Legal immigrants in the United States who receive public benefits will face new hurdles after February 24th, when the Department of Homeland Security’s final rule on public charge ground of inadmissibility goes into effect. The new policy, part of the Administration’s wide effort to reduce legal immigration, will affect immigrants living in the U.S. who want to change their status to legal permanent resident for a green card, as well as foreign citizens seeking admission

When an individual who is physically present in a foreign country applies for an immigrant or nonimmigrant visa abroad, the grounds of inadmissibility codified in the INA apply to him or her. If the alien has been convicted of a DUI with or without an aggravated factor, he or she might be denied an immigrant visa. In the visa renewal or revalidation context, an applicant may be denied visa renewal as a result of the

Within the next year, H1-B Immigration visas could fundamentally change. If trends continue, the Administration will continue to tighten and restrict the H1-B application process, which could prove bad for companies and individuals who depend on this visa to employ workers and find work. The denial rate for H1-B Visas has spiked over the past four years, and It seems unlikely that the USCIS crackdown will abate in 2020. A USCIS spokesman claimed the agency’s

A judge recently blocked the signed proclamation that those seeking to legally immigrate to the U.S. must have health insurance and declared “aliens who will financially burden the United States healthcare system [are] hereby suspended.” The proclamation would not apply to asylum seekers, refugees, unaccompanied children, children of US citizens, those entering on temporary visas (including H1-B), international students, scholars, visitors for business, tourists, L-1 intracompany transferees, and those who were issued visas prior to

A federal judge recently blocked the Administration from extending the authority of immigration officers to deport people without first allowing them to appear before judges. The decision came before the policy was enforced. The move would have applied to anyone in the country for less than two years.   Immigrants facing deportation typically have a short initial hearing before a judge and a government attorney to learn about their rights and how their case will