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Category Archives: Immigration

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By Robert Y. Maples˘ on Posted in Department of Homeland Security, Immigration, President Trump's Administration, USCIS

Former Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli has been appointed acting director of USCIS, replacing Acting Director Koumans. Director Koumans replaced Director Cissna on June 3 as acting director. Below is the USCIS release: WASHINGTON— Department of Homeland Security Acting Secretary Kevin McAleenan today announced that Kenneth T. (Ken) Cuccinelli will serve as the new acting director of… Continue Reading

By Lou Metsu˘ and on Posted in China, H-1B, Immigration, Immigration Law, L visa, State Department, U.S. State Department

The Department of State (DOS) and Mission China announced that changes have been made to consolidate the processing in China of H and L visa applications for foreign nationals seeking to work in the United States. Starting March 1, 2019, all interviews for H and L visas will be conducted only at the U.S. Embassy… Continue Reading

By Jia Zhao on Posted in EB-5, I-526, Immigrant Investor, Immigrant Visa, Immigration, U.S. State Department, Uncategorized, USCIS

It is widely known that India has become a major EB-5 investor market in recent years, as EB-5 is becoming an increasingly popular option for Indian nationals who seek permanent residence in the United States; the fact that there has been a growing number of high-net-worth individuals in India clearly helps to stimulate this demand…. Continue Reading

By Jennifer Hermansky on Posted in Department of State, EB-5, EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program, EB-5 Legislation, EB-5 Program, Government Shutdown, I-526, I-829, Immigrant Investor, Immigrant Visa, Immigration, Immigration Law, NOID, RFE, shutdown, USCIS

The U.S. federal government shut down at the end of the day on Dec. 21, 2018, and the president did not sign into law the extension of the EB-5 program passed by the Senate. Until the shutdown ends, and the Regional Center EB-5 program extension is signed into law, no new I-526 petitions can be… Continue Reading

By Robert Y. Maples˘ on Posted in Conrad 30 Waiver Program, Continuing Resolution (CR), E-Verify, EB-5, Immigration

The U.S. Senate filed Continuing Resolution, Senate amendment to H.R. 695 – Department of Defense Appropriations Act, 2018 [Further Additional Continuing Appropriations Act, 2019, legislation on Dec. 19 to extend government programs and operations through Feb. 8, 2019 and to prevent a partial government shutdown on Dec. 21. From the Senate Appropriations Committee press release… Continue Reading

By Robert Y. Maples˘ on Posted in Continuing Resolution (CR), EB-5, Immigration

As an update to this reporting- House Introduces Two-Week Continuing Resolution to Extend Vital Programs such as EB-5, on Dec. 6, the House passed H.J. Res 143 – FY 2019 Continuing Resolution Through December 21, 2018, by unanimous consent.  The measure proceeded to the Senate and was approved by unanimous consent approximately one-hour after passing… Continue Reading

By Bruce C. Rosetto and on Posted in EB-5, EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program, EB-5 Investment, EB-5 Legislation, EB-5 Program, GT Alert, I-526, Immigrant Investor, Immigrant Visa, Immigration, Immigration Law, USCIS, Visa

In the matter of Huashan Zhang, et al. v. United States Citizenship and Immigration Service, et al. (United States District Court for the District of Columbia, Nov. 30, 2018), plaintiffs challenged the decisions of the United States Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) to deny their EB-5 immigrant investor visa petitions based upon USCIS’ erroneous interpretation… Continue Reading

By Robert Y. Maples˘ on Posted in Conrad 30 Waiver Program, Continuing Resolution (CR), E-Verify, EB-5, Immigration

House Appropriations Committee Chairman Rodney Frelinghuysen (R-NJ) introduced H.J. Res 143 – FY 2019 Continuing Resolution Through December 21, 2018 on Dec. 3 to extend government programs not yet authorized for the fiscal year until Dec. 21, 2018. Programs extended under the filed Continuing Resolution include seven appropriation bills that are set to expire on Dec…. Continue Reading

By Greenberg Traurig on Posted in China, Department of State, EB-5, EB-5 Business Plan, EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program, EB-5 Investment, I-526, Immigrant Investor, Immigrant Visa, Immigration, Immigration Law, USCIS, Vietnamese

At a recent EB-5 industry forum, Mr. Charles Oppenheim, Chief of the Department of State (DOS) Immigrant Visa Control & Reporting Division, provided key insights on what the latest data suggests regarding the future availability of visas in the EB-5 category. Top EB-5 Visa Users in FY2018: China, Vietnam, and India In terms of EB-5… Continue Reading

By Shaoul Aslan‡ on Posted in Department of State, EB-3, EB-5, Immigration, Visa Bulletin

The Department of State (DOS) December 2018 Visa Bulletin shows some movement in employment-based categories. The EB-1 category will advance three months in all countries, with China and India advancing to Sept. 1, 2016, and all other countries will move forward to July 21, 2016. The EB-2 category remained current for all countries except China, advancing… Continue Reading

By Anita E.J. Ninan on Posted in Department of Homeland Security, Immigrant Visa, Immigration, Immigration Law, Proposed Rule, USCIS, Visa

USCIS has proposed rules that could deny entry to non-immigrants seeking admission to the United States and adjustment of status to permanent residence to immigrants if they rely on public benefits for food, housing or medical care, and other forms of public assistance. The proposed rule – “Inadmissibility on Public Charge Grounds” – is published in… Continue Reading

By Nataliya Rymer on Posted in China, Department of State, EB-5, EB-5 Legislation, EB-5 Processing Times, EB-5 Program, Green Cards, I-526, Immigrant Green Card, Immigrant Investor, Immigration, Immigration Law, State Department, USCIS, Vietnamese, Visa

This coming October, USCIS is allowing a number of foreign nationals to apply for adjustment of status earlier than they would otherwise be eligible. Specifically, USCIS has announced that it will allow individuals with immigrant petitions in employment-based categories to apply for adjustment of status based on the cutoff dates in the “Dates for Filing” Chart… Continue Reading

By Greenberg Traurig on Posted in EB-5, EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program, EB-5 Legislation, I-829, Immigrant Investor, Immigrant Visa, Immigration, Immigration Law, Immigration Reform, President Trump's Administration, USCIS, Visa

This is the fifth post in a series that discusses how EB-5 investors and their dependents can maintain eligibility for permanent residence and I-829 Petition approval. This blog focuses on accepting certain public benefits that may make an investor and/or his or her dependents a “public charge.” The Trump Administration has stated that USCIS will start… Continue Reading

By Jennifer Hermansky on Posted in EB-5, EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program, EB-5 Legislation, Immigrant Investor, Immigrant Visa, Immigration, Immigration Law, Immigration Reform, President Trump's Administration, Tax Considerations, Visa

This is the fourth post in a series that discusses how EB-5 investors and their dependents can maintain eligibility for permanent residence and I-829 Petition approval. This blog focuses on criminal issues and tax issues. President Trump’s Executive Order, along with a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) implementation memorandum, prioritizes removable aliens who: Have been convicted… Continue Reading

By Jennifer Hermansky on Posted in EB-5, EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program, EB-5 Legislation, EB-5 Program, Immigrant Investor, Immigration, Immigration Law, Immigration Reform, President Trump's Administration, U.S. Customs and Border Protections, USCIS

As we previously reported, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) issued a Policy Memorandum entitled “Updated Guidance for the Referral of Cases and Issuance of Notices to Appear (NTAs) in Cases Involving Inadmissible and Deportable Aliens”[1] on June 28, 2018.  This Policy Memorandum was issued in response to President Trump’s Executive Order (EO), “Enhancing Public… Continue Reading

By Jennifer Hermansky on Posted in EB-5, EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program, I-526, Immigrant Investor, Immigrant Visa, Immigration, Immigration Law, President Trump's Administration, USCIS

EB-5 investors should maintain their eligibility for conditional permanent resident status, especially during any period of visa backlog occurring in between the time of I-526 Petition approval and when the investor’s priority date becomes current. This is the second post in a series that discusses how EB-5 investors and their dependents can maintain eligibility for… Continue Reading

By Jennifer Hermansky on Posted in EB-5, EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program, EB-5 Legislation, EB-5 Program, Eb-5 Regional Center, I-526, Immigration, Immigration Law, USCIS

On Aug. 24, 2018, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) made a significant update to its Policy Manual, Part G: Immigrant Investors. In its Policy Alert, USCIS outlined the changes to the Policy Manual. Notable among the updates was the following: Policy Highlight 5 Explains that USCIS considers a change in regional center affiliation a… Continue Reading

By Jennifer Hermansky on Posted in EB-5, EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program, EB-5 Investment, EB-5 Program, Executive Order, Green Cards, Immigrant Visa, Immigration, Immigration Law, President Trump's Administration, USCIS

As we previously reported, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) issued a Policy Memorandum entitled “Updated Guidance for the Referral of Cases and Issuance of Notices to Appear (NTAs) in Cases Involving Inadmissible and Deportable Aliens” on June 28, 2018. This Policy Memorandum was issued in response to President Trump’s Executive Order (EO), “Enhancing Public Safety… Continue Reading

By Greenberg Traurig on Posted in EB-5, EB-5 Program, Immigration, Immigration Law

The National Law Journal selected the 2018 Trailblazers in Immigration. This year, Greenberg Traurig Immigration & Compliance attorneys Laura Reiff and Kate Kalmykov were recognized on the list for their notable achievements in the practice of law. Kalmykov leads the immigration practice group in the firm’s New York, New Jersey, and Philadelphia offices.  She has… Continue Reading

By Robert Y. Maples˘ on Posted in E-Visa, Immigrant Visa, Immigration, Immigration Law, Visa, Visa Issuance

As an update to an earlier post, on Aug. 1, the president signed the Knowledgeable Innovators and Worthy Investors Act (KIWI Act) granting E-1 and E-2 status to certain New Zealand nationals under mutual considerations. This will permit citizens of New Zealand to apply for U.S. visas to carry on significant trade with the United States… Continue Reading

By Nadia Sowinski* on Posted in Department of State, EB-5, Immigration

The Department of State (DOS) has informed EB-5 stakeholders that retrogression of the EB-5 category in the chargeability area including Vietnam, is imminent; however, DOS is unable to provide specific dates of which priority dates will retrogress at this time, though it did clarify that this is not going to occur in April 2018. As… Continue Reading

By Greenberg Traurig on Posted in Events, Immigration

GT hosted a Washington, D.C. reception of the National Immigration Forum (NIF) on “What Drives The Immigration Debate: A Conversation.” Welcoming remarks were made by Eddie Aldrete, Senior Vice President, IBC Bank, and Board Chair of the National Immigration Forum that recognized Laura Reiff, immediate past Chairman of the NIF, for her former and continued… Continue Reading

By Greenberg Traurig on Posted in Immigration, President Trump's Administration

Greenberg Traurig Laura Reiff, Co-Chair Business Immigration and Compliance, was recently quoted in the Bloomberg Law article, “Immigration Attorneys on Their toes in the Age of Trump.” The article discusses developments in immigration in 2017 and how attorneys are handling the new environment. Reiff expresses the importance of being proactive as immigration attorneys anticipate the… Continue Reading