On Jan. 27, 2020, the U.S. Supreme Court granted the Department of Justice’s request to lift the nationwide temporary injunction against the Trump Administration’s public charge rule, while the litigation
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President Trump Signs Appropriation Packages Extending Vital Programs Like EB-5 and Preventing a Government Shutdown
On Dec. 20, 2019, President Trump signed H.R. 1865, an eight-bill appropriations bill that extends the vital EB-5 program until Sept. 30, 2020, among other things. The president also signed
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New Presidential Proclamation Requiring Health Care for Immigrant Visa Applicants Effective November 3, 2019
On Oct. 4, President Donald Trump signed a new “Presidential Proclamation on the Suspension of Entry of Immigrants Who Will Financially Burden the United States Healthcare System,” which goes into effect Nov. 3 and affects most immigrant visa applicants. This Presidential Proclamation is separate from the Public Charge Rule, which is on hold in the U.S. due to a court injunction, and its implementation at U.S. Consulates has been delayed by the Department of State.
According to the new Presidential Proclamation, with very small exceptions including refugees and asylees, applicants for immigrant visas will need to present evidence to the consular office “to the consular officer’s satisfaction” at the time of their immigrant visa interview that they will be covered by approved health insurance within 30 days of entering the U.S. or that they have enough financial means to pay for “reasonably foreseeable medical costs.” The Presidential Proclamation asserts that “lawful immigrants are about three times more likely than United States citizens to lack health insurance.”
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Trump Administration Nominates Poland for U.S. Visa Waiver Program
Today, President Trump announced that his administration has nominated Poland as a Visa Waiver Program (VWP) participating country. Entry into the U.S. Visa Waiver Program allows citizens of participating countries to travel to the United States for tourism, business, or in transit for up to 90 days without having to obtain a visa.
President Trump stated: “…This is an important step in continuing to increase economic, security, cultural, and people-to-people connections between our two nations. Now that Poland has been nominated, the Department of Homeland Security will take necessary action, as soon as possible, to assess Poland’s entry into the program. If Poland is designated as a Visa Waiver Program country, its nationals would be authorized for visa-free travel to the United States for business and tourism. The bilateral relationship between the United States and Poland has never been stronger, and this would serve as a remarkable accomplishment for both countries.”
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Senate Approves CR to Fund Government, Including Vital Programs Like EB-5
Today, the U.S. Senate approved the House-passed Continuing Resolution (CR; H.R. 4378 ) to fund the U.S. government through Nov. 21 by a bipartisan vote of 82-15. The last step
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OMB Completes Review of Obama-Era EB-5 Regulations
Today, OMB posted that they have concluded their review of the Obama-era EB-5 regulations. On Jan. 13, 2017, the Department of Homeland Security published a notice of proposed rulemaking to
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New Leadership at USCIS; Former VA AG Ken Cuccinelli Named Acting Director
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
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Government Accountability Office Agrees to Investigate Immigration Case Backlog at USCIS as EB-5 Adjudication Times Dramatically Increase
On May 31, the Congressional Hispanic Caucus announced, “Following CHC Request, GAO Agrees to Open Investigation into Record-Breaking Immigration Case Backlog at USCIS,” in which Chairman Castro stated
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President Signs Appropriations Legislation Extending EB-5 and More Government Functions
Congress approved the Omnibus Appropriations legislation on Feb. 14, 2019. On Feb. 15, the president signed the legislation into law and announced additional executive actions to further address needs the
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UPDATE: Government Lapse of Appropriations and Shutdown Status
After 35 days of closure, with multiple House bills debated and passed, and Senate bills debated, President Trump called a press conference the afternoon of Jan. 25 relating to ending
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