Demystifying Immigration Law
1. Choosing the Right Legal Structure - 1.1 Introduction - Establishing a business entity in the United States can be an important strategic step for any international company that wants to avail itself of the...more
Over the past several months, the Department of State (DOS) and Department of Homeland Security (DHS) have announced additional backlogs in the permanent residence (Green Card) quota system. These additional backlogs have...more
WHAT IS THE DIVERSITY VISA LOTTERY? The Diversity Immigrant Visa Program (“DV Program” or “DV-2025 Program”) is a government lottery program that provides up to 55,000 immigrant visas (aka green cards) to persons from...more
Green card processing continues to be backlogged, causing lengthy wait times, unpredictability and added stress for employers hiring foreign nationals. During this webinar, Chair of CDF's Immigration Practice Group, Richard...more
On January 23, 2023, USCIS announced an extension of the validity of permanent resident cards (“green cards”) to accommodate current processing times for forms I-829 and I-751. As a result, new receipt notices will be issued...more
On January 23, 2023, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced that it will be extending the validity of Permanent Resident Cards (i.e., Green Cards) for petitioners who properly file Form I-751, Petition to...more
WHAT IS THE DIVERSITY VISA LOTTERY? The Fiscal Year (“FY”) 2024 Diversity Immigrant Visa Program (“DV Program” or “DV-2024 Program”) provides up to 55,000 immigrant visas (aka permanent residence or green cards) for...more
1. Choosing the Right Legal Structure - 1.1 Introduction - Establishing a business entity in the United States can be an important strategic step for any international company that wants to avail itself of the world’s...more
WHAT IS THE DIVERSITY VISA LOTTERY? The Diversity Immigrant Visa Program (DV Program) provides up to 55,000 immigrant visas (aka permanent residence or green cards) for issuance in Fiscal Year 2023 to persons from countries...more
Beginning October 1, 2021, United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (“USCIS”) will require COVID-19 vaccinations for all applicants applying for lawful permanent residence (i.e. green card) with some exceptions. ...more
On August 24, 2021, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced a new policy that will require foreign nationals applying for a U.S. permanent resident card (green card) to be fully vaccinated against...more
Immigration Law has a reputation for being something only multinational companies are concerned with, but is that true? How can companies use immigration law to identify the best talent for their organizations? Join host Bill...more
President Biden has proposed sweeping changes to U.S. immigration law, contained in the pending U.S. Citizenship Act of 2021. This piece of proposed legislation, as introduced into Congress by the bill’s lead sponsors, Sen....more
For the last year, the fate of the Public Charge Rule, which expanded the ability of the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services to deny green cards to lower-income foreign nationals, has been uncertain. In addition to the...more
Although technically part of the People’s Republic of China (“PRC”) since July 1, 1997, Hong Kong has had special status recognition from the US government. This has meant it is treated more favorably for certain immigration...more
The US Supreme Court ruled on January 27 that the administration can begin to implement the public charge rule while the issue is still being litigated in the federal court system. ...more
The Department of State has announced the opening of the registration period for the 2020 Diversity Visa (DV) lottery. As in past years, the DV lottery will allow a maximum of 50,000 "diversity immigrants"...more
We previously reported on the Department of State’s acceptance of applications for the diversity immigrant lottery. Since then, the DOS has announced on the Diversity Lottery website:-...more
On Monday, October 16, the U.S. Department of State announced that due to a technical issue, the diversity lottery (DV-2019) entry period that commenced on October 3 has been closed. The Department of State further advised...more
On December 27, 2016, the AAO issued a decision that modifies the standards for granting a National Interest Waiver (NIW) in Matter of Dhanasar. This decision will impact thousands of applicants seeking U.S. permanent...more
On October 1, 2016, the US Department of State will begin accepting requests to register for the 2018 Diversity Immigrant Visa Program (DV-2018), also known as the Green Card Lottery. The Diversity Lottery Program provides a...more