New USCIS Memo Lowers the Bar for Case Denials
USCIS Officers will have full discretion to deny applications and petitions without first issuing a Request for Evidence or Notice of Intent to Deny Update: Currently,
Read More »August 2018 Visa Bulletin Released
The U.S. Department of State has released the August 2018 Visa Bulletin: In addition to the India and China EB-1 categories, all other countries now have a cut-off date for
Read More »New USCIS Policy on NTA Issuance
Update: U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has issued guidance that requires the agency’s officers to initiate removal proceedings by issuing Notices to
Read More »Immigration Nerds Talk About USCIS Suspension of Premium Processing and the Impact on Visa Holders
Xavier Francis, Erickson Immigration Group Attorney, discusses USCIS’s recent suspension of Premium Processing for H-1B petitions and how its collateral effect
Read More »Federal Court in CA Grants Preliminary Order Suspending Key Provisions of AB450
Update: In a lawsuit filed by the federal government in response to AB450 (a recent California law impacting the relationship between California employers and Federal
Read More »An Overview of the Valuable E-1/E-2 Visa
The E-1 or E-2 visa can be a valuable tool for foreign-owned businesses that trade primarily with the U.S. (E-1) or have made a substantial investment in the U.S. (E-2). The
Read More »Anti-Immigration Plan Threatens Swiss-EU Talks
Legislation proposed in the Swiss parliament would restrict EU citizens from the automatic right to live and work in Switzerland. On June 27, 2018, Albert Rosti, the
Read More »Jafza Visas Now in 24 Hours
Dubai’s Jebel Ali Free Zone (Jafza) signed a deal on July 2, 2018, that will cut the time it takes to process visas for Jafza workers to 24 hours. The agreement will
Read More »New Deadline in Irish Stamp 4 Applications
As of June 25, 2018, it has been advised that all applications for Irish Stamp 4 status be submitted twelve weeks in advance of the expiration of any current Critical
Read More »USCIS 2018 Annual Report
On June 28, 2018, USCIS presented its 2018 Annual Report to Congress. The report highlights an increase in processing times for many application categories, attributed to
Read More »SCOTUS Travel Ban Decision
On June 26, 2018, the Supreme Court of the United States issued a 5-4 decision in Trump v. Hawaii, upholding President Trump’s September 2017 Executive Order preventing
Read More »Immigration Nerds Talk About the Travel Ban
This week on “Immigration Nerds” Podcast, Erickson Immigration Attorney Scott A. Wilkinson and Draft Secretary Kahn Thomas Branch discuss the newest travel ban,
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