US immigration laws prohibit the issuance of nonimmigrant or immigrant visas to anyone who has been convicted of or admits to the essential elements of federal controlled substances crimes. Generally, an admission to a drug crime happens in court as part of a plea or, in Massachusetts, a "continued without a finding." However, USCIS interviews can be the site of "admissions" to federal controlled substances Read More
What Kinds of Criminal Issues Will Not Hurt My Immigration Case?
Few criminal issues hold zero risk of affecting your immigration case. However, a criminal history does not necessarily render you inadmissible, or in other words, ineligible for visas and/or a green card to the US. Certain criminal offenses pose much less risk to your case than others. Traffic violations A basic traffic violation might not hurt your immigration case, but it depends on the nature of the Read More
Disclosing Criminal Histories on Immigration Applications: What You Should Know
The United States requires all applicants for immigration benefits to disclose information about their criminal history, whether applying for a visa, green card, or U.S. citizenship. If you have a criminal record, this can be worrying. If you have any criminal history--even if you were never arrested nor convicted of anything--you should consult with an attorney about the immigration consequences of your criminal Read More
AILA Summary of Changes to Public Charge Rule
AILA published a summary of the changes to the public charge rules at the various agencies, as recently affected by the unblocking of the hold on implementation of Trump's horrible new public charge rules. Read More
Increased Processing Times of Immigration Applications Under the Trump Administration
Increased Processing Times of Immigration Applications Under the Trump Administration Why is my immigration application taking so long? Under the Trump administration, the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has significantly lengthened the processing time of immigrant applications, creating a backlog of millions of applications. These delays impact the lives of countless people seeking Read More
Become a US Citizen. Find Help on Citizenship Day!
There is no better time to become a US citizen as we approach a critical presidential election in November 2020. In the Boston area, USCIS processes N-400 Applications for Naturalization (citizenship) in about five months. This means that if you apply soon (ex., January or February 2020), there is a great chance that you will be able to VOTE in the November 2020 election. You can hire an attorney to represent you Read More
Decreased Communication and Negotiation with the Government Under the Trump Administration
Decreased Communication and Negotiation with the Government Under the Trump Administration To those paying attention, it is clear that the Trump administration is working hard to decrease legal immigration to the United States. The applicant backlog at the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) currently stands at around 2.4 million–a figure higher than it has been since 2013. While Read More
Increase in Requests for Evidence Under the Trump Administration
Increase in Requests for Evidence Under the Trump Administration You completed your application for an H-1B visa, marriage-based green card, or another immigration petition. Now you’ve received a “Request for Evidence” from the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). Your stomach might be sinking, but stay calm. The request doesn’t necessarily mean that the USCIS will deny your Read More
President Trump’s Healthcare Insurance Proclamation for New Immigrants is Temporarily Barred
President Trump’s Healthcare Insurance Proclamation for New Immigrants is Temporarily Barred Since October many of my clients have asked me about health insurance requirements for their immigration cases. Should they apply for state-funded insurance for which they are entitled? Should they delay an immigration application until they have health insurance? How can they get health insurance in the U.S. without a U.S. Read More
Green Cards for Liberians through 12/20/2020
Liberians who have have been continuously physically present in the United States from Nov. 20, 2014 and who file an application for adjustment of status by Dec. 20, 2020 are eligible to adjust status to lawful permanent resident (that is, receive a "green card") under Section 7611 of the National Defense Authorization Act (PDF) Liberian Refugee Immigration Fairness (LRIF), signed into law on Dec. 20, 2019. There are Read More
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