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MVP Law Group
News You Can Use
September 2017
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10632 Little Patuxent Parkway
Suite 406
Columbia, Maryland 21044
240-390-0600
1-800-447-0796
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Greetings,
"It is not conscionable to tell young people who came here as children that they have to go back to a country that they don't know,"
MVP Law Group, the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA), and the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), along with Immigration Practitioners and Advocates across the World are continuously calling on POTUS to change course on immigration policy and instead work with Congressional leaders on both sides of the aisle to move forward on immigration reform.
POTUS has released the following Executive Orders dealing with Immigration since officially taking Office on January 20, 2017:
Our outdated immigration system has hobbled our economy but these executive orders and POTUS' expanded deportation force WILL NOT give us the smart balanced immigration system we need. These policies and his administration's actions have done little to improve national security and have already created enormous delays for people coming to the U.S. His policies and actions have placed discrimination based on faith and national origin on the books. We cannot stand idly by and let this happen. This path is not good for our country or the immigrants who call America home. We will not stand for abridgement of due process or human rights by this or any administration.
In the field, the Buy American Hire American Executive Order has served as the foundation by which this administration is swiftly re-shaping the employment-based immigration landscape. This Administration has suspended premium processing for most H-1B petitions, has postponed the International Entrepreneur Rule, has begun to deny Form I-131 applications, has begun to heavily issue Requests for Evidence on H-1B cap petitions where a Level 1 wage was indicated on the Labor Condition Application, and has instituted a new requirement for in-person interviews for all employment-based immigration cases, claiming that additional vetting of these foreign nationals has to be conducted before they are approved for a Green Card.
Senators and Representatives want and need to hear from you, their constituents, they NEED to hear from you. They NEED to know how the current policies of the Trump Administration are affecting your friends, family, neighborhood and communities. NOTHING will change without real stories from YOU! We've learned from the election that your voice does count, so take a stand and make your voice heard. CONTACT YOUR SENATORS AND REPRESENTATIVES TODAY! Make a plan - write a letter, send a postcard, or call their office, once a month, or once a week, make a plan that WORKS FOR YOU! It is your civic duty as an American.
We encourage you to Call your Representatives and Senators, regardless of where you live, they should hear from you and know what you won't stand for -
What's been happening in Immigration -
September 5, 2017 - The Trump Administration abruptly
ended
the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. Under DACA, nearly 800,000 undocumented immigrants brought to the U.S. as children have received work permits and deferral from deportation.
Ending the program
will allow the Trump Administration to easily target another 800,000 people for deportation. These children submitted an application to the USCIS, the Government now knows their whereabouts. The Trump Administration has suggested that they want a deal whereby DACA recipients are protected in exchange for legislation that pays for a border wall and more detention facilities. Take a look at the Latest Legislation introduced in Congress to protect DACA recipients:
S.1615: Dream Act of 2017
;
H.R.3440: Dream Act of 2017
;
H.R. 3591: American Hope Act of 2017
;
H.R. 3695: Protect DREAMer Confidentiality Act of 2017
;
S.1852: SUCCEED Act
.
September 13, 2017 - USCIS released
information
Immigration Services available to those affected by Hurricane Irma
September 14, 2017 - USCIS celebrated Constitution Day and Citizenship Day (Constitution Week) with over 200
Naturalization Ceremonies
held across the United States assisting over 30,000 Lawful Permanent Residents in becoming
Naturalized U.S. Citizens
.
September 18, 2017 - USCIS announced they have resumed Premium Processing for all H-1B Visa Petitions subject to the
FY2018 CAP
.
September 18, 2017 - USCIS announced that Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for South Sudan will be
extended
for 18 months, through May 2, 2019.
September 18, 2017 - USCIS announced that TPS for Sudan will
terminate
effective November 2, 2018. The Acting Secretary of Homeland Security determined that conditions in Sudan no longer support its designation for TPS.
September 19, 2017 - USCIS announced they exhausted the additional
one-time increase
of 15,000 visas available for temporary nonagricultural workers under the FY2017 H-2B CAP.
September 20, 2017 - USCIS issued a friendly
reminder
to Employers that effective 9/18/2017, Employers must use the latest version of
Form I-9, Employment Eligibility Verification
, with the version date of 07/17/2017N, to verify the employment eligibility of all new hires. Prior versions of the form will no longer be valid for use.
September 28, 2017 - USCIS issued a reminder regarding the
deadline
in which to submit renewal DACA applications with the USCIS. Existing DACA recipients with deferred action and employment authorization set to expire between September 5, 2017 and March 5, 2018 have only until October 5, 2017 to properly file their renewal applications.
September 28, 2017 - USCIS
announced
its
award recipients
of nearly $10 million in funding to support citizenship preparation programs.
As the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) continues to attack the Immigrant population, local nonprofits could use your support. If you are interested in helping either by volunteering your time or making a monetary contribution, on a nationwide level or locally, please reach out to the following organizations:
NATIONWIDE:
In other immigration news, the U.S. Department of State (DOS) Visa Bulletin for October 2017 is now available. The cutoff date movement is consistent with earlier predictions. The cutoff date for the EB2 category for India moved from 8/22/08 to 9/15/08 and EB3 remained at 10/15/06. The cutoff date for the EB2 category for Chinese Nationals moved from 5/15/13 to 5/22/13 and the cutoff date for the EB3 category for Chinese Nationals moved from 1/1/12 to 1/1/14.
We hope you continue to read our newsletter as well as our blog in order to stay in touch and obtain important information concerning changes to the regulatory environment and new trends in the adjudication of petitions.
Kellie N. Lego, Esq.
MVP Law Group, P.A.
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USCIS Resumes Premium Processing for Some Categories of Applicants Seeking H-1B Visas
On Monday, September 18th, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) resumed premium processing for all H-1B visa petitions subject to the Fiscal Year (FY) 2018 cap. The FY 2018 H-1B visa cap has been set by Congress at 65,000 visas plus 20,000 additional visas set aside for applicants with a master's degree or higher. When a petitioner requests the agency's premium processing service, USCIS guarantees a 15-day processing time and if that can't be met, the agency will refund the petitioner's premium processing service fee and continue with expedited processing of that application. Read more |
President Trump's DACA Statement, Annotated by SPLC
.
On Tuesday, September 5th, President Trump released a statement canceling the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, which has protected 800,000 young adults from deportation. The president has placed a six month delay on the cancellation hoping that Congress will enact their own version of DACA and protect these young people. Below are two links to President Trump's complete DACA statement; the first link is to the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) which has been annotated and the second link is to Fox News which only includes the text.
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About Our Law Firm
MVP Law Group, P.A. offers Business Immigration Services to Employers and Individuals World Wide. We deal primarily with Business Immigration by assisting clients in obtaining Temporary Work Visas; Preparing and Filing Employment Based and Family Based Immigrant Petitions; Aiding Lawful Permanent Residents in Attaining Naturalization; and ensuring compliance with Immigration laws by conducting internal audits for businesses in all industries.
U.S. Immigration Law is federal in nature (i.e., No State or provincial law is involved), therefore, our firm is able to provide U.S. Immigration Law Services to clients ANYWHERE in the United States and around the World.
MVP Law Group, P.A. 10632 Little Patuxent Parkway
Suite 406
Columbia, Maryland 21044
240-390-0600 1-800-447-0796 Keep In Touch With Us!   
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| PERM Processing Priority Dates (As of 9/29/17)
| PROCESSING AREA |
MONTH |
CALENDAR YEAR |
| Analyst Reviews |
June |
2017 |
| Audits |
Feb. |
2017 |
| Requests for
Reconsideration |
Aug. |
2017 |
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OCT. 2017 VISA BULLETIN
The Department of State has released its latest Visa Bulletin.
The monthly Visa Bulletin has changed. The bulletin now summarizes the availability of immigrant numbers during the reported month for: "Application Final Action Dates" (consistent with prior Visa Bulletins) and "Dates for Filing Applications," indicating when immigrant visa applicants should be notified to assemble and submit required documentation to the National Visa Center using Consular Processing (outside of the US) or file on their own with USCIS Form I-485 (within the US).
Read more
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MVP LAW GROUP - Immigration Q&A Forum
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MVP Law Group, P.A. makes available the information and materials in this forum for informational purposes only. The information is general in nature and does not constitute legal advice or any contractual obligations. Further, the use of this site, and the sending or receipt of this information, does not create an attorney-client relationship between us. Therefore, your communication with us through this forum will not be considered as privileged or confidential.
Question #1 - H-1B Nonimmigrant Work Visa
If I plan to continue working for my employer in the US, at what point should we apply for an H1 extension?
Answer #1 -
You should apply for an H1B extension prior to expiration of the visa. You are allowed to submit an H1B extension petition six (6) months prior to the expiration of the current visa.
Question #2 - F1 Student Status/OPT
Answer #2 - Read more
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