A federal judge in Texas on November 8, 2024 ruled against President Biden's "Keeping Families Together," also known as Parole-in-Place. This is the program that aimed to grant permanent residence to spouses of US citizens who had more than 10 years of physical presence in the United States.

Although the decision is appealable, now that the presidential election is over it is clear that the new administration will not defend this program which makes it effectively dead as of today.

If you applied for this program, you should consult with an attorney to see if other options remain to you, but the hope for this program -- which was always extremely weak to begin with -- is now ended.

USCIS has announced a start date of August 19, 2024 for its new program of granting parole-in-place, a path to Permanent Residence, for individuals who have been married to US citizens as of June 17, 2024 and who have been present in the United States for at least 10 years as of June 17, 2024.

They have not yet released forms or application procedures.

In their announcements, they provide guidelines for what applicants can start to assemble in preparation for an application.

As I wrote in my original announcement, the future and stability of this program seem highly uncertain both because of challenges in court that are likely to come and because of the upcoming presidential election.

Every case has to be decided individually. If you are a current or potential client of mine, I will consider very carefully whether you should apply or pursue a different course of action.

You can read the USCIS announcement at https://www.aila.org/library/uscis-issues-reminders-about-new-parole-in-place-program

(en español a continuación) El Nuevo Programa del Presidente Biden por Esposos de Ciudadanxs EEUU

On June 18, 2024, President Biden announced a plan to allow U.S. citizens’ spouses without legal status to apply for permanent residency and eventually citizenship without having to first depart the country. To qualify, an immigrant must have lived in the United States for 10 years and be married to a U.S. citizen. This plan would be of great help to many applicants who -- in order to apply outside the United States -- would have needed to receive a waiver to avoid a wait of up to 10 years outside the United States. It is still unknown whether it will help applicants who are facing problems with the so-called Permanent Bar due to multiple illegal entries or prior or current deportation proceedings.

In fact, as of this writing on June 19, 2024, no details are known. It is therefore too early to talk about pricing fees, procedure, or timeframes. USCIS has created a web page with a minimum of information on which they state they do not yet have an official date for opening the program, nor have they set fees or explained the process or the exact requirements for qualifying. It is mentioned that applicants must already be married to a US citizen and have ten years of physical presence in the United States as of June 17, 2024. The page also warns all readers to beware of scams since new opportunities such as this always produce dishonest providers who try to collect money for services that are not yet actually available. You can follow the USCIS page here for updates. You can also follow the page you are reading now or my facebook page at
www.facebook.com/immigrationlawofficeofjeffjung
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It is important to realize that anti-immigration forces are all but certain to file a lawsuit to prevent this program from coming into existence. If that happens, any applications that were filed will likely be placed on hold for an indefinite time. Fees paid to USCIS would like remain held by them. This is what happened when DACA was blocked. The program intended to help parents of US citizens was also blocked and eventually killed by lawsuits. Also, if a Republican candidate wins the 2024 presidential election, he will certainly cancel the program and is unlikely to respect applications already submitted. Therefore, while the program is exciting, we must remain cautious and realize based on recent history that it is very likely to face substantial obstacles in becoming a reality.

If you have already begun the process of obtaining permanent residence through a spousal application and interview outside of the United States, you need to think carefully about whether you want to continue it or switch to this new opportunity. For some people, the trip outside the United States is highly risky, but for others less so. Pursuing the new program means starting a whole new legal process that has almost nothing in common with the path you are on and will require a whole new set of attorney fees and filing fees. You will return to the end of the waiting list. You will be applying through a program that has a very high chance of being blocked or cancelled by the courts. You should consider the chance of success, the risks, and how far along you are in your current process before deciding to abandon it in favor of this new, very uncertain path.
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These observations are, again, being written on June 19, 2024. Things will change very drastically over the coming weeks and months. It is important to seek the latest position before making any decisions.

El Nuevo Programa del Presidente Biden por Esposos de Ciudadanxs EEUU

El 18 de junio de 2024, el presidente Biden anunció un plan para permitir que los cónyuges de ciudadanos estadounidenses sin estatus legal soliciten la residencia permanente y, eventualmente, la ciudadanía sin tener que salir primero del país. Para calificar, un inmigrante debe haber vivido en los Estados Unidos durante 10 años y estar casado con un ciudadano estadounidense. Este plan sería de gran ayuda para muchos solicitantes que habrían necesitado recibir un pardon para evitar una espera de hasta 10 años fuera de los Estados Unidos. Aún se desconoce si ayudará a los solicitantes que enfrentan problemas con el llamado Castigo Permanente debido a múltiples entradas ilegales o procedimientos de deportación anteriores o actuales.

De hecho, al momento de escribir este artículo, el 19 de junio de 2024, no se conocen detalles. Por lo tanto, es demasiado pronto para hablar de tarifas, procedimientos o plazos. USCIS ha creado una página web con un mínimo de información en la que afirman que aún no tienen una fecha oficial para la apertura del programa, ni han fijado tarifas ni explicado el proceso ni los requisitos exactos para calificar. Se menciona que los solicitantes ya deben estar casados ​​con un ciudadano estadounidense y tener diez años de presencia física en Estados Unidos, y que estos requisitos deben de haberse cumplidos el 17 de junio de 2024 o antes. La página también advierte a todos los lectores que tengan cuidado con las estafas ya que nuevas oportunidades como esta siempre producen proveedores fraudulentes que intentan cobrar dinero por servicios que aún no están disponibles. Puede seguir la página de USCIS aquí para obtener actualizaciones. También puedes seguir la página que estás leyendo ahora o mi página de Facebook en
www.facebook.com/immigrationlawofficeofjeffjung

Es importante darse cuenta de que es casi seguro que las fuerzas antiinmigración presentarán una demanda para impedir que este programa llegue a existir. Si eso sucede, cualquier solicitud que se haya presentado probablemente quedará en suspenso por tiempo indefinido. Las tarifas pagadas a USCIS quisieran seguir siendo retenidas por ellos. Esto es lo que pasó cuando se bloqueó DACA. El programa destinado a ayudar a los padres de ciudadanos estadounidenses también fue bloqueado y finalmente anulado por demandas. Además, si un candidato republicano gana las elecciones presidenciales de 2024, seguramente cancelará el programa y es poco probable que respete las solicitudes ya presentadas. Por lo tanto, si bien el programa es emocionante, debemos ser cautelosos y darnos cuenta, basándonos en la historia reciente, de que es muy probable que enfrente obstáculos sustanciales para convertirse en realidad.

Si ya ha iniciado el proceso de obtención de la residencia permanente a través de una solicitud conyugal y una entrevista fuera de los Estados Unidos, debe pensar detenidamente si desea continuar con él o cambiarse a esta nueva oportunidad. Para algunas personas el viaje fuera de Estados Unidos es altamente riesgoso, pero para otras es menos riesgoso. Seguir el nuevo programa significa comenzar un proceso legal completamente nuevo que casi no tiene nada en común con el camino en el que se encuentra y requerirá un conjunto completamente nuevo de honorarios de abogados y honorarios de presentación. Volverás al final de la lista de espera. Presentará su solicitud a través de un programa que tiene muchas posibilidades de ser bloqueado o cancelado por los tribunales. Debe considerar las posibilidades de éxito, los riesgos y qué tan avanzado se encuentra en su proceso actual antes de decidir abandonarlo en favor de este camino nuevo y muy incierto.

Vuelvo a repetir que estas observaciones se hacen el 19 de junio de 2024. Las cosas cambiarán muy drásticamente en las próximas semanas y meses. Es importante buscar la última posición antes de tomar cualquier decisión.

Thousands of people living in the United States who have been unable to apply for permanent residence for many years have recently become eligible to apply now that the F2-B and F-1 categories of visa petitions have become current.

This is due in part to Section 245(i) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) which allows certain unauthorized immigrants who are physically present in the United States to apply for lawful permanent resident status even if they had entered the United States without authorization. Under 245(i), such people if otherwise eligible could waive the consequences of a one-time entry without inspection that did not involve fraud and adjust status upon payment of a $1,000 penalty in addition to any other fees due. The set of people who are protected by 245(i) is continually shrinking however, because an applicant must have started the immigration process with a filed family petition on or before April 30, 2001 to enjoy 245(i) protection.

For many years, the spouses and minor children (under 21 years ) of U.S. citizens and permanent residents have been applying under 245(i), but other relatives such as adult children of those same U.S. citizens and permanent residents could not do so.

Why not? Simply because adult children are in different "visa categories" of a lower priority than the categories that apply to spouses and minor children. Persons in those lower priority categories have been required to wait until their "priority date comes current." Everyone with a pending family case has a "priority date" which reflects the date they began their case. The higher priority categories advance faster, which is why applications from 2001 in those categories have been eligible for years while applications from 2001 in lower categories have not. 

However, the priority date now being processed is May 1, 2001. Since the cut-off date for receiving 245(i) protection is April 30, 2001, this means that the thousands and thousands of people who scrambled to apply just before the cutoff date for receiving 245(i) protections are now at last able to use that 245(i) protection and complete the process they began more than 20 years ago.

But not all of them, not yet. Specifically, the categories that have advanced to May 1, 2001 as of today (June 2, 2022) are F1 (unmarried adult children of US citizens) and F-2B (adult unmarried children of Lawful Permanent Residents). If you are the adult son or daughter of a U.S. citizen or Lawful Permanent Resident who enjoys 245(i) protection because your case was filed on or before April 30, 2001, USCIS is at last prepared to accept your application for Permanent Residence.
As always however, no one should file immigration papers of any kind without first consulting with a competent attorney well versed in immigration law. Filing for something that you are in any way not qualified for can lead to serious adverse consequences. If you think this development affects you, it would be wise to find out whether you should apply. Note that other categories, including brothers and sisters of US citizens and the married children of US citizens do not yet have their priority date current. Married children of Lawful Permanent Residents are not eligible for a family-based visa at all through that relationship.

A partir de hoy, el 9 de marzo 2021, la respuesta es si.

​Hoy el presidente Biden autorizó el TPS (Estatus de Protección Temporal) para los venezolanos. Este estado brinda protección contra la deportación, autorización de trabajo, posible autorización de viaje y posiblemente un camino hacia la residencia permanente (depende de donde vive entre otros factores). Los requisitos incluyen prueba de nacionalidad venezolana, pruebas de estancia a partir del 9 de marzo, 2021, y un récord libre de ciertos delitos y violaciones de la ley de inmigración. Para saber si reune los requisitos, consulte con un abogado.
 

As of today, March 9, 2021, the answer is yes: President Biden has authorized TPS (Temporary Protected Status) for Venezuelans.  This status provides protection from deportation, work authorization, possible travel authorization, and possibly a path toward permanent residence. 

Requirements include proof of Venezuelan nationality, proof of continuous residence in the United States since March 9, 2021, and a record free of certain criminal and immigration violations. Consult with an attorney to see if you qualify.

While we have many great expectations for reforms to immigration laws and procedures , it is important to realize that as of today, February 1, 2021, Congress has not yet passed any new laws creating a new path to Permanent Residence. Actions more limited in scale that have taken place include lifting of travel bans against nationals of certain Muslim-majority and African nations, the extension of protection for Liberian nationals until June 30, 2022, and suspension of the Migrant Protection Protocols which require certain asylum seekers to wait in Mexico.

Much has been spoken of a plan to grant status to all persons who have been in the United States without status or at least to holders of DACA and TPS, however no action has been taken on these plans so far. It would not be appropriate to charge for legal services related to any "new" path to permanent residence that it is hoped will come into being under the Biden administration. Hopefully, that will soon change. What you can do at this time, though, is inform yourself about what changes in immigration law would be needed for you to benefit so that you will be ready when and if new opportunities arise.

Aunque parezca difícil de creer, USCIS no ofrece ninguna forma de verificar el progreso de un caso individual una vez que se haya metido. Las estimaciones del tiempo de procesamiento son extremadamente vagas y poco fiables. Además, nos encontramos en una situación sin precedentes en lo que respecta a la pandemia de COVID-19 y su efecto en los tiempos de procesamiento. El cambio en la administración presidencial también hace que cualquier intento de adivinar el tiempo de procesamiento sea inútil. Por estos motivos, lamentablemente no podemos contestar ninguna pregunta sobre cuánto tiempo tardaremos en llegar al siguiente paso o al final de su caso.

Hay dos cosas que puede hacer, aunque son de uso limitado.

Puede ir a https://egov.uscis.gov/casestatus/landing.do e ingresar el número de recibo de su recibo de USCIS (etiquetado como Formulario I-797). Sin embargo, lo único que hace es confirmar que su caso ha sido recibido y está pendiente. Ese "estatus" permanecerá exactamente igual hasta el día o unos días antes de que se envíe una notificación de decisión o entrevista. Por lo tanto, no puede aprender nada útil sobre su caso, excepto para estar seguro de que no ha desaparecido.

En segundo lugar, puede ir a https://egov.uscis.gov/processing-times/ para obtener información sobre los tiempos de procesamiento promedio, teniendo en cuenta que estas estimaciones son muy inexactas. En esa página, ingrese su número de formulario (consulte el Recibo Formulario I-797 y le indicará cuál es el tipo de formulario de qué se trata). También ingrese la "Field Office" o "Service Center" que tiene su caso, que también puede conocer al mirar el Recibo Formulario I-797 en la esquina inferior izquierda. Luego, haga clic en el botón "Obtain Processing Times" para acceder a una página que indica cuántos meses podría demorar su caso como mínimo. La mayoría de estas cifras son en realidad mucho más altas que la realidad. Lo hacen así para que no podamos quejarnos de que el caso está retrasado porque casi siempre pueden decir que su espera todavía está por debajo del supuesto promedio.

Otro dato que se encuentra en esta página es la "Receipt date for a case inquiry" (Fecha de Recibo para una Consulta sobre un Caso). Esto significa que, a menos que su caso haya sido presentado antes de esa fecha, no podemos ni siquiera preguntarle al USCIS por qué el caso está demorando tanto. Literalmente, no aceptarán una llamada sobre el caso y ni siquiera registrarán la llamada como si hubiera ocurrido. Por ejemplo, si la "Receipt date for a case inquiry" es el 1 de julio de 2019, ni siquiera podemos preguntar sobre los casos presentados después del 1 de julio de 2019 porque todavía son "demasiado recientes" según el USCIS. Si su "Receipt date for a case inquiry" aún no está actualizada, le agradecemos que no nos solicite una actualización del caso, ya que la respuesta invariablemente será que no la tenemos y tampoco la podemos obtener.

Ojala, estos recursos lo ayudarán a sentirse más conectado con su caso. Pero la realidad estresante es que una vez que tenemos un recibo, no hay interacción real ni comunicación con USCIS sobre el estado del caso hasta prácticamente el momento en que el siguiente paso está por occurir.

Though it seems hard to believe, USCIS offers no way to check on the progress of an individual case once it is filed. Estimates of processing time are extremely vague and unreliable to the point of uselessness. Further, we are in an unprecedented situation as far as the COVID-19 pandemic and its effect on processing times. The change in presidential administration going into 2021 also makes any attempted guess at processing time useless. For these reasons, we are unfortunately unable to answer any questions about how long it will take to get to the next step or the end of your case.

There are two things you can do, though they are of limited use.

You can go to https://egov.uscis.gov/casestatus/landing.do and enter the Receipt Number from your USCIS Receipt (labeled as Form I-797). However, all this does is confirm that your case has been received and is pending. That "status" will stay exactly the same until the day or a few days before a decision or interview notice is sent out. Therefore, you cannot really learn anything at all useful about your case except to be reassured that it has not disappeared.

Secondly, you can go to https://egov.uscis.gov/processing-times/ for information about average processing times, keeping in mind that these estimates are famously inaccurate. On that page, you input your form number (look at your Form I-797 Receipt Notice and it will tell you what kind of form you filed). You also input the Field Office or Service Center that has your case, which you also learn by looking at your Form I-797 Receipt Notice in the lower left corner. Then click the Get Processing Times button to reach a page that estimates how many months your case might take at a minimum. Most of these numbers are actually far higher than the reality. They do this so that we will not be able to complain that the case is late because they are almost always able to say that your wait is still under the supposed average.

One other piece of information on this page is the "Receipt date for a case inquiry." This means that unless your case was filed before that date, we do not have the ability to even ask USCIS why the case is taking so long. They literally will not accept a call on the case and will not even log the inquiry as having taken place. For example, if the "Receipt date for a case inquiry" is July 1, 2019, we cannot even inquire about any cases filed after July 1, 2019 because they are still "too recent" according to USCIS. If your "Receipt date for a case inquiry" is not yet current, we appreciate your not asking us for an update on the case since the answer will invariably be that we do not have and cannot get one.

Hopefully, these resources will help you feel more connected to your case. But the stressful reality is that once we have a receipt, there is no real interaction with or communication with USCIS about the status until virtually the moment that the next step is upon us.

The spouse of a U Visa holder or applicant can now file for a derivative U visa even if the marriage took place after the principal's application was filed, as long as the marriage was in existence at the time the principal's U Visa is received.

That is the game-changing finding handed down by the U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals this month in Medina Tovar v. Zuchowski, No. 18-35072 (9th Cir. 2020), widely expanding the number of people who qualify for a U Visa based on marriage to a principal applicant. (Note: depending on the circumstances, children or parents of a U Visa applicant may also qualify as derivatives -- the Tovar case is about expanding the possibilities for spouses).

The U Visa was created to encourage cooperation by victims of certain crimes with law enforcement officers. A principal applicant must, in general, have suffered substantial physical or mental harm as the result of being a victim of certain "qualifying" crimes and must have provided assistance to law enforcement in the detection, investigation, or prosecution of that crime. The U Visa provides a right to remain in the United States and work and also creates a path toward eventual permanent residence and citizenship. The U Visa may even be able to provide immigration relief to some applicants whose lawful status would otherwise be barred for their own crimes or violations of immigration regulations.

Until now, the spouse of a principal U Visa applicant could only be included in the application and receive a "derivative" U Visa of his or her own if the marriage was in existence on the date that principal filed. But the Ninth Circuit has ruled that the regulation so stating was unlawfully passed, and that actually the spouse will qualify so long as the marriage is in existence on the date that the principal applicant receives the U Visa.

This means that for those who have a pending U Visa application, it is not too late to file an application for their spouse.

Keep in mind that the Trump administration is likely to challenge this holding or may refuse to comply with it. The coming weeks will give us a better idea of whether this decision is here to stay.

If you have a U Visa application pending and a present or future spouse who has not been included, seek legal counsel about the possibility of a derivative application.