Results
Date Published: 05/12/2021
The Liberian Refugee Immigration Fairness (LRIF) Strategy Group submitted these comments in connection with the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services’ (USCIS) Request for Public Input published in the Federal Register on April 19, 2021. The Strategy Group is a focused coalition of local, state...
Date Published: 05/05/2021
Los recientes anuncios sobre las propuesta sobre la reforma migratoria en el Congreso han dejado a muchos miembros de la comunidad con preguntas, y aunque ninguno de estos proyectos de ley son ley, muchos se preguntan cómo pueden prepararse para un caso de inmigración en el futuro. Este recurso...
Date Published: 05/05/2021
As you explore potential immigration options for you or your family, finding trusted support from a reputable immigration attorney or other legal service provider can be difficult. Just as payday lenders often prey on under-resourced communities, or predatory scammers pose as immigration officials...
Date Published: 05/04/2021
This new handout, written for youth and families with questions about the “public charge” rule, provides an overview of public charge and answers common questions about its application.
Date Published: 03/29/2021
The Liberian Refugee Immigration Fairness Act (LRIF) created a limited-term program allowing many Liberians living in the United States to apply for permanent residence. Initially, LRIF’s application period opened on December 20, 2019 and was set to expire on December 20, 2020. On January 3, 2021,...
Date Published: 03/24/2021
On March 16, 2021, ILRC and seven other coalition members of the Liberian Refugee Immigration Fairness (LRIF) Strategy Group submitted recommendations to the Administration and USCIS leadership for equitable implementation of LRIF. The group requested a meeting with the government to discuss these...
Date Published: 03/19/2021
In 2020 and 2021, USCIS changed its interpretation of discretion in adjudication of immigration benefits in three separate releases of policy manual guidance. [i] These chapters add voluminous positive and negative discretionary factors that adjudicators are instructed to analyze in more than a...
Date Published: 03/16/2021
The Biden administration announced the designation of Venezuela for TPS, effective March 9, 2021 through September 9, 2022. TPS provides protection from removal, work authorization, and the option to request permission to travel abroad. The 180-day registration period is currently open through...
Date Published: 02/01/2021
The presenters will describe the current status of court injunctions impacting USCIS’s efforts to change the fee schedule and fee waiver standards in 2020. The webinar will review the current regulations that USCIS must apply on fee waivers and fees.
Date Published: 09/03/2021
Individuals applying for admission to the United States or adjustment of status are subject to the public charge ground of inadmissibility unless they fall into categories that are exempt from public charge or are not subject to this ground of inadmissibility. This advisory provides an overview of...
Date Published: 12/16/2020
ILRC filed comments opposing USCIS’s changes to discretion in adjustment because they violate existing case law. The changes represent an attempt to impose new eligibility requirements that are also a violation of the Administrative Procedure Act (APA) because they went into effect without the...
Date Published: 11/05/2020
On October 30, 2020, ILRC filed a comment opposing an EOIR proposed rule that would have a substantial negative impact on legal orientation programs operated by non-profit immigration legal services programs. Much of the impact will be from the way the regulation redefines key terms: First, by...
Date Published: 10/09/2020
USCIS attempted to drastically limit fee waiver availability and fee waiver standards through the 2020 fee rule. The agency also tried to limit fee waivers by changing the I-912 fee waiver form. For now, these attempted changes have been stopped by injunctions. Applicants can continue to apply for...
Date Published: 12/14/2021
A FOIA request can be an invaluable tool in immigration law to help an immigrant and their representative gain a complete understanding of one’s immigration history. This guide details how to complete a FOIA request for USCIS, ICE, OBIM, and CBP. It provides step-by-step instructions on how to...
Date Published: 08/17/2020
On August 13, 2020, ILRC submitted comments on recent changes to USCIS’s policy manual. The new chapters on discretion will radically alter adjudications of a wide variety of applications for immigration benefits. We recommend that the changes be stricken because they are ultra vires, lack legal...
Date Published: 10/02/2020
Alert : On September 29, 2020 the Fee Rule was enjoined nation-wide in its entirety by a District court in the Northern District of California, ILRC et al. v. Chad F. Wolf, et al . (ND California) (Case 4:20-cv-05883-JSW) (Sept. 29, 2020). This means that the fee rule will not go into effect on...
Date Published: 07/30/2020
This practice advisory will update applicants on the changes in interpretation of LRIF since its inception. We also discuss the administrative guidance, advocacy efforts, and hurdles to the application process to date.
Date Published: 01/01/2017
In light of the continued failure of the U.S. Congress to pass meaningful immigration reform and the continued dysfunction of our immigration system, President Obama announced a series of immigration policy changes though executive action during his presidency. This manual discusses the law, policy...
Date Published: 07/17/2020
A Guide for Immigration Advocates is a practical and essential tool for beginning immigration attorneys, paralegals, DOJ accredited representatives, and nonprofit community-based organizations. The Guide is unique among immigration law resources because it provides a comprehensive detailed overview...
Date Published: 05/15/2020
On May 7, 2020, ILRC co-authored and signed on to a comment opposing recently published USCIS policy manual instructions for adjustment applications under the Liberian Refugee Immigration Fairness Act (LRIF). USCIS took a restrictive view of the LRIF statute and published administrative guidance...
Date Published: 04/03/2020
ILRC sent a request to USCIS headquarters to provide more information and to also take certain actions to deal with the consequences of the closure of USCIS public services and the impact of COVID-19 on the immigrant public. These are concerns raised by the individuals and organizations with whom...
Date Published: 03/27/2020
This advisory seeks to clarify when, where, and how to file an I-212. It also discusses certain special circumstances such as conditional I-212s, nunc pro tunc I-212s, and how a grant to TPS or advance parole may affect the need for an I-212. The advisory addresses strategic concerns such as...
Date Published: 01/22/2020
Since 2015, the process of immigrating to the United States as the spouse of a USC or an LPR should not be any different for an LGBTQ couple than any other couple. However, advocates working with LGBTQ couples may need to consider a variety of factors when documenting and providing representation...
Date Published: 01/04/2021
Enacted on December 20, 2019, the Liberian Refugee Immigration Fairness (LIRF) act began a program that will allow many Liberians living in the United States to apply for permanent residence. The statute originally had a one-year application window that ended on December 20, 2020, but Congress...
Date Published:
For those ready to move beyond an introduction to family-based immigration, this session will provide more information on inadmissibility grounds and waivers, as well as an overview of consular processing for those who do not qualify to adjust status. Presenters Ann Block Ann Block is a part-time...
Date Published:
For those who are new to family-based immigration, this session will provide an overview of family-based petitions and qualifying relationships, family-based adjustment eligibility, and an introduction to inadmissibility grounds and waivers. Presenters Ann Block Ann Block is a part-time Senior...
Date Published: 01/03/2020
Effective December 20, 2019, the Liberian Refugee Immigration Fairness (LRIF) act opened a one-year window that will allow many Liberians living in the United States to apply for permanent residence. The act was buried in Section 7611 of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2020...
Date Published: 01/03/2020
Section 212(h) of the INA provides a waiver for crimes inadmissibility grounds, which can be surprisingly useful for undocumented people, VAWA applicants, or permanent residents. It can be applied for multiple times; it has the potential to waive an aggravated felony conviction (unless it is...
Date Published: 12/23/2019
On December 23, 2019, ILRC submitted a comment in opposition of the Department of Homeland Security’s notice of proposed rulemaking titled, “U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Fee Schedule and Changes to Certain Other Immigration Benefit Request Requirements,” published in the Federal...
Date Published: 12/17/2019
It is important to remember that immigration law and regulations exempt some categories of immigrants from public charge inadmissibility and provide many types of immigration status that are not subject to the public charge ground of inadmissibility. This advisory provides an overview of the...