17 September

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Important Immigration Law Updates

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LAW BOOK PHOTO

USCIS Policy Change Concerning the Issuance of ‘Request for Evidence’ and ‘Notice of Intent to Deny’

According to a USCIS Policy Memorandum, beginning September 11, 2018, it will be easier for officers to deny applications without asking for further evidence or a chance to argue against their denial which they previously did with a Request for Evidence (RFE) or a Notice of Intent to Deny (NOID). E, L, and H type visa as well as greencard applications filed after September 11, 2018 will be most affected.

05 February

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Our new location in Manhattan, Recent immigration news and updates.

Posted by Metin Caglar

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CAGLAR LAW FIRM HAS MOVED TO ITS NEW LOCATION IN MANHATTAN Effective February 1, 2018, we have moved to our new bigger location at 2 West 46th Street, New York, NY (between 5 th ave& 46st street). NEW AFFIRMATIVE ASYLUM INTERVIEW SCHEDULING Starting January 29, 2018, the Asylum Division will give priority to the most recently filed affirmative asylum applications when scheduling asylum interviews. USCIS’ predecessor, the Immigration and Naturalization Service, first established this interview scheduling approach as part of asylum reforms implemented in January 1995. This approach was in place until December 2014. The aim is to deter individuals from using asylum backlogs solely to...

14 November

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RECENT IMMIGRATION NEWS AND UPDATES

Posted by Metin Caglar

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THE U.S. MISSION IN TURKEY HAS RESUMED PROCESSING NON-IMMIGRANT VISAS ON A LIMITED BASIS. Turkish citizens with valid visas may continue to travel to the United States. Turkish citizens are also welcome to apply for a nonimmigrant visa outside of Turkey whether or not they maintain a residence in that country. Please note that an applicant applying outside of Turkey will need to pay the application fee for services in that country, even if a fee has previously been paid for services in Turkey. MAJOR POLICY CHANGES FOR ALL NON IMMIGRANT VISA EXTENSIONS USCIS has recently issued an updated Policy Memorandum which supersedes...

13 June

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UPDATE FOR B-1/B-2 VISITORS WHO WANT TO CHANGE THEIR STATUS TO F-1 IN THE U.S.

Posted by Metin Caglar

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Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has made a new update for people who want to change their status from B-1 and B-2 (i.e., visitors who are in the United States for business and pleasure purposes) to F-1 status during their stay in the United States. Per the federal regulations, Before enrolling in a course of study, individuals who are in B-1 or B-2 status must first acquire F-1 (academic student) or M-1 (vocational student) status. Enrolling in a course of study while in B-1/B-2 status will result in a status violation. Individuals in B-1 or B-2 status, who have violated their...

17 April

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APRIL 2017 NEWSLETTER- US IMMIGRATION NEWS AND UPDATES

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DHS ANNOUNCEMENT FOR H-1B VISA FRAUD AND CHANGES IN H-1B PROGRAM The U.S. Department of Homeland Security will look closely at any employer for hiring H-1B workers instead of Americans, and announcing plans to increase transparency on applicants and will increase site visits where employers have a relatively high ratio of H-1B workers. USCIS has also recently announced changes to the H-1B visa program that entry-level computer programming jobs would no longer automatically qualify as a "specialty occupation," that is the main basis for H-1B eligibility. EB-5 LAWS UP FOR VOTE ON APRIL 28TH According to a recent news article in the New York...

06 March

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BREAKING NEWS, UPDATES FOR IMMIGRATION LAW- MARCH 2017

Posted by Metin Caglar

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URGENT REMINDER: YOU STILL HAVE TIME TO FILE FOR YOUR H-1B VISA! The time for filing cap-subject H-1B working visa is shrinking. We head towards the April 2017 lottery week from Monday, April 3rd, 2017 to Friday, April 7, 2017. As it was last year, the demand for H-1B visas this year is also expected to be high. We are ready to file you H-1B applications! BREAKING NEWS! TRUMP SIGNED NEW TRAVEL BAN EXECUTIVE ORDER ON MARCH 6TH, 2017. The Executive Order signed today on March 6th, 2017, imposes a 90-day suspension of entry to the United States of nationals of certain designated countries. For...

06 February

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LATEST U.S. IMMIGRATION LAW NEWS AND UPDATES

Posted by Metin Caglar

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REFORMING THE H-1B PROGRAM/ CHANGES TO THE H-1B PROGRAM A new draft Executive Order plans to make several changes to U.S. Immigration rules such as the H-1B program used by US companies to fill their positions in the US. According to a recent article in Bloomberg News, the draft discusses overhauling work-visa programs such as H-1B. The H-1B visa is very popular among foreign nationals seeking work at companies in the U.S. Current caps for H-1B...

27 October

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Work permits for Asylum Applicants have been extended to two years, USCIS has increased fees for many immigration applications

Posted by Metin Caglar

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US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has increased the validity period for initial or renewal Employment Authorization for asylum applicants from one year to two years. This new rule will apply to all (c)(8)-based applications that are pending as of October 5th, 2016 and all such applications filed on or after October 5th, 2016. USCIS will increase many immigration filing fees at an average of 21%. Starting from December 23, 2016, I–485 Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status will increase from $985 to $1140, I–129/129CW Petition for a Non immigrant worker will increase from $325 to $460, I-130 Petition...

24 June

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The Supreme Court blocked President Obama’s immigration Action

Posted by Metin Caglar

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The U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday blocked President Barack Obama's plan to protect millions of immigrants in the country illegally from deportation. The court’s action broken the hopes of nearly 4 million illegal immigrants estimated to be covered by Obama’s plan, which would have deferred deportation for those who have been in the country since 2010, have not committed any serious crimes and have family ties to U.S. citizens or others lawfully in the country. President Obama first announced his plan last November to grant up to 5 million unauthorized immigrants protection from deportation.However, it was quickly challenged in court by Republican-governed...

09 June

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The Department of Homeland Security proposes to increase many immigration filing fees

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The Department of Homeland Security recently published a proposal to increase many U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) application fees for U.S. employers and foreign nationals. According to this new regulation, fees for most employment-based petitions and applications would be raised by an average of 21% whereas other types of petitions may experience a higher increase in filing fees. The increase in filing fees will be effective if federal government approves the regulation, which is expected to take about several months following the close of the 60-day comment period on July 5, 2016. ...