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USCIS WILL RESUME DEFERRED ACTION PROGRAM

September 20, 2019

Author: New York Immigration Lawyer Alena Shautsova

About a month ago USCIS announced that it would stop the Deferred action program for non-military members. The public reacted by convincing USCIS that the deferred action program should be restored. Several weeks later, USCIS agreed.

What is Deferred Action?

Deferred action is a government’s act to accommodate an individual even though he/she does not have a recourse under the current Immigration law. As a rule, deferred action happens in a form of a parole. It can be parole in place; parole instead of a visa/status. Often, deferred action is granted to a person who is in removal proceedings. But USCIS also practices an affirmative deferred action: the one for individuals who are not in removal proceedings. Government regulations characterize deferred action as “an act of administrative convenience to the government which gives some cases lower priority.” 8 C.F.R. § 274a.12(c)(14).

Who can apply for Deferred Action?

Anyone present in the US with severe medical conditions, when the treatment for those conditions is unavailable in their home countries, may ask USCIS to grant them deferred action in the form of parole which will allow them to stay in the US without accumulating unlawful presence. Also, persons whose countries were affected by serious natural disaster, may likewise apply for deferred action.  During the validity of the deferred action, the person is considered to be safe from removal/deportation.

How to Apply for Deferred Action?

Apparently, there is no centralized, nation-wide procedure for the deferred action. A person would have to submit the request to the local USCIS office. A front desk would take these applications and provide a receipt stamp. An applicant must be out of status in order to file for deferred action.  Applicants will be fingerprinted. There is no application form and there is no application fee. An applicant will have to present evidence of the need to stay in the US, for medical deferred action it would be affidavits, medical records, doctor’s reports. To file, a person typically also would need to present:

  1. Signed written request
  2. Form G325A
  3. Copies of passport, visa, and birth certificate
  4. 2 passport-style photos

Beneficiaries of deferred action can apply for employment authorization. A deferred action may be granted to the person and his/her immediate relatives. A deferred action would typically be granted for a period of two years.

In 2011, the USCIS ombudsman recommended that USCIS adopts unified procedures for adjudicating deferred actions requests. In 2012 USCIS issued a memo U.S. Citizenship & Immigration Servs., Standard Operating Procedures for Handling Deferred Action Requests at USCIS Field Offices 3 n.1 (Mar. 7, 2012) (“USCIS Standard Operating Procedures”). However, the procedure itself still remains largely unknown and varies from office to office.

Unlawful Presence For F, M and J Students

May 25, 2018

Unlawful Presence For F,  M and J Students

Author: New York Immigration Lawyer Alena Shautsova

Major changes are coming to the Immigration filed and how the laws are implemented. For almost two decades, students admitted on F, J, and M programs were admitted for Duration of Status (D/S) and were not acquiring unlawful presence if they overstayed their visas unless an Immigration Judge or a DHS made a determination that their status was terminated. 

Previously, for example,  a J1 student who came on a Work and Travel program and overstayed her visa, would not face the 3/10 year unlawful presence bars if she later left the US and applied for, let’s say an Immigrant visa.  The amount of time that was overstayed would not matter.  Now, however, DHS made it clear, that even those admitted for Duration of Status will be accumulating the unlawful presence time after their authorized stay expires (stay including the authorized periods that are grunted to students after the expiration of their programs which is 60 days for F students and 30 days for J students). 

It means that those who overstay their student visas, dispte the D/S admission will face 3/10 unlawful presence bars and will have to take this into consideration when making decisions about applying for reinstatement, changing status or returning back home.  A person who is subject to an unlawful presence bar must receive a waiver to come back to the US before the ban expires. 

The new calculation of unlawful presence will come into effect on August 9, 2018. Prior to this date, the old rule is in effect. 

USCIS Will Destroy Undelivered Documents

April 3, 2018

USCIS Will Destroy Undelivered Documents

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Author: New York Immigration Lawyer Alena Shautsova

Sad news came today from USCIS: the agency announced that it will start physically destroying documents green card, employment authorizations and travel documents that were marked as “undeliverable” if within 60 days the beneficiary did not contact USCIS.

In my practice, I at times,  get notices from USCIS that the documents it was to deliver to my office somehow were “undeliverable.”  I am not sure where the confusion comes from: from the post office itself or incorrect spelling of addresses, but it does happen. Imagine also, a person after an interview is told that USCIS will make a decision within 90 days.  A person does not expect the green card to arrive earlier than 90 days. A person may not even know that USCIS tried to deliver his/her green card and does not contact USCIS within 60 days…. I just do not see how this new practice will make life easier for anyone. I cannot imagine that anyone who spent time and money on Immigration documents would intentionally fail to contact USCIS within two months period. If people would miss the 60 days deadline, it is likely because they had  no clue that the document was attempted to be mailed to them. Now, on top of waiting for the document, they will find an unpleasant surprise: their documents will be destroyed and they will have to file for the replacement….

 

I 601A Provisional Waiver: Step by Step Guide

March 27, 2018

I 601A Provisional Waiver: Step by Step Guide

Author: Provisional Waiver Attorney Alena Shautsova

A provisional  I 601A waiver waives the unlawful presence bar for those who have certain LPR or USC relatives in the US. An unlawful presence bar applies to all who accumulated unlawful presence in the US, left the US, and now are applying for Immigration benefits from outside the US.  The positive side of this waiver is that  unlike many waivers that can be filed only once the person departed the country, I601A can be filed for while the person is still in the US; and second, recently US relaxed the standard for granting the waiver, and now, the person can win the waiver either by providing that the relative will not be able to move with him/her outside the US (will suffer extreme hardship in case of a move) or that the relative will have extreme hardship in case the immigrant is removed out of the US.

Here are the steps for the waiver:

First Step: An approved Immigrant Petition

A person who is planning on filing for the waiver has to have an approved immigrant petition. It can be I 130, I 140, or even a selection in the DV lottery.

Second Step:

The petition has to the sent for processing to the National Visa Center, and a person has to pay the Immigrant Visa and Affidavit of Support Fees (when necessary)

Third Step:

Submitting I 601A to USCIS with a filing fee and supporting documents. Once the waiver is accepted by USCIS, the clock in the NVC is stopped.

Fourth Step:

Once the waiver is approved, USCIS informs NVC about the approval, the applicant has to submit DS 260 immigrant visa form and supporting documents for the visa. Then he/she has to wait for the visa interview; schedule the medical exam overseas and plan for the departure.

Fifth Step

An applicant will have to travel overseas for their visa interview. A consulate will use an immigrant visa that will be stamped in the passport. Upon arrival to the US, the applicant will have the actual “green card” mailed to the address they left on file with USCIS.

These are the most common steps for those who have never been in court and do not have other inadmissibility issues.

 

New Rule on Notices From USCIS

January 29, 2015

New Rule on Notices From USCIS  effective 01/27/2015

Author: New York Immigration attorney Alena Shautsova

United States Citizenship and Immigration Services  published its new rule on notices USCIS issues to applicants and petitions.  Notices are extremely important: they confirm the receipt of an application or petition; valid status in the US or a date for an interview. Currently, the notices are sent  to an applicant or petitioner and a copy is sent to an attorney of record.  USCIS now clarifies its rules in that:

” First, USCIS will clarify that it will send notices only to the applicant or petitioner when the applicant or petitioner is unrepresented. See new 8 CFR 103.2(b)(19)(i). Second, if USCIS has been properly notified that the person or entity filing the benefit request is represented by an attorney or accredited representative recognized by the Department of Justice, Board of Immigration Appeals, USCIS will send notices to the applicant or petitioner who filed the benefit request and to their attorney or accredited representative of record. See new 8 CFR 103.2(b)(19)(ii)(A). Third, if provided for in the applicable form, form instructions, or regulations for a specific benefit request, an applicant or petitioner may request that USCIS send original notices and documents only to the official business address of their attorney or accredited representative, as reflected on a properly executed Notice of Entry of Appearance as Attorney or Accredited Representative, with a courtesy copy being sent to the applicant or petitioner for their records.”

Finally, in case of electronic applications, the person has options: the notices may be sent electronically to both the applicant and the attorney or via mail.

Most importunately, the official documents such as EAD (work authorization card) or permanent resident card currently are being sent to the applicants only unless the applicant or self-petitioner designates  their attorney’s official address as the delivery address.

These rules of notice delivery may seem trivial, however when a notice is not delivered it causes delays, denials and frustration. For more information see http://www.aila.org/content/fileviewer.aspx?docid=50525&linkid=281897