President Biden Reinstates DED for Eligible Liberians

 On Jan. 20, 2021, President Biden issued a memorandum directing the secretary of Homeland Security to reinstate Deferred Enforced Departure (DED) for eligible Liberians and to provide for continued work authorization through June 30, 2022.

Eligible Liberian nationals (and persons without nationality who last habitually resided in Liberia) covered under DED as of Jan. 10, 2021, may remain in the United States through June 30, 2022. We will automatically extend employment authorization documents (EADs) with a March 30, 2020, or Jan. 10, 2021, facial expiration date through June 30, 2022, for eligible individuals covered under DED for Liberians. A notice in the Federal Register has information on this automatic extension and instructions on how they can obtain new EADs if they so desire. Read more at: https://www.uscis.gov/news/alerts/president-biden-reinstates-ded-for-eligible-liberians

Contact Darren Heyman, immigration attorney, for more information.

ICE probe leads to 15 years in prison for ex-lawyer who executed multimillion-dollar fraud where clients were victimized by forged judges’ signatures

 

LOS ANGELES – A disbarred lawyer was sentenced today to 180 months in federal prison for stealing more than $4 million from his clients through a variety of means, including collecting fees for work he never performed. The case is the result of an extensive investigation by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Office of Professional Responsibility (OPR) and the State Bar of California. 

Read more at: https://www.ice.gov/news/releases/ice-probe-leads-15-years-prison-ex-lawyer-who-executed-multimillion-dollar-fraud

Contact Darren Heyman, immigration attorney, for more information.

DHS Delays Effective Date of H-1B Selection Final Rule

 On Jan. 7, USCIS announced the H-1B Selection final rule, which amended the regulations governing the process by which USCIS selects H-1B registrations for the filing of H-1B cap-subject petitions.

To give USCIS more time to develop, test, and implement the modifications to the H-1B registration system and selection process, DHS is delaying the effective date of this final rule from March 9, 2021, to Dec. 31, 2021. The delay will also provide more time for USCIS to train staff and perform public outreach as well as give stakeholders time to adjust to the new rule. Read more at: https://www.uscis.gov/news/alerts/dhs-delays-effective-date-of-h-1b-selection-final-rule.

Contact Darren Heyman, immigration attorney, for more information.

Sinaloa cartel-linked fentanyl and heroin traffickers plead guilty, sentenced in Operation Cookout

 NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – The mastermind behind an extensive drug trafficking ring entered a guilty plea this week, and four other defendants either entered pleas or were sentenced recently to substantial terms in prison for distributing large amounts of fentanyl, heroin and cocaine in Newport News, Virginia, and North Carolina. Read more at: https://www.ice.gov/news/releases/sinaloa-cartel-linked-fentanyl-and-heroin-traffickers-plead-guilty-sentenced

Contact Darren Heyman, immigration attorney, for more information.

USCIS Extends Flexibility for Responding to Agency Requests

 In response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services is extending the flexibilities it announced on March 30, 2020, to assist applicants, petitioners, and requestors who are responding to certain:

• Requests for Evidence;
• Continuations to Request Evidence (N-14);
• Notices of Intent to Deny;
• Notices of Intent to Revoke;
• Notices of Intent to Rescind;
• Notices of Intent to Terminate regional centers; and
• Motions to Reopen an N-400 Pursuant to 8 CFR 335.5, Receipt of Derogatory Information After Grant. Read more at: https://www.uscis.gov/news/alerts/uscis-extends-flexibility-for-responding-to-agency-requests-3

Contact Darren Heyman, immigration attorney, for more information.

Biden's Day One Agenda Tackled Travel Ban, Border Wall

Law360 (January 20, 2021, 10:59 AM EST) -- President Joe Biden signed a number of executive orders and directives within hours of taking office on Wednesday, including lifting travel restrictions against individuals from predominantly Muslim countries and halting construction of the U.S-Mexico border wall.

The policies, which were detailed alongside other "Day One" policies tackling racial justice, environmental and public health issues, roll back the "gravest damages" of the outgoing Trump administration and provide immediate relief for families struggling amid several "converging crises," Biden's office said in a statement released in the final hours of U.S. President Donald Trump's presidency. Read more at: https://www.law360.com/immigration/articles/1346721/biden-s-day-one-agenda-tackled-travel-ban-border-wall-?nl_pk=5d8c3cb1-5c36-44ac-bb7a-37a30aee6c03&utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=immigration

Contact Darren Heyman, immigration attorney, for more information.

DHS Announces Countries Eligible for H-2A and H-2B Visa Programs

 The Department of Homeland Security (DHS), in consultation with the Department of State (DOS), have announced the list of countries whose nationals are eligible to participate in the H-2A and H-2B visa programs in 2021. The notice listing the eligible countries will be published in the Federal Register on Jan. 13, 2021. Read more at: https://www.uscis.gov/news/alerts/dhs-announces-countries-eligible-for-h-2a-and-h-2b-visa-programs

Contact Darren Heyman, immigration attorney, for more information www.greencardadvice.com.