136 Immigration Law Experts Confirm President’s Executive Action is Constitutional
By Emily Neumann and Rahul Reddy Over 130 scholars and teachers of immigration law transmitted a letter to Congress in which they conclude that the President’s executive actions, including the expansion of DACA and establishment of DAPA, are legal exercises of “prosecutorial discretion.” Citing federal statutes, regulations, and historical precedent, the 136 law professors stated […]
Executive Action Brings Relief to Millions of Immigrants
Immigration Update from Willy, Nanayakkara, Rivera and Goins The President’s Executive Action announcement has finally come. While the specifics of how the programs will be instituted have yet to be determined, the overview of each program has been announced. The changes provided affect both undocumented immigrants and immigrants lawfully present, and the highlights of the […]
President Likely to Take Action on Immigration Before Year’s End
By Rahul Reddy & Emily Neumann President Obama discussed immigration in an interview with “Face the Nation” host Bob Schieffer, which aired on November 9, 2014. He again confirmed his intention to use his executive authority to act on immigration by the end of the year. Frustration with the lack of congressional action and […]
Obama Is Preparing To Make One Of The Boldest Moves Of His Presidency
By the end of the summer, President Barack Obama will make what some activists and legal experts say could be the “boldest move” of his presidency as he prepares to move without Congress on immigration reform. The coming executive actions to change immigration policy could become the defining moment in a second term marred by congressional […]
EB-5 Alternatives: E and L Visas
By Melissa N. Salvador HOUSTON: So many have heard about the EB-5 program – invest $1M (or $500K) and you get a Green Card. At least that’s the short of it. The E and L visa classifications, on the contrary, are much more affordable options. The E visa is for treaty traders and treaty investors, […]
Liberal immigrations norms make Canada new destination for techies
NEW DELHI: With US tech visas getting more difficult for Indians, Canada is the new destination. For Indian techie entrepreneurs and even venture capitalists, Canada is making it easier to make it their home. Canada’s immigration minister Chris Alexander told TOI in a conversation, “We are telling all brilliant young technology minds, ‘if you can […]
Backlash Stirs in US Against Foreign Worker Visas
Kelly Parker was thrilled when she landed her dream job in 2012 providing tech support for Harley-Davidson’s Tomahawk, Wisconsin, plants. The divorced mother of three hoped it was the beginning of a new career with the motorcycle company. The dream didn’t last long. Parker claims she was laid off one year later after she trained […]
H-1B Workers Targeted in Phone Scam from Phony USCIS Agents
By Sunita Sohrabji, India West In a latest scam targeting the Indian American community, temporary foreign workers from India and elsewhere are receiving calls from scammers pretending to be agents of the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service, who then demand thousands of dollars for alleged discrepancies in their processed visas. Alarmingly, the calls are coming […]
H-4 Dependent Spouses to Have Work Authorization
By Melissa N. Salvador HOUSTON: Employment authorization is permitted by the spouses of the principal beneficiaries in L-1 and E-1/E-2 nonimmigrant visa status. However, such a benefit has not been accorded to those who are the spouses of H-1B principal beneficiaries. Now the Obama administration is seeking to change that rule albeit solely to a […]
Indian-American appointed to key US treasury department post
WASHINGTON: An Indian-American has been appointed to a key post in the US department of treasury. Jawahar Kaliani has been appointed as the Deputy Chief Information Officer for Application Services Delivery (ASD) at the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC), department of treasury. Taking over the job from tomorrow, Kaliani will lead the […]
US to soon allow spouse of H-1B visa holder to work in America
WASHINGTON: Aimed at attracting the world’s best and brightest, the US will soon come out with a series of policy initiatives and changes in the existing rules including allowing the spouses of H-1B visas to work in America. In a statement, the White House said that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) will soon publish […]
Be Prepared for the 2015 H-1B Quota
Sophia Asare & Rahul Reddy, Attorneys at Law. HOUSTON: The H-1B Fiscal Year (FY) 2015 Cap season will begin on April 1, 2014. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) reached the statutory H-1B cap of 65,000 for FY 2014 within the first week of the filing period, and we expect FY 2015 to be no […]
Rep. Sheila J. Lee Fasting for Immigration Reform
HOUSTON: Honorable Congresswomen Sheila Jackson Lee conducted a press conference for Comprehensive Immigration Reform at Catholic Charities downtown, Houston. Several community leaders and immigration activists were present at the occasion including Rahman Moton, President of (MACC) and the leaders of others organizations. “I am Fasting for Immigration Reforms”, these were sentiments expressed by Congresswoman Sheila […]
Scammers Pretending to be IRS Agents Targeting Indian Immigrants.
By Rahul Reddy & Sophia Asare HOUSTON: A pervasive telephone scam is targeting immigrants, particularly Indian nationals, across the country. Victims are contacted by phone and email and told they owe money to the IRS and it must be paid promptly through a pre-loaded debit card or wire transfer. The scammers are often able to […]
International Student to Temporary Worker Dealing With the Transition
By Emily Neumann HOUSTON: International students in the United States on F-1 visas often transition to an H-1B visa following graduation. A period of training called Optional Practical Training (OPT) available for up to 29 months after completion of the degree aids the student in obtaining real-world experience and helps with the timing of the […]
Community Leaders Meet to Discuss the Broken Immigration System
HOUSTON: Diverse group of community leaders met with District 22 Congress Member Pete Olson at his Sugar Land office to discuss fixing our broken immigration system. Carlos Duarte, State Director of Mi Familia Vota. Mustafaa Carrol, Executive Director Council on American Islamic Relations. Deborah Chen, Board Member of OCA- Greater Houston, Rahman Moton, President Myanmar […]
Visas for Investors, the path of good choices.
By Margarita E. Hernández he most important issue when dealing with applicants or beneficiaries of the different visas is the intention. If your intention is Nonimmigrant, the answer is E-2 for Treaty Investors and its Employees. If your intention is to Immigrate to the United States, the answer is EB-5 v for Regional Centers and […]
Immigration Reform, A Reality in 2013 or it’s still a Dream?
By Margarita Hernandez Houston: Last week, the Former President of the United States, George W. Bush during a Ceremony of Naturalization declared that “…the system is broken…” and urged the House to reach a “positive resolution”. Same day, President Obama released a report highlighting the economic benefits from passing reforms. The report said that the […]
Choosing the right path for Physicians
By Margarita E. Hernández Choosing the right visa for Physicians is not an easy task. It requires a deep evaluation of professional, family, and personal goals. J-1 Physicians Physicians often come to the United States as J-1 exchange visitors to receive graduate medical education. However, after the completion of the program, Physicians have restrictions on […]
Maintaining Your Status
By Margarita E. Hernandez HOUSTON: Most of the time, people misunderstand the difference between obtaining a visa and maintaining status. It does not matter if you are a Nonimmigrant or Immigrant, you must maintain your status. If you are a Legal Permanente Resident you may lose your Residence by committing an act that makes you […]
