If you are an F-1 student in "duration of status," on February 5 you might wake up having accrued 180 days "unlawful presence." That's even if, to your knowledge, you have never violated your status.

The most recent Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) ruling, a Ninth Circuit appeals decision allowing current recipients to renew their two-year grants of protection, will remain in place until at least next fall.   

Bad luck in the H-1B lottery can land foreign nationals and their employers in a pickle.  Same is true if the employee’s sixth year of H-1B is about to come to a close, and there is not enough time to file a PERM or other immigrant case. 

One method Permanent Residents can use to strengthen their rights and their influence in the U.S. is to become a citizen.  There is no question that all the protections in the Constitution then apply to the individual, and he or she can vote in national elections.

In July, USCIS published a new policy memo allowing USCIS adjudicators to deny immigration-related applications or petitions without first issuing a request for evidence (“RFE”) or a Notice of Intent to Deny (“NOID”).

DACA renewal filings allowed to continue: A federal judge in Texas, Judge Hanen, has ruled to at least temporarily allow DACA filings to continue. The state of Texas, joined by six other states, had sued the Federal government, claiming that the DACA program begun under President Obama was illegal.

The last week has been an eventful week for DACA, as two different hearings were held in federal court: First, on August 3, 2018, a federal judge from the District of Columbia ordered the federal government to fully restore the DACA program.

Important Alert for Students: On May 10, 2018, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) issued an important policy memorandum that will greatly impact students and exchange visitors (F, J and M visas), as well as their dependents.

The New York Times is reporting the Trump administration's proposal to increase visa restrictions on Chinese nationals to counter, it says, a high level of espionage.