Fowler White Boggs P.A.

The U.S. Pre-Adoption Immigration Review (“PAIR”) process provides systematic safeguards for prospective adoptive children and parents. Under PAIR, United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (“USCIS”) will review a…more

On Tuesday, June 11, the immigration reform bill, S. 744, passed the next significant hurdle on the road to becoming law. In the morning, the Senate voted to limit debate on the motion to proceed to the bill. Then, in the…more

Through an initiative named the Blue Campaign, the Department of Homeland Security (“DHS”) is launching a website, logo and mission statement, as well as distributing posters, tip sheets and public service announcements about…more

Any U.S. person who has a financial interest in or signature authority over one or more foreign financial accounts with an aggregate value over $10,000 (on any day of the year) must report the accounts to the Treasury Department…more

In a decision dated June 4, 2013 (Flores v. USCIS), .the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuitfound that the plain language of INA §244(f)(4) supports a path to legal permanent residence status under §245 for a Temporary…more

A final policy memorandum on EB-5 adjudications was issued recently by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). The final memo comes as the fourth version in a 19 month process. On November 9, 2011, USCIS released the…more

The Secretary of Homeland Security, Janet Napolitano, has extended Temporary Protected Status (“TPS”) for eligible nationals of El Salvador for an additional 18 months, beginning Sept. 10, 2013, and ending March 9, 2015. …more

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (“CBP”) officers have been instructed not to refer to the Inspector’s Field Manual (“IFM”). The IFM was a 350+ pages comprehensive “how to” manual that detailed official CBP policies and…more

Following the recent revision of Form I-9, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has updated many additional forms. Form revision is a common occurrence, and many times previous versions continue to be accepted…more

In USA v. Siwan & Sons, Inc. (May 3, 2013) the Office of the Chief Administrative Hearing Officer (“OCAHO”) decided to reduces fines imposed by the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (“ICE”) agency on a rather small employer…more

As you may know, F-1 students who filed H-1B petitions and were accepted as part of the lottery are eligible for cap-gap extension coverage. This allows F-1 students who have a pending or approved H-1B petition to have their…more

S. 744, the immigration bill that will change the game for U.S. immigration, passed the Senate Judiciary Committee on Tuesday. The bill passed with a firm 13-5 bipartisan vote…more

Independent contractors often provide several benefits to employers, such as removing an employer’s duty to pay overtime and health insurance for such workers. In turn, the independent contractor status provides individuals with…more

U.S. Supreme Court issued a decision in Moncrieffe v. Holder, holding that a state drug conviction is not an aggravated felony when the statute of conviction extends to the social sharing of a small amount of marijuana. The…more

This past March I wrote about pending legislation to broaden the use of Public Private Partnerships in the State of Florida. Although waiting until the last day of the legislative session, the Florida House of Representatives…more