Blogs

For the past 18 months, COVID-19 had wreaked havoc all over the world and has limited the entry of certain travelers into the U.S. With Consulate closures and travel bans, entering the U.S. has been particularly difficult for non-immigrants, especially those who require visa stamping. With limited appointments available and often the need to apply...

Another action by USCIS demonstrates that current processing times are becoming increasingly protracted. Effective September 4, 2021, USCIS announced that to accommodate current processing times for I-751 and I-829 petitions, they are increasing the validity of the receipt notices from 18 months to 24 months. Applicants who obtain a green card through a marriage where...

Last year’s October visa bulletin saw significant forward movement in dates, especially for EB-3 India, because of the large number of additional employment-based visas that were left over from the family-based preferences.  However, this year’s October visa bulletin is far less impressive.  See the link below: https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/legal/visa-law0/visa-bulletin/2022/visa-bulletin-for-october-2021.html At the start of each fiscal year, USCIS...

USCIS has now closed its Biometrics Processing Unit (BPU) in Alexandria, VA and therefore it is no longer possible to reschedule your biometrics in writing. If you cannot make your biometrics appointment you will need to call USCIS to reschedule this.  You can contact USCIS by calling the contact center at 800-375-5283, however, you must...

Students on F-1 status need to ensure they maintain status.  A failure to maintain status could result in a violation which could have an impact on their immigration future.  At PLG we often see requests for evidence questioning maintenance of status for F-1 students, who have submitted an H-1B cap petition requesting a change of...

In this article, we will discuss the continuous residence requirement as it relates to filing an application for Naturalization.  For the full requirements for Naturalization please refer to our previous article: The concept of continuous residence refers to the applicant maintaining a permanent dwelling place in the US, typically for a period of 5 years. ...

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) will now withdraw its duration of status rule.  Students have for a long time had the benefit of being admitted for the duration of status.  In other words, unlike other nonimmigrants, they are not admitted for a specific length of time.  This flexibility has allowed them to extend their...

Obtaining a green card through marriage is often described as one of the easiest ways to obtain lawful permanent residency.  However, what happens if after obtaining the green card you get divorced?  Can you get remarried and sponsor your new spouse? While this is certainly possible, if an individual received a green card through marriage,...