Monthly Archives: June 2016

The U.S. Supreme Court has issued a one-sentence ruling on President Obama’s immigration reform plan: “The judgment is affirmed by an equally divided Court.” The ruling means that the lower court’s (a collection of Texas and 25 other states) injunction on Obama’s immigration plan will remain in effect.

The executive action was introduced in late 2014 and was intended to provide relief for a large portion of the almost 11 million undocumented people living in the U.S. The plan was very similar to the Deferred Action for children, and would provide a potential pathway to legalization.

This decision is a huge blow to the immigrant community as well as the President. Despite his efforts, his immigration plan will likely not go into effect during his remaining term. However, the President stressed that otherwise law-abiding undocumented people will remain lower deportation priorities.

We will continue to keep the community informed of any updates.

For more information, please contact ALO at 978-905-9992.

Undocumented Valedictorian of McKinney Boyd High School in Dallas Texas, Larissa Martinez, gave an inspiring speech over the weekend where she not only exposed her current undocumented status in the U.S., but also took a shot at presumptive Republican nominee Donald Trump.

She told the crowd, “I am one of the 11 million undocumented immigrants living in the shadows of the United States…After all of these years I have finally mustered up the courage to stand before you and share a struggle I have had to deal with each and every day,” she said. “We are here without official documentation because the U.S. immigration system is broken, and it has forced many families to live in fear. I myself have been waiting for seven years for my application to even be processed.”

When referencing Trump’s extreme policies, she told the crowd that “America can be great again without the construction of a wall built on hatred and prejudice.”

Next fall, Ms. Martinez will attend Yale University on a full ride. Congratulations Ms. Martinez!

To read more, refer to the full article here.

Agarwal Law Offices is currently seeking enthusiastic, diligent, and informed college and grad students to assist us with blogging and following current immigration events. The position would be assignment based on a weekly basis and start time would be immediately. Great for full-time students looking for a little extra work. Pay is negotiable.

This bulletin summarizes the availability of immigrant numbers during June for: “Application Final Action Dates” and “Dates for Filing Applications,” indicating when immigrant visa applicants should be notified to assemble and submit required documentation to the National Visa Center.

INA Section 203(e) provides that family-sponsored and employment-based preference visas be issued to eligible immigrants in the order in which a petition in behalf of each has been filed. Section 203(d) provides that spouses and children of preference immigrants are entitled to the same status, and the same order of consideration, if accompanying or following to join the principal. The visa prorating provisions of Section 202(e) apply to allocations for a foreign state or dependent area when visa demand exceeds the per-country limit. These provisions apply at present to the following oversubscribed chargeability areas: CHINA-mainland born, INDIA, MEXICO, and PHILIPPINES.

To view the most recent visa bulletin, click here.

The Department of State’s Visa Bulletin for July 2016 reflects a final action date of January 1, 2010, for EB-4 visas for special immigrants from Mexico. This means that starting on July 1, 2016, applicants from Mexico who filed Form I-360, Petition for Amerasian, Widow(er), or Special Immigrant on or after January 1, 2010, will not be able to obtain an immigrant visa or adjust status until new visas become available.

Mexico has reached its EB-4 visa limit as congressionally mandated for fiscal year 2016, which ends September 30. Information on EB-4 visa availability for fiscal year 2017 will appear in the Department of State’s October Visa Bulletin, which will be published this September.

EB-4 visas are for special immigrants. These are individuals who may be eligible for lawful permanent resident status based on specific classifications, including Special Immigrant Juvenile (SIJ).

In July, the Nebraska Service Center (NSC) will begin processing cases involving Form I-918, Petition for U Nonimmigrant Status. Sharing this workload with the Vermont Service Center (VSC) will balance workloads between centers and provide flexibility as USCIS works towards improving processing times, efficiency and customer service to this victim population. USCIS will implement the transition in phases, which will allow NSC officers to receive specialized training and mentoring from VSC officers who currently adjudicate U nonimmigrant petitions and gain experience in adjudicating the U nonimmigrant petitions before they begin processing these cases.

If you have filed or are planning to file a U Visa application, contact us at 978-905-9992 to learn more.