Jafri Law Firm

"President-elect Joe Biden will restore order, dignity and fairness to our immigration system. At its core, his immigration policy will be driven by the need to keep families together," Molina said in a statement.

If you've been sitting on submitting applications to USCIS, you've got exactly two weeks! These changeswhich will be effective October 2, 2020will increase fees, eliminate most fee waivers, narrow fee waiver eligibility, add a new fee for asylum applications, and require separate fees for adjustment applications.

The United States and Canada are likely to extend border restrictions until at least the end of November as coronavirus cases spike in some states, according to well-placed Washington and Ottawa sources.

UPDATE ON CONSULAR SERVICES IN INDIA: We are pleased to announce that consular sections at the U.S. Embassy in New Delhi and our Consulates in Mumbai, Chennai, Hyderabad, and Kolkata will begin processing of student and academic exchange visitor visa applications on a limited basis on August 17. Through consultation with our health and security professionals, we will open in a limited manner that puts the safety of our customers and staff first. We will first process emerge...ncy student and exchange visitor appointment requests received prior to August 12 and then offer public appointments. We will refresh appointments as we have availability, generally two weeks in advance. Prospective students and exchange visitors should schedule an appointment no more than three weeks prior to their class start date. We expect appointment slots to be filled quickly. Please continue to monitor our website for availability. Student visas are a high priority, and we will make every effort to assist student visa applicants in a timely fashion, while keeping our customers and staff safe. However, due to our very limited appointment availability we will not be able to accommodate all requests in time for the start of the fall semester. We will try to handle requests based on when we receive them and when classes will start. We ask for your patience during this time. This being said, we continue to remain closed for routine immigrant and nonimmigrant visa services. We will resume routine visa services as soon as possible but are unable to provide a specific date. The MRV fee is valid and may be used to schedule an interview appointment in the country where it was purchased within one year of the date of payment. If you have an urgent need to travel, please follow the guidance provided at http://cdn.ustraveldocs.com//in-niv-expeditedappointment.a to request an emergency appointment. Applicants for H1B, H2B, H4, L and certain J categories covered by Presidential Proclamation 10052 should request an appointment only if you have reason to believe you may qualify for one of the exceptions listed here: https://travel.state.gov//exceptions-to-p-p-10014-10052-su. https://in.usembassy.gov/visas/

"Donald Trump has spoken repeatedly about a 'merit-based' immigration system. That rings hollow and appears to be just a code phrase for less immigration when even people who meet the highest standards for obtaining a visa are refused." http://ow.ly/UY4h50AXHtU

BREAKING: This week, a federal court completely prohibited the anti-immigrant public charge rule during the COVID-19 pandemic. This is a great and necessary step forward. The Southern District of New York issued a new temporary injunction against the DHS Public Charge rule. The order bars the implementation, application, and enforcement of the rule nationwide so long as there is a declared national emergency related to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The COVID-19 pandemic is delaying applications for new passports and renewals. And it's hard to say for how long.

Nonimmigrant F-1 and M-1 students attending schools operating entirely online may NOT take a full online course load and remain in the United States. The U.S. Department of State will not issue visas to students enrolled in schools and/or programs that are fully online for the fall semester nor will U.S. Customs and Border Protection permit these students to enter the United States. Active students currently in the United States enrolled in such programs must depart the country or take other measures, such as transferring to a school with in-person instruction to remain in lawful status. If not, they may face immigration consequences including, but not limited to, the initiation of removal proceedings.

"Much of the confusion over the proclamation stems from a series of tweets published by the U.S. Department of State responding to individuals' questions. Immigration lawyers say those tweets conflict with what's actually written in the proclamation." http://ow.ly/leXK50AmUUC

Tuesday night's move is a major blow to the administration's toughest asylum policy and comes on the heels of the U.S. Supreme Court's June 18 decision to uphold the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program.

"Last year, the agency adjudicated only a little over half of its applications. Processing time for a citizenship application has doubled under Trump compared to under President Obama." http://ow.ly/63wg50AkBYI

The Supreme Court handed President Trump a win on Thursday by ruling that asylum seekers have no right to a federal court hearing before being removed from the United States. The 7-2 decision allows the administration to fast-track the removal process, a move that could affect thousands of immigrants.