On behalf of Schifanelli & Associates, LLC posted in US Immigration Law on Friday, February 17, 2012
Last week, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) introduced a new public advocate position. ICE created the position to ensure that immigration advocacy groups and immigrants have a voice in deportation, detention and immigration policy discussions.
Andrew Lorenzen-Strait has been named the new public advocate. Immigration rights advocates, immigration attorneys and ICE respect him for his past work as a liaison between the two groups. His new role will involve speaking with immigrant groups and bringing deportation concerns to ICE.
On behalf of Schifanelli & Associates, LLC posted in US Immigration Law on Friday, February 10, 2012
A new report is once against proving something we have always known: immigrants contribute to Maryland's economy. Immigration is not the economic problem that many believe it to be.
The study, "The Impact of Immigrants in Maryland" by the Commission to Study the Impact of Immigrants in Maryland, reviewed immigrants' contribution in the workforce over a ten-year period (2000-2010), including studying the cost of the government services the immigrants received.
On behalf of Schifanelli & Associates, LLC posted in Employment Immigration on Friday, February 3, 2012
Over the last few years, the Department of Homeland Security's Immigration and Customs Enforcement division (ICE) has increased the number of employment audits done for immigration purposes. One result from the increased enforcement is that employers are being much more cautious in their hiring decisions, often requiring so much from applicants that they end up breaking employment hiring laws.
This can be a "Catch 22" for employers, who must tread carefully between immigration laws and employment laws.
On behalf of Schifanelli & Associates, LLC posted in US Immigration Law on Friday, January 27, 2012
A green card is a document that an immigrant receives when he or she is granted permanent resident status in the United States. There are many different ways to apply for a green card. The most common ways are through a family connection, through a job or through refugee / asylee status.
Family green cards
Many people become permanent residents through family members already in the United States. Individuals may be eligible for a family-based green card (permanent residence) if they are:
- Immediate relatives of U.S. citizens, including spouses, unmarried children less than 21 years old and parents of U.S. citizens who are 21 or older
- Family members of U.S. citizens who fall into "preference categories," including unmarried sons or daughters who are over 21 years old, married children, and brothers and sisters of U.S. citizens who are 21 or older
- Family members of permanent residents / green card holders, including spouses and unmarried children of permanent residents / green card holders
- Family members who fall into a special category, such as battered spouses or children (who fall under the "VAWA" category), fiancé(e)s of U.S. citizens (through a K nonimmigrant visa), children of foreign diplomats in the U.S., and widowers of U.S. citizens
The family member who is in the United States is called a "sponsor."
On behalf of Schifanelli & Associates, LLC posted in Immigration Detention on Thursday, January 19, 2012
A 58-year-old grandma pulled over for a traffic violation is now facing deportation in Maryland. Immigration attorneys and other advocates around the state are asking, "Is this woman really a threat?" They are requesting that immigration officials allow her to stay.
Last year, the Obama administration pledged to prioritize deporting illegal immigrants with criminal records. The Administration stated that it would review pending deportation cases and put a priority on those cases that involved threats to national security or serious crimes. Meanwhile, "non-priority immigrants" would be able to stay in the U.S. through a "stay of deportation/removal" (preventing DHS from executing a removal order for a limited period of time) and even obtain work permits.
On behalf of Schifanelli & Associates, LLC posted in US Immigration Law on Thursday, January 12, 2012
President Obama and the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) recently announced a proposal to allow the undocumented immigrants of U.S. citizen spouses and parents to stay in the country while their hardship waiver applications are being considered.
Hardship waivers are waivers of inadmissibility. Generally, immigrants who are in the U.S. illegally and deported may not return to the U.S. for three to ten years. Through a waiver application, the spouse or child of a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident can show that refusing his or her admission to the U.S. would cause extreme hardship to the U.S. citizen. This is a difficult waiver to obtain. It must be supported by strong evidence showing extreme hardship. The hardship caused by family separation is not enough.
On behalf of Schifanelli & Associates, LLC on Friday, December 9, 2011
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