For the majority of employment-based immigrant visa applicants, obtaining a Labor Certification is the most time consuming and difficult step of pursuing lawful permanent residence. Colloquially referred to as PERM (after the Program Electronic Review Management system), the Labor Certification process allows an employer to offer a job to a... read more →
Nov
22
Nov
15
On November 8, 2019, the Department of Homeland Security announced proposed adjustments to fees for certain immigration benefits and services before the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (“USCIS”). Link to Press Release. The proposed changes would increase fees for a number of common benefits. These include, among many others:... read more →
Nov
08
Earlier this month, President Trump issued his “Presidential Proclamation on the Suspension of Entry of Immigrants Who Will Financially Burden the United States Healthcare System”. Beginning November 3rd 2019, all those seeking immigrant visas abroad (including diversity visas) will be required to demonstrate to the consular officer at the time... read more →
Nov
01
Three federal judges issued temporary injunctions against the new public charge rule that was to take effect on October 15, 2019. (For more information on the proposed rule please see our previous blog post). Judge Daniels of New York issued a preliminary injunction prohibiting the administration from enforcing the public... read more →
Oct
11
On August 14, 2019, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security announced a final rule, which pertains public charge. Being a public charge is a separate inadmissibility ground for applicants for adjustment of status. Traditionally, public charge has been defined as a person who is likely to become or has become... read more →
Sep
27
Recently, the Department of Homeland Security issued a series proposed change to rules regarding “public charge.” Though inadmissibility based on government dependence is already in existence, the new rule broadens the criteria for who is likely to become a “public charge.” The policy change is set to go into effect... read more →
Sep
13
Wilner & O’Reilly- Sacramento is excited to announce that we have moved upstairs into a bigger suite to better serve our clients. We spent the previous three and a half years in Suite 110 located conveniently on the first floor. Our old office served us well, and we have very... read more →
Sep
06
New EB-5 Rules Once upon a time, the EB-5 petition was perceived to be one of the “easiest” ways for foreign entrepreneurs and investors to obtain permanent residency. Invest $500,000 or $1 million into a new U.S. enterprise…create 10 jobs for U.S. workers (indirect job creation is permitted for... read more →
Jul
05
The EB-1A is a category of immigrant petitions for foreign nationals of extraordinary ability. In order to qualify, an applicant must demonstrate extraordinary ability in the arts, athletics, business, education, or sciences through sustained national or international acclaim. “Extraordinary ability” is defined as “a level of expertise indicating that the... read more →
Jun
14
Consular officers have already been checking social media accounts, but only for applicants who were flagged for extra scrutiny. Now, however, the State Department will actually request social media information in the very beginning of the application process, from almost every applicant. The new State Department rule, which went into... read more →