Author name: Michael Boyle

The approximately 500-page proposed rule on government benefits and financial sponsorship (also called being a public charge) is open for public comment and will be revised after the comment period before taking effect. The consequences of receiving public benefits other than welfare or other cash benefits will not be retroactive (not cover the past). Receipt of benefits other than cash assistance will have a public […]

Information on President Obama’s November 2014 announcement Deferred Action for Families This is the new program for people who have U.S. children. The program offers work authorization and limited protection from deportation for three years. Travel permission may be available for humanitarian circumstances like visiting a dying relative. The requirements are: Arrived in the U.S.

On June 27, the US Senate passed an immigration reform bill by the wide margin of 68-32, which is very good news for millions of immigrants and their families. However, any immigration bill will also need to pass the House of Representatives before it can become law. The House has a Republican Party majority, so

The Supreme Court’s Windsor decision overruled Section Three of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) and opened great, new possibilities for gay and lesbian couples. Same-sex couples will finally have the same rights as heterosexual married couples. If the noncitizen spouse is in lawful status or is a simple overstay with no special complications, the prospects for

Connecticut’s legislature has passed a bill that will allow immigrants without legal status to apply for driver’s licenses starting in January 2015. The licenses will say ‘for driving only’ and will not be valid as identification, and will need to be replaced every three years rather than the usual six. Governor Malloy has said he

In June 2012, President Obama announced Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA). DACA allows young people of good moral character who came to the United States before they turned 16, are enrolled in school or have graduated from high school or have a GED, who were in the U.S. and under 31 on June 15,

In a phone conference on Friday, August 3, USCIS Director Alexander Mayorkas announced additional information about the DREAM deferred action program, now called Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA). Forms available August 15 Unfortunately, the forms for the program will not be available until August 15. More rules will be made public that day too.

Even if you do not have legal immigration status you can renew your Connecticut driver’s license. (You cannot get a license for the first time if you are out of status, however.) Just go to DMV when your license is expiring and ask for a regular license. Do not ask for the new Connecticut Select license. If you are illegal and ask for

Don’t have more than two beers if you want to get a green card, citizenship or bond The standards that Immigration uses to judge alcohol use have changed dramatically and silently. The laws themselves have not changed, but society’s and the immigration decision maker’s evaluation of what is OK have changed a lot. A couple

Some USCIS officers are very interested in your life. If they want to know about you, they have lots of resources to help them find out. Most of these resources are electronic: to send investigators to your home or work normally requires the cooperation of another DHS agency U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE). However,

The outlook for timely work visa processing is bleak for both skilled and unskilled workers from all countries and also for professionals with master’s and other advance degrees who were born in China or India. Green cards are allocated within each employment visa category based on demand and date that the applicant began processing. In

Demand for H-1B visas is expected to dramatically exceed the available supply. Last year both the main quota and the special quota for noncitizens with U.S. master’s degrees were oversubscribed as soon as the application period opened in early April. Contact us if you are interested in applying.

Starting January 22, 2009, applications will be sent to two regional lockbox facilities. Applicants in the west, Rocky Mountain states and midwest will send their applications to Arizona. Applicants from the eastern and southern US will send their applications to Texas. West, Mountain West, Midwest If You Reside In: Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois,