation and extension of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for South Sudan. The designation will be in place from May 3, 2022, through November 3, 2023. The extension permits qualifying South Sudan beneficiaries to re-register and keep TPS through November 3, 2023, provided they continue to fulfill eligibility criteria. Eligible individuals have until May 2, 2022, to renew their Employment Authorization Documents (EADs) during the re-registration period....

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is granting an 18-month redesignation and extension of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for South Sudan. The designation will be in place from May 3, 2022, through November 3, 2023.

02/22/2022

The Department of Homeland Security issued a report summarizing recent trends in legal immigration during the fourth quarter of Fiscal Year 2021. The quarterly report covers four immigration categories handled by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services: lawful permanent residents, refugee arrivals, naturalizations and nonimmigrant (I-94) admissions. The data indicates that while some immigration categories have returned to pre-COVID-19 levels amid recovery from related public health challenges, others have not....

The Department of Homeland Security issued a report summarizing recent trends in legal immigration during the fourth quarter of Fiscal Year 2021. The quarterly report covers four immigration categories handled by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services: lawful permanent residents, refugee arrivals...

01/21/2022

The Congressional Research Service (CRS) on December 16, 2021, released a report with updates on the EB-5 immigrant investor visa program. The program enables a foreign national investor to obtain lawful permanent residence in the United States if he or she invests a requisite amount of capital and meet certain requirements, including creating at least 10 jobs. The EB-5 program has continued to be the subject of ongoing policy debates....

The Congressional Research Service (CRS) on December 16, 2021, released a report with updates on the EB-5 immigrant investor visa program. The program enables a foreign national investor to obtain lawful permanent residence in the United States if he or she invests a requisite amount of capital and....

12/17/2021

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced that all inbound international travelers are now required to show a negative COVID-19 test result within one day of boarding their flight to the United States. The new CDC testing order went into effect on December 6, 2021. The one-day testing rule applies to all air passengers two years or older traveling on a flight from a foreign country to the United States, regardless of vaccination or citizenship status....

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced that all inbound international travelers are now required to show a negative COVID-19 test result within one day of boarding their flight to the United States. The new CDC testing order went into effect on December 6, 2021.

12/12/2021

Effective on November 29, 2021, the U.S. has banned the entry to the nation of persons who are immigrants or nnonimmigrants and who were physically present within the Republic of Botswana, the Kingdom of Eswatini, the Kingdom of Lesotho, the Republic of Malawi, the Republic of Mozambique, the Republic of Namibia, the Republic of South Africa, and the Republic of Zimbabwe during the 14-day period preceding their entry or attempted entry into the United States....

Effective on November 29, 2021, the U.S. has banned the entry to the nation of persons who are immigrants or nnonimmigrants and who were physically present within the Republic of Botswana, the Kingdom of Eswatini, the Kingdom of Lesotho, the Republic of Malawi, the Republic of Mozambique, the Republ...

11/30/2021

The Congressional Research Service, on October 12, 2021, released a report evaluating the Visa Waiver Program (VWP), which allows nationals from certain countries to visit the United States for business or pleasure without having to obtain a visa. The program aims to boost tourism and strengthen national security. While the consensus is that the VWP fosters U.S. economic growth, there is disagreement on how the program affects national security....

The Congressional Research Service, on October 12, 2021, released a report evaluating the Visa Waiver Program (VWP), which allows nationals from certain countries to visit the United States for business or pleasure without having to obtain a visa. The program aims to boost tourism and strengthen nat...

10/08/2021

Starting December 1, 2021, citizens of Croatia are eligible to participate in the Visa Waiver program. The program permits citizens of 40 countries including Croatia to enter the U.S. as visitors for business or pleasure for up to 90 days without first obtaining a U.S. visa. To qualify, each eligible applicant from a Visa Waiver country must first register using the online Electronic System for Travel Authorization or ESTA....

09/01/2021

All persons who are applying for lawful permanent resident status whether as adjustment applicants in the U.S. or as immigrant visa applicants abroad, will need to document the receipt of a complete COVID-19 regime, effective October 1, 2021. Waivers are available for applicants who lack access to vaccines in the home country or are medically advised to refrain from being vaccinated, in addition to other exceptions. More information to follow.

All persons who are applying for lawful permanent resident status whether as adjustment applicants in the U.S. or as immigrant visa applicants abroad, will need to document the receipt of a complete COVID-19 regime, effective October 1, 2021. Waivers are available for applicants who lack access to v...

08/31/2021

A federal judge ruled that U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) should have sent a Request for Evidence (RFE) to an Indian executive beneficiary of an employment-based immigrant visa petition, in addition to the petitioning employer. The case involves a federal statute that allows a foreign national to switch jobs while their adjustment application remains pending. The agency was ordered to reopen the plaintiff's application for adjustment of status....

A federal judge ruled that U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) should have sent a Request for Evidence (RFE) to an Indian executive beneficiary of an employment-based immigrant visa petition, in addition to the petitioning employer. The case involves a federal statute that allows a for...