by Jennifer Grady, Esq. On July 25, 2022, USCIS announced that it will continue accepting copies of original signatures on all forms and documents as a permanent policy. This makes permanent the temporary signature policy that USCIS announced in March 2020 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. This means that petitioners and beneficiaries can submit …
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Ukrainian nationals who entered the United States on or before April 11, 2022, and who have maintained continuous presence in the US since April 19, 2022, may be eligible for Temporary Protected Status (TPS). The Secretary of Homeland Security from time-to-time designates a foreign country for TPS due to conditions in the country that temporarily …
by Jennifer Grady, Esq. In light of continued processing delays at USCIS, a temporary final rule has been announced to automatically increase Employment Authorization Card extensions from 180 days, to 540 days. The extension will begin from the expiration date of the employment authorization and/or EAD, and is available for applicants with pending Form I-765 …
by Jennifer Grady, Esq. Major news for those seeking faster processing times to obtain their Employment Authorization Document (EAD), Green Card petition based on employment, and application to change or extend status! USCIS will roll out new phases of premium processing expansion throughout FY 2022 as part of a collective effort to reduce backlogs and …
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by Jennifer Grady, Esq. In response to worker shortages and the upcoming spring/summer season, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Department of Labor (DOL) announced the imminent release of 35,000 additional H-2B visas for employers seeking to employ additional workers on or after April 1, 2022, through Sept. 30, 2022. The publication of the …
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Photo by Tracy Le Blanc from Pexels In response to the Trump Administration’s “extreme vetting” of foreign nationals entering the United States, the U.S. Department of State has increased the amount of personal data foreign nationals must provide when applying for a U.S. visa abroad. Federal government agencies, such as the Department of Homeland Security …
Photo by Sora Shimazaki from Pexels Thirty-three US states, The District of Columbia, and at least 26 countries around the world have legalized the production and use of cannabis for medical, and, in some jurisdictions, for recreational use. This wave of legalization has led to a growing and dynamic industry that employs thousands of individuals …
Photo by Hermes Rivera on Unsplash United States Customs and Border Protection (CBP) recently implemented a major policy change to the adjudication process of L-1 Intracompany Transferee petitions filed by Canadian citizens. Beginning in March of 2019, CBP officers at all ports of entry and pre-clearance facilities ceased adjudicating L-1 petitions for extension or renewal, …
Each year, the U.S. Citizen and Immigration Services (USCIS) grants 85,000 H-1B visas to applicants in "specialty occupations". This cap has not increased since 2004, and has been greatly outweighed by demand over the last few years. Within the first five days of the 2020 fiscal year application filing period, which started on April 1, …
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On March 19, 2019, The Grady Firm, P.C. celebrated its seventh anniversary. Since its inception in 2012, the firm has grown from supporting startups in the Silicon Beach region of Los Angeles, to adding immigration and employment law departments for dynamic, rapid-growth international clients with a California presence. The Firm has added multiple attorney specialists …
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Certain F-1 students who receive science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) degrees may apply for a 24-month extension of their post-completion optional practical training (OPT). On August 17, 2018, USCIS updated the Optional Practical Training Extension for STEM Students (STEM OPT) page of its website to clarify the reporting responsibilities for participation in the STEM …
Travel Ban On April 25th, 2018 the Supreme Court heard oral arguments from both sides on President Trump's highly scrutinized "travel ban". The travel ban, now in its third iteration, prohibits entry of travelers from five Muslim-majority countries (Iran, Syria, Yemen, Somalia, and Libya), as well as North Korea and government officials from Venezuela. Although …
On April 12, 2018, cross-border attorney Jennifer Grady, Esq. spoke to a group of 100 Canadian entrepreneurs and US Economic Development Organizations (EDOs) at SelectUSA Canada. SelectUSA is a U.S. government-wide program led by the U.S. Department of Commerce. Since its inception, SelectUSA has facilitated more than US $25 billion in investment, creating and/or retaining tens of …
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by Anthony Mance, Esq. and Jennifer Grady, Esq. Recent announcements by the Trump Administration declaring enhanced vetting of current immigration cases; talks in Congress about major proposed changes to the immigration laws; and constant media discourse regarding the future of DACA, the Travel Ban, employment-based visas, and increased waiting times, may have the effect of …
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On September 21-22, 2017, Jennifer Grady, Esq. participated in a delegation of the MAPLE® Canadian-U.S. Business Council of Southern California on a cross-border networking event in Toronto, Ontario. The delegation visited nine leading innovation, enterprise, and government organizations and hosted a sold-out cross-border networking reception to connect with Toronto-area business leaders. A panel presentation called …
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