May 23, 2022 - Five New Immigration Judges

On May 23, 2022, the Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR) announced the appointment of five new immigration judges. The immigration judges were appointed by Attorney General Merrick Garland and will sit on four immigration courts in California, Florida, and Massachusetts. See the news release [link]. You will find the list of new immigration judges below.

New Immigration Judge Table

Note: For the “Experience” field, we will list the new immigration judge's experience in broad terms. The EOIR news release includes a detailed list of all of the new immigration judge's previous positions.

See table here.

Please visit the nyc immigration lawyers website for further information. The Law Offices of Grinberg & Segal, PLLC focuses vast segment of its practice on immigration law. This steadfast dedication has resulted in thousands of immigrants throughout the United States.

Lawyer website: http://myattorneyusa.com

EOIR Announces 25 New IJs in March 2022

On March 25, 2022, U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland announced the investiture of 25 new Immigration Judges. You will find the full list here. We will list the new Immigration Judges and the courts upon which they will sit for your convenience here [see blog].

Please visit the nyc immigration lawyers website for further information. The Law Offices of Grinberg & Segal, PLLC focuses vast segment of its practice on immigration law. This steadfast dedication has resulted in thousands of immigrants throughout the United States.

Lawyer website: http://myattorneyusa.com

USCIS Re-Starts EB-5 Regional Center Program

On March 15, 2022, President Joe Biden signed a law [link] that included provisions that authorize the EB-5 Immigrant Investor Regional Center Program through September 30, 2027. The EB-5 Regional Center Program had expired on June 30, 2021, after Congress did not pass legislation reauthorizing it. Under the reauthorized Regional Center Program, investors will be required to invest $800,000 in a targeted employment area or infrastructure project. The new law provides that 20% of the annual allocation of EB-5 visa numbers will go to those seeking to invest in targeted rural areas, 10% for those seeking to invest in targeted high employment areas, and 2% for investors in infrastructure projects. The law provides that EB-5 derivatives can apply for adjustment when the principal investor applies his or her EB-5 petition. It also includes new provisions for USCIS inspections of targeted employment area sites and rules governing what qualifies as investment funds under statute e.g., new rules clarifying how gifts and loans are treated.

We will update the site with information about changes to the EB-5 Regional Center Program when the USCIS updates its guidance [link].

We have excerpted the pertinent part of the new law relating to the EB-5 Regional Center Program for your convenience [PDF version].

Please visit the nyc immigration lawyers website for further information. The Law Offices of Grinberg & Segal, PLLC focuses vast segment of its practice on immigration law. This steadfast dedication has resulted in thousands of immigrants throughout the United States.

Lawyer website: http://myattorneyusa.com

USCIS Offers Temporary Flexibility for Applicants and Petitioners Affected by Lockbox Delays

On June 10, 2021, the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced [link] that it began offering filing flexibility for certain applicants and petitioners impacted by delays at a USCIS lockbox.

The temporary flexibilities will be in effect from June 10, 2021, through August 9, 2021. They apply only to benefit requests submitted to a USCIS lockbox. They do not apply to benefit requests submitted to a USCIS service center or field office.

Below, we quote from the USCIS news release regarding the temporary flexibilities:

• If you submitted a benefit request to a USCIS lockbox between Oct. 1, 2020, and April 1, 2021, and that request was rejected during that timeframe solely due to a filing fee payment that expired while the benefit request was awaiting processing, you may resubmit the request with a new fee payment. If USCIS concurs that it has rejected the benefit request because of the delay, USCIS will deem the request to have been received on the initial filing date it was first received and waive the $30 dishonored check fee.
• USCIS will allow applicants and petitioners to submit documentation with a benefit request resubmission demonstrating that because of the time that elapsed between when a benefit request was originally submitted to a USCIS lockbox and when USCIS rejected it, an applicant, co-applicant, beneficiary or derivative has reached an age that makes them no longer eligible to file for the benefit requested. If USCIS agrees that the delayed rejection caused the person to be ineligible due to age, USCIS will accept the request and deem it to have been received on the date the initial benefit request was received. This flexibility does not apply to Form N-600K, Application for Citizenship and Issuance of Certificate Under Section 322.

The flexibilities have benefits in two cases. The first case involves situations wherein the petitioner's or applicant's filing fee payment expired due to USCIS processing delays. The second case involves situations wherein a benefit request was denied due to the amount of time that elapsed between the petitioner's or beneficiary's submitting the request and its processing. The latter flexibility does not apply to the Form N-600K, Application for Citizenship and Issuance of Certificate Under Section 322.

The USCIS news release advises applicants and beneficiaries who believe that they may be eligible to benefit from the flexibilities to contact the agency in order “to verify previously filed benefit requests have not been rejected in error.”

Please visit the nyc immigration lawyers website for further information. The Law Offices of Grinberg & Segal, PLLC focuses vast segment of its practice on immigration law. This steadfast dedication has resulted in thousands of immigrants throughout the United States.

Lawyer website: http://myattorneyusa.com