Form I-693, Report of Medical Examination and Vaccination Record
USCIS Fees To Increase In April 2024
Immigration has announced that filing fees will change on April 1, 2024.
Immigration Case Processing Speed Update
Policy Alert: Employment Authorization Documents Based on Compelling Circumstances
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is issuing policy guidance in the USCIS Policy Manual to address eligibility criteria and standards for applications for employment authorization involving compelling circumstances. Review the Document below for more...
Changes Affecting Employment Authorization for L-2, E, and H-4 Dependent Spouses
On November 12, 2021, USCIS announced that L-2 and E dependent spouses are no longer required to apply for an EAD to work in the United States. Instead, L-2 and E dependent spouses are authorized to work in the United States just by virtue of holding L-2 or E status...
Visa Options for Ukrainian Nationals
On March 1, 2022, the State Department issued an Announcement of Processing Posts for Visa Applicants from Ukraine stating that effective immediately, the following designations and assignments will be made for IV, fiancé visas, adoption cases, as well as A/G...
Protecting your Permanent Residency
Having a green card can provide certainty and peace of mind that you can live and work permanently in the United States. However, your permanent resident status can be revoked under certain scenarios. The AILA flyer below covers potential acts that could cause you to...
Resumption of Global Travel During the Covid 19 Pandemic
President Biden announced a Presidential Proclamation on October, 25, 2021 titled "“A Proclamation on Advancing the Safe Resumption of Global Travel During the COVID-19 Pandemic". This will end travel restrictions that have previously been in place on November 8,...
Important: H-1B Visa Updates
Due to a new policy change, individuals who have applied for change of status (COS) to F-1 will no longer be required to extend their nonimmigrant status because a COS to F-1 will now be effective on the day of their COS approval. But what does that mean for students...
Recent changes to the DACA Program
Special thanks to AILA member Steve Yale-Loehr for drafting this update. On July 16, 2021, Texas federal district Judge Andrew Hanen ruled that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) violated the Administrative Procedure Act (APA) when it created the deferred...
Immigrant Visa Processing Delays
Due to the COVID-19 Pandemic, most U.S. embassies and consulates are still not operating at full capacity. A significant backlog of Immigrant Visas has been created. Please Review the AILA Release below for more information! Consult with The Immigration Law Offices of...
Be Aware of Delays in Immigration Receipt Notices
While some people have received their receipts for Form I-485, Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status; Form I-140, Immigrant Petition for Alien Workers; and Form I-765, Application for Employment Authorization (EAD), it is not unusual to have to...
Traveling for Permanent Residents during Pandemic Times
During the COVID-19 pandemic, travel restrictions can change quickly for both lawful permanent residents and others seeking to enter or return to the United States. Please see the document below for information about traveling during the COVID-19 pandemic. ...
Form I-944 Public Charge Update: Declaration of Self-Sufficiency
Important Facts You Need to Know Form I-944, or the Declaration of Self-Sufficiency, is a complex step recently introduced to the green card application process. The form, in short, requires additional information and documentation to be submitted along with a green...
DACA Stays in Place
From Huffpost today: The Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, or DACA, will remain in place, keeping nearly 650,000 undocumented young people safe from deportation, thanks to a ruling on Thursday by the Supreme Court. The court ruled that President Donald...
How Will the New Public Charge Rule Affect Your Ability to Get a Green Card?
At The Law Offices of Neelam Bhardwaj, we are committed to ensuring that you have up to the minute immigration information that can affect you and your family. January 27, 2020 it was announced that the Supreme Court, by a vote of 5-4, granted President Trump the...
Understanding Liberian Refugee Immigration Provision
New policies in the U.S. immigration system have now made it possible for qualifying Liberian immigrants to apply for a green card and begin their path to permanent U.S. residency. As North Carolina’s premier immigration lawyers, we’re uniquely qualified to assist...
Public Charge Rule Challenged
Public Charge Rule Challenge Recently there have been some new developments in the Public Charge Rule proposed by the Trump administration. In three separate states, federal judges have blocked the changes. The Public Charge Rule was set to take effect on October...
What You Need To Know About Public Charge Rule Changes
On August 14, 2019, DHS (Department of Homeland Security) finalized the new public charge rules which will become effective on October 15th of 2019. The Trump administration, published the proposed new public charge rules on October 10th of 2018. The proposed rule...
H4 EAD News and Updates
H4 Visas are granted to immediate family members (spouses and underage children) that have obtained an H1B with status that was extended beyond 6 years under the AC21 Act. The H4 allows family members to become gainfully employed in the US while accompanying their H1...
Get Legal Assistance with DACA Applications in North Carolina!
DACA - Updates August 2019 “Dreamers” in the US under the DACA program are still very much in limbo as to what their future holds. Since President Trump decided to trash the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) in 2017, an estimated 700,000 participants do...
What You Need to Know About the Affidavit of Support for Family Sponsorship
USCIS (United States Citizenship and Immigration Services) recently released an update to the 2019 poverty level income guidelines. Understanding what this information can mean to your application to sponsor a family member for entry into the US is vital to the...
Navigating The Travel Ban: How It Works And Who May Be Affected
President Donald Trump's Executive Order to ban travel to the United States from a list of several countries took affect December 2018, after two earlier iterations had been blocked by lower courts, and applies different degrees of the ban on travel which encompasses...
WHAT IS THE H1B VISA?
What Is The H1B Visa? The H1B visa is a requirement in the United States under the Immigration and Nationality Act that allows U.S. employers the opportunity to temporarily hire and employ workers from foreign countries in specialty occupations. The H1B visa...
Current State of DACA in March 2019
UPDATE: Keep up to date with current DACA news and Immigration Law with our August 2019 DACA Update The Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program went into effect in 2012 to provide a temporary reprieve from deportation to those who met certain eligibility...
Final Rule for H-1B Visa Program
DHS Announces Final Rule for a More Effective and Efficient H-1B Visa Program: Final Rule Effective Beginning April 1, 2019 WASHINGTON—The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) posted 1/30/19 for public inspection, a final rule amending regulations governing...
Common Questions About U.S. Citizenship Requirements
Common Questions About U.S. Citizenship Requirements Most immigrants who come to the United States plan to become a citizen. If you’ve maintained continuous residence in the United States for several years as a Green Card holder, you may want to apply for U.S....
Learn about the Green Card Renewal Process
What You Need to Know About Green Card Renewal in Greensboro NC A “green card”, or more formally permanent residency card is one of the visa categories that can be used as a stepping stone toward US citizenship. The immigration process can be grueling under the new...
Become a U.S. Citizen: How Long Is the Green Card Processing Time?
Become a U.S. Citizen: How Long Is the Green Card Processing Time? Starting from the time you file your application, the process currently takes between six months to ten years and typically takes one year or less. The United States of America is known as the land of...
What are the Steps to Getting a Green Card in the USA?
What are the Steps to getting a Green Card? The steps in the Green Card process differ based on the type of Green Card. However, here is the general application process that most applicants undergo: Someone must file an immigrant petition on your behalf (often...
Asylum Seeker: Common mistakes when dealing with ICE
It’s a confusing time for refugee immigration right now, in the United States. The laws and policies are changing often, sometimes daily, and even more changes seem to be on the horizon. Due to the dynamic and unsteady climate for immigrants and asylum seekers, there...
How Long Does it Take for a US Citizen to Sponsor a Spouse?
Starting a new life and moving the whole family to North Carolina in the United States can take time. Many immigrants come to the United States in pursuit of the American Dream and establish U.S. citizenship or get their green card first before starting the...
Businesses Come Together to Support Dreamer Immigration Laws
Lately, Dreamer Immigration Laws have been a hot topic dominating the media landscape and all immigration lawyers for dreamers know it’s not likely to go away anytime soon. However, now there appears to be some hope on the horizon. After the Trump administration...
H-1B Visa News: Significant Changes to H-1B Visa Extensions
The new USCIS Director Lee Francis Cissna recently announced a dramatic change in the adjudications policy regarding extensions of already approved H-1B and other employment based I-129 petitions like L’s and O’s. At the end of October, extension petitions for already...
How the Recession of DACA Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals Program Affects You
On September 5th Trump Officially announced the rescission of the 2012 Memorandum establishing the program known as Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals or “DACA”. While you can read the full Department of Homeland Security Memo regarding DACA here, to summarize,...
What The Redesigned Green Card Means For You
As part of the Next Generation Secure Identification Document Project and the U.S. Citizen and Immigration Services (USCIS) commitment to working against the threat of fraudulent document tampering, the Green Card as you know it is officially...
How Trump’s Changes to the H1-B Program Affect Your Visa
H-1B Visa Program Changes The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has just announced a number of additional changes to the H-1B Visa Program. These changes are clearly intended only to discourage and identify fraud and...
Preparing for a U.S. Citizenship Interview and Test
Preparing for Your U.S. Citizenship Interview and Test The better prepared you are for any test, the more likely you are to pass it. To help you study for your naturalization interview and citizenship test, we have provided a straightforward guide with links to all of...
The Impacts of Trump’s Immigration Order
What Does Trump’s Executive Order on Immigration Really Mean? Trump’s Executive Order banning travel from seven Middle Eastern countries has led to thousands of protests across the United States – and the world. It has also led to an incredible amount of confusion and...
The Immigration Executive Order and Travel Ban
The Immigration Executive Order for the travel ban and subsequent events of the past few days have caused concern and confusion. This post is to provide some information and hopefully some clarity. For the next 90 days, nearly all travelers, except U.S. citizens,...
Passport Renewal Changes
What is Changing? This is hardly the first time that rules for passport use have changed. Additional requirements for passports have been coming in waves since 2007, when the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative took effect – requiring all American citizens entering...
Arulanantham Receives Genius Grant for Immigrants Rights
With the current election coming up, immigrants rights are ever present. The American Civil Liberties Union is an organization that actively and diligently protects immigrants rights. The ACLU Immigrants’ Rights Project is dedicated to enforcing the civil liberties...
How Hamilton Celebrates American Immigrants and US Immigration
After a year marked by political, racial, and international upheaval, it seems like almost nothing positive can be said for 2016’s treatment of immigrants and people of color. Multiple shootings of unarmed black men have prompted almost nonstop public outrage, and the...
The 6 Worst Things Trump Has Said About Immigrants
When Donald Trump announced his candidacy for President last year, it seemed unlikely that he would get very far. Nate Silver, the election guru who correctly called almost all states in the 2008 and 2012 elections, put Trump’s odds at less than 5%, and publications...
Supreme Court Tie Blocks Obama’s Immigration Law
In a move that has elicited disappointment from immigration proponents across the country, the Supreme Court failed to render a judgement this week on the controversial U.S. vs. Texas immigration law case. That means that despite the best efforts of the Obama...
6 All-American Things Made by Immigrants
From cars, to beer, to jeans, America has countless icons that represent it. But just like the population itself, not everything thought of as American actually comes from the Land of the Free. Every classic “American” item on this list was developed by immigrants—or...
Common and Most Asked Citizenship Interview Questions
Becoming a U.S. citizen is a tough and rewarding process. It takes hours of research and requires a lot of time and energy. The U.S. citizenship interview is one of the most important steps to becoming a citizen of the United States in North Carolina....
Famous Americans Who Were Immigrants
Amid heated debates over immigration, it’s important to remember that some of the most famous Americans in U.S. history didn’t start out as Americans at all. America has always been a land of immigrants, formed by the voices and talents of people from all over the...
How to Apply for Citizenship in 8 Steps
Every year, hundreds of thousands of people apply for U.S. citizenship. As a citizen, there are a multitude of rights and privileges you can enjoy, such as the right to vote, the right to run for elected office, and the right to worship and express yourself as you...
Cost Effective Ways to Learn English
With over 840 million speakers worldwide, English is second only to Mandarin Chinese as the world’s most popular language. For those at home in their own countries, learning English has several advantages: expanding ones’ social circle; opening...
Civics Practice Test in Spanish
If you’re new to this country, you know that the process of immigration and naturalization can be a long and arduous adventure. The moment of completion will certainly be a welcome occasion, and there are many tests you will need to pass in...
Why is Donald Trump’s Statement to Ban Muslim Immigration Getting Traction?
In light of the upcoming election, statements are being made from one extreme to another. One of these recent statements came from Republican candidate Donald Trump. His proposal to ban Muslim immigration to the United States. Trump stands...
Immigration Forms: Slow Moving Digitization
The US Government has put into place a $1 billion project on digitizing all of the immigration forms- of which there are nearly 100. After ten years of this digitization process, all the government officials have to show for their efforts is...
Governor Pat McCrory: Encouraging Racial Profiling?
A group of immigration activists stationed themselves outside of a government building on October 15th in a hunger strike. Why? They were encouraging Governor Pat McCrory to veto a piece of legislation that would crack down on the undocumented immigrants within the...
What Some Presidential Candidates are Saying About Immigration
With the 2016 presidential election drawing near, one of the biggest issues in the debate is immigration reform and laws. But what exactly are they saying? The next president will have a lot of power to pass and veto legislation, so it’s best...
Undocumented Immigrants and House Bill 328
For undocumented immigrants that have been living in North Carolina, relief is on it’s way. A bill has recently been passed that would allow immigrants who are in the U.S. illegally to get a driver’s license. The Goal of House Bill 328 House Bill 328 would allow for...
Communities in NC Benefit from Immigration
For North Carolina, immigrants are an integral part of the economy. This is something that should be remembered as new presidential candidates express their views on immigration reform. In an article in by Patrick McHugh for the North Carolina Justice Center, not only...
The 3 Types of Student Visas
For those looking to study abroad in the U.S., you will need to have student visas. To outline all the details and differences, here is a list of the three types of school visas you can apply for. F Visa An F Visa is for international students...
Part Two: How to Apply for a Work Visa
There are quite a few steps involved with getting a work visa. It can be a little overwhelming at times, so we’ve outlined some steps for you to follow when looking for a work visa. Where to Begin? The first thing you need to do is make sure the prospective employer...
Part One: Types of Work Visas
In order to get into another country and stay for a duration of time, you’re going to need a visa. It benefits both the employee and the host country to monitor who goes in and out of the country. If you’re looking to work in the U.S., it can...
Do I Need to Carry Documents While I’m in the USA?
The short answer is: yes. Any alien within the borders of the United States must carry their documents with them at all times. Additionally, duration and location of stay do not impact whether or not you need to carry identification documents...
Intent vs Non-Intent Visas
Entering the United States of America can be a challenging process, especially if you mix up your intent and non-intent visas. It’s hard to change immigration intents mid-way through the process or mid-way through a trip, so figure out what...
New Changes in Visas Opens up Opportunities
The Department of Homeland Security has extended the availability of employment for certain H-4 Spouses of H-1B immigrants. This is one of President Obama’s executive actions on immigration reform announced in late 2014. We’ll take a closer...
The Situation on the Executive Action on DACA
There has been a lot of talk in the media about a judge’s decision to overturn one of President Obama’s executive actions on immigration. Much of this talk in the media has become politicized which can distort the facts. We’ll look at the...
Obama on Immigration: Streamlining Immigration
President Obama’s stance on immigration has caused a lot of talk in the recent months. As a top issue among politicians, this issue is very volatile and prone to misinformation. This blog series focuses on clarifying three of the main...
Obama on Immigration: Border Security
At the moment, immigration is a hot topic among politicians, which can lead to a lot of misinformation. This blog post series is focused on clarifying the stance the White House and the President have and have said they will take on...
Obama on Immigration: Undocumented Immigrants
There has been a lot of talk about President Obama’s stance on immigration in the recent months. At the moment immigration is a top issue among many politicians, making the issue very volatile and filled with a lot of misinformation. In these...
Do I Qualify? Understanding the L-1 Visa
Businesses can easily span the globe in our modern world. Sometimes specialists within the company need to be in a position in another country for a long period of time, from a few months to a few years. The employee could be an executive who...
MAVINI On Hold
The Military Accessions Vital to the National Interest program, or MAVINI, is a program to help non-citizens living in the United States of America to join the armed forces in return for a fast track to citizenship. This might seem like an easy way to gain...
Green Cards, What They Can Do and How You Can Get One
A green card holder has been granted authorization to live and work in the United States of America on a permanent basis. For most, it’s a great dream, and for many it’s a huge step towards citizenship. Getting a green card can be difficult if you don’t...
Different Types of Visas and What They Mean: An Overview
Getting a visa to enter the United States of America can be a difficult task if you don’t know which visa you need to apply for. There are a lot of different visas for different situations. There are a lot of terms and extra information that...
Will Any Lawyer Do? Why You Need an Immigration Attorney
It’s very common to run into a situation when you need a lawyer to help you take care of a matter dealing with immigration, naturalization, or sorting out visa issues right away. Your visa might have expired or you might be seeking to...