The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) begins issuing redesigned naturalization certificates, which feature enhanced security features. "The replacement certificates incorporate state-of-the-art technology to help deter counterfeiting, prevent tampering, and facilitate quick and accurate authentication. Additionally, USCIS employs a new…
Blog Archives
U.S. Supreme Court Decision on Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA)
USCIS Director Alejandro Mayorkas announced at the annual American Immigration Lawyers Association conference in San Francisco that USCIS will start implementing the Supreme Court decision. Originally shared by +Loke Walsh Immigration Law Supreme Court Decision Striking Down DOMA Creates a…
Impact of Proposed Wage Increase Requirement for H-1B Professionals
By Tien-Li Loke Walsh A report entitled Analysis: A Minimum Wage of $128,000? The Impact of Immigration Legislation on Salaries and U.S. Competitiveness was released by the National Foundation for American Policy (NFAP). It examines the provisions on pending bills…
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SC Decision Striking Down DOMA Creates a Green Card Path for Bi-National Same-Sex Spouses
In a historic decision today, the Supreme Court overturned the federal Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), which denied federal benefits to lawfully wedded same-sex couples. The court declined to rule on the merits of California’s Proposition 8 ban on gay…
July 2013 Visa Bulletin Is Out
• EB-3 cut-off dates advance across the board — ranging from 1 week to 4 months (including CHINA – mainland born). • EB-2 for mainland China also moved forward by 3 weeks, while still no movement for EB-2 India —…
Immigration This Week: The Week Before The Senate
By Tien-Li Loke Walsh On Monday, the bipartisan Senate immigration bill, S.744 will be up for debate on the full Senate floor.While some senators, including one of the bill’s author, Sen. Marco Rubio, do not believe that it will get…
Possible Visa Services Interruption Due To Protests Throughout Turkey
The U.S. Embassy in Ankara, Turkey warns resident U.S. Citizens to take necessary precautions and be alert for potential violence due to ongoing public demonstrations throughout the country. The Embassy also announced that visa services for non-U.S. citizens may be…
Senate Judiciary Committee Moves Immigration Reform Bill to Senate Floor
By Tien-Li Loke Walsh After debating over 200 of the 300 proposed amendments to S. 744, “Border Security, Economic Opportunity, and Immigration Modernization Act,” the Senate Judiciary Committee finally clears the Gang of Eight’s immigration reform bill for full Senate…
May 2013 OSC Newsletter
The May 2013 issue of the Office of Special Counsel (OSC) for Immigration-Related Unfair Employment Practices newsletter is now available. Inside this Issue: • OSC's Recent Enforcement Activities• OSC Partnerships with Fair Employment Practices Agencies• New FORM I-9• OSC's Recently…
Travel Tips For F-1s During Cap-Gap Extension
By Tien-Li Loke Walsh and AILA Students & Scholars Committee (Reposted. Original article by +AILA National) Now that USCIS has completed the H-1B lottery, many F-1 students who filed H-1B petitions and were accepted as part of the lottery are eligible for cap-gap…
