New phone scam targeting immigrants uncovered

Be warned! There are people calling on the phone posing as immigration agents, asking for personal information and money. If you receive one of these calls, hang up immediately. In recent weeks, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has discovered the new scam, which targets people who have filed for immigration status and have ... Read more

13.3 million permanent residents live in the U.S.

An estimated 13.3 million permanent residents have been living in the United States since January 1, 2012, according to a report released by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS). The report indicates that most of these individuals obtained their permanent residency after 2000 and that approximately 8.8 million of them ... Read more

Why it is important to re-register for TPS

This week in my Consulta Migratoria column, I explain why eligible Salvadorans should re-register for the Temporary Protected Status program. This is the column: With less than a week to go before the deadline to re-register for the Temporary Protected Status (TPS) program for Salvadorans, almost half of the eligible individuals have not yet ... Read more

Can the law of punishment be forgiven again if it was previously denied?

This week in my Consulta Migratoria column, I answer readers' questions. Each case is different and the answers vary depending on the immigration history of each person. Here I provide general answers to your questions. Please consult with an immigration attorney to receive personalized legal advice before starting any process. I am Ecuadorian. In the ... Read more

How the new provisional pardon to the law of punishment works

This week in my Consulta Migratoria column, I answer a reader's question. Each case is different and the answers vary according to the immigration history of each person. Here I provide a general answer to your questions. Please consult with an immigration attorney to receive personalized legal advice before beginning any process. I am a citizen and ... Read more

How to re-register for TPS in El Salvador

Yesterday I reported that the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) had decided to extend the Temporary Protected Status (TPS) program for El Salvador. Today DHS published an official notice in the Federal Register and provided instructions on the re-registration process. You can read a copy ... Read more

How to avoid discrimination during the employment verification process

In my "Immigration Consultation" column this week published online by several impreMedia publications including LaOpinión.com, I explain how to avoid acts of discrimination during employment verification. Here is my column: As part of an effort to monitor who is working legally in the country, the U.S. government has implemented the employment verification system, which ... Read more

New Form I-9 employment verification form goes into effect

Employers will have to use a new version of Form I-9 to verify whether a person can legally work in the country. The new Form I-9 (Employment Eligibility Verification) must be used for all new hires and employment authorization reversals. The updated form went into effect yesterday, May 7. As of ... Read more

USCIS Denies Applications for Provisional Waiver of the Punishment Act

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced that it has rejected many applications for the provisional waiver of punishment law (Form I-601A) because people are not following instructions. For example, many people have not sent proof that they have already paid the immigrant visa fee to the Department ... Read more

USCIS Resumes Processing H-2B Visas

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is again processing I-129 forms used for H-2B petitions for temporary nonagricultural workers. As I previously reported to you, USCIS suspended processing of these forms in March while it decided how to respond to a court order. The court order vacated a portion of the rule that set forth how ... Read more

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