The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has proposed a rule that would end the Obama-era International Entrepreneur Rule (IE Final Rule), which allows certain foreign entrepreneurs to be considered for parole to come temporarily to the US to develop and build companies. To qualify, entrepreneurs must demonstrate that they would provide a significant public benefit with rapid job growth and creation by submitting substantial evidence including proof of significant capital investment from US investors with established records of successful investments, or if they have obtained significant awards or grants from specific federal, state, or local governments. The parole would provide these entrepreneurs temporary stay of up to thirty months, with the option to extend an additional thirty months, so that the entrepreneur can oversee the company’s growth in the US.
Read moreBoth Identities
The Twins
OSGEMEOS, translated as “The Twins," are Brazilian artists Gustavo and Otavio Pandolfo, who have worked together since birth. They grew up in the district of Cambuci (SP) and developed their own artistic language. With their family's encouragement and the influence of hip hop culture in Brazil in the 1980s, they found a "direct connection to their dynamic and magical world and a way to communicate with the public." In this piece on 14th Street in Manhattan, OSGEMEOS depicts break dancers from the 1980s.
Employment-Based Green Card Options: An Overview
There are a variety of ways to become a lawful permanent resident through employment in the United States. The five main employment-based Green Card categories are: EB-1 (for foreign nationals with extraordinary ability, outstanding professors/researchers, or multinational executives/managers); EB-2 (for foreign nationals holding an advanced degree or its equivalent, or foreign nationals with exceptional ability); EB-3 (for skilled workers, professionals, or other workers—as defined within the immigration regulations); EB-4 (for special immigrants—as defined within the immigration regulations); and EB-5 (for immigrant investors). Under each category, there are several ways to pursue a Green Card.
Read moreUnivision: “In Trump era, immigration lawyers recommend everyone carry ID, no matter your status”
After a Border Patrol agent questioned two US citizens in Montana because they were speaking Spanish, legal experts are now recommending that naturalized citizens, legal permanent residents, and undocumented individuals carry identification with them in the event that it is requested by authorities. While the women were able to demonstrate to the officer that they were US citizens and were not arrested, many immigration advocates found the encounter disturbing. Jaime Barrón, an immigration attorney in Dallas, Texas, says that “simply speaking in another language cannot be an illegal act, that could be discrimination.”
Read moreUSCIS: Processing Error for Form I-751, Petition to Remove Conditions on Residence
US Citizenship & Immigration Services (USCIS) says that due to a processing error, on May 4, 2018, the agency mailed a number of biometric services appointment notices with incorrect Application Support Center (ASC) locations to petitioners who filed Form I-751, Petition to Remove Conditions on Residence. These affected notices have a date of May 4, 2018 and a case type of “I-751 – PETITION TO REMOVE CONDITIONS ON RESIDENCE.” Theses notices instruct petitioners to appear for their biometric services appointments beginning the week of May 21, 2018, at ASCs located out of the normal geographic area.
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Happy Birthday, Ada!
We celebrate a lot of birthdays here at the firm, but this one we can all agree was special. This week the birthday festivities for Ada, our longtime bookkeeper, included a delightful cheesecake with strawberry topping. We thought it was pretty good but Ada, a real connoisseur of cheesecakes, was skeptical. Happy Birthday, Ada!
The Washington Post: “Immigration crackdown shifts to employers as audits surge”
Under the Trump administration, immigration officials have substantially increased audits on companies to verify that employees are authorized to legally work in the US. The increased efforts are focusing on both building criminal cases against noncompliant employers as well as removing employees working in the US without legal documentation. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) reports that there were 2,282 employer audits opened between October 1, 2017 and May 4, 2018, a sixty percent jump from the 1,360 audits opened between October 2016 and September 2017. Derek Benner, head of ICE’s Homeland Security Investigations unit, tells the Associated Press that planned audits for this summer would push the total “well over” 5,000 by September 30. Comparably, in 2013 there were 3,127 ICE audits.
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