Recent Announcements
Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Syria
https://www.uscis.gov/news/news-releases/dhs-announces-18-month-redesignation-and-extension-temporary-protected-status-syria Release Date: August 01, 2016 WASHINGTON—Secretary of Homeland Security Jeh Johnson has redesignated Syria for Temporary Protected Status (TPS) and extended the existing TPS designation for the country from Oct. 1, 2016, through March 31, 2018. This allows eligible nationals of Syria (or persons without nationality who last habitually resided in Syria) to register or re-register for TPS in accordance with the Federal Register notice published today.
Individuals re-registering for TPS:Current beneficiaries under Syria’s TPS designation seeking to extend their TPS status must re-register during a 60-day period that runs from Aug. 1, 2016, through Sept. 30, 2016. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) encourages beneficiaries to re-register as soon as possible. The 18-month extension also allows TPS re-registrants to apply for a new Employment Authorization Document (EAD). Eligible Syria TPS beneficiaries who re-register during the 60-day period and request a new EAD will receive one with an expiration date of March 31, 2018. USCIS recognizes that some re-registrants may not receive their new EADs until after their current work permits expire. Therefore, USCIS is automatically extending current TPS Syria EADs with a Sept. 30, 2016, expiration date for an additional six months. These existing EADs are now valid through March 31, 2017. To re-register, current TPS beneficiaries must submit:
Individuals applying for TPS for the first time:For Syrian nationals (and persons having no nationality who last habitually resided in Syria) who do not currently have TPS, the TPS redesignation may allow them to apply for TPS if they have continuously resided in the United States since Aug. 1, 2016, and have been continuously physically present in the United States since Oct. 1, 2016. Applicants must meet all other TPS eligibility and filing requirements. To apply for the first time, individuals must submit:
Individuals who still have a pending initial TPS application under Syria’s designation do not need to submit a new Form I-821. However, if they currently have a TPS-related EAD and want a new EAD, they should submit:
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Supreme Court upholds blocking DAPA and DACA II
In a cowardly decision that no members of the Court had the spine to sign onto, they deadlocked 4-4 to uphold Justice Taney's -- sorry I mean -- Judge Hanen's injunction against DAPA and Extended DACA. So now millions of parents of US citizens will continue to work illegally, drive without licenses, be stuck in jobs that do not fully utilize their skills etc...ad infinitum. All the while worrying that they could be swept into jail and sent away from their children through deportation. Keeping these people in the shadows hurts us all economically. But we as a nation would rather punish them than help ourselves, even if it costs us more in long run. The GOP blocking of a Supreme Court nominee certainly didn't help matters here. It must be a strange existence when you only find success in trying to keep others down. |
Filipino World War II Veterans
Beginning June 8, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) will allow certain Filipino World War II veteran family members who are beneficiaries of approved family-based immigrant visa petitions an opportunity to seek a discretionary grant of parole, on a case-by-case basis, to come to the United States before their visa becomes available. In limited cases, certain eligible relatives will be able to seek parole on their own behalf if the veteran and his or her spouse are both deceased. More information about the Filipino World War II Veterans Parole Program - including guidance on eligibility, the application process and where to file - is available in the revised Form I-131 instructions and the Federal Register notice. In the coming days, information will also be made available in Tagalog, Cebuano, and Ilocano - please check USCIS.gov/FWVP for updates. You can also watch USCIS Director León Rodríguez announce the Filipino World War II Veterans Parole Program in English and Tagalog. Applications under this policy will be accepted starting June 8. We strongly encourage eligible individuals interested in requesting parole under the FWVP Program do so within five years. |
US: 20 Years of Immigrant Abuses (Human Rights Watch)
https://www.hrw.org/news/2016/04/25/us-20-years-immigrant-abuses Here is a link to an article published by Human Rights Watch about illegal immigration in the United States and how we as a people have dealt with it. The real tension between being a nation of immigrants and a country that values the rule of law arises when our laws do not reflect what we believe (or at least claim) to be our values as a people. photo © 2015 Reuters  |
The USCIS Manchester Field Office is in Bedford, NH
http://www.immigrationblog.us/2016/03/new-hampshire-manchester-field-office.html Sure it might seem a little odd that the Manchester Field Office of USCIS is not in Manchester, NH but is actually in Bedford (9 Ridgewood Road Bedford, NH 03110). For those who find this confusing,it is not without precedent. My golfing friends might know that Manchester Country Club is also in Bedford. At any rate, above is a link to my immigration blog with info on them and another link to their web page. |
DHS Announces 18-Month Redesignation and Extension of Temporary Protected Status for South Sudan
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Who Is Eligible | Current TPS Status | When to File |
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Current TPS beneficiaries from South Sudan | Have TPS | To extend your TPS, you must re-register during a 60-day re-registration period that runs from January 25, 2016, through March 25, 2016. |
South Sudanese nationals and persons without nationality who last habitually resided in South Sudan, who have:
| Do Not Have TPS | To obtain TPS, you may apply for TPS during a 180-day initial registration period that runs from January 25, 2016, through July 25, 2016 |
Know your rights booklet for non-citizens
There are rumors of ICE immigration raids coming up next month. Maybe it's true maybe not -- still it never hurts to know your rights and be prepared. Here is a link to a handy booklet created for the National Immigration Project. |
In-Country Refugee/Parole Program for Minors in El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras With Parents Lawfully Present in the United States
I posted this on my blog "NH Immigration Lawyer Blog" http://www.immigrationlawyernh.com/2015/11/in-country-refugeeparole-program-for.html but I will reprint it here because I think it is important for parents of children still in El Slavador, Guatemala, and Honduras to learn about this. U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE and U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY The United States is establishing an in-country refugee/parole program in El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras to provide a safe, legal, and orderly alternative to the dangerous journey that some children are currently undertaking to the United States. This program will allow certain parents who are lawfully present in the United States to request access to the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program for their children still in one of these three countries. Children who are found ineligible for refugee admission but still at risk of harm may be considered for parole on a case-by-case basis. The refugee/parole program will not be a pathway for undocumented parents to bring their children to the United States, but instead, the program will provide certain vulnerable, at-risk children an opportunity to be reunited with parents lawfully resident in the United States. Applications for this program are initiated in the United States. Beginning in December 2014, a parent lawfully present in the United States will be able to file Department of State form DS-7699 requesting a refugee resettlement interview for unmarried children under 21 in El Salvador, Guatemala, or Honduras. Under certain circumstances, if the second parent resides with the child in the home country and is currently married to the lawfully present parent in the United States, the second parent may be added to the child’s petition and considered for refugee status, and if denied refugee status, for parole. Form DS-7699 must be filed with the assistance of a designated resettlement agency that works with the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration to help resettle refugees in the United States. The form will not be available on the Department of State website to the general public and cannot be completed without the assistance of a Department of State-funded resettlement agency. These resettlement agencies are located in more than 180 communities throughout the United States. When the program is launched, the Department of State will provide information on how to contact one of these agencies to initiate an application. Once a form DS-7699 has been filed, the child in his/her home country will be assisted through the program by the International Organization for Migration (IOM), which manages the U.S. Resettlement Support Center (RSC) in Latin America. IOM personnel from the RSC will contact each child directly and in the order in which the forms filed by lawfully present parents have been received by the U.S. Department of State. IOM will invite the children to attend pre-screening interviews in their country of origin in order to prepare them for a refugee interview with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). DNA relationship testing will be required to confirm the biological relationship between the parent in the United States and the in-country child. After the IOM pre-screening interview but before the DHS interview, the lawfully present parent in the United States will be notified by IOM via the resettlement agency about how to submit DNA evidence of the relationship with their claimed child(ren) in El Salvador, Guatemala, or Honduras. If DNA relationship testing confirms the claimed relationship(s), IOM will schedule the DHS refugee interview. DHS will conduct interviews with each child to determine whether he or she is eligible for refugee status and admissible to the United States. All applicants must complete all required security checks and obtain a medical clearance before they are approved to travel as a refugee to the United States. IOM will arrange travel for the refugee(s) to the United States. The parent of the child will sign a promissory note agreeing to repay the cost of travel to the United States. Approved refugees will be eligible for the same support provided to all refugees resettled in the United States, including assignment to a resettlement agency that will assist with reception and placement, and assistance registering children in school. Applicants found by DHS to be ineligible for refugee status in the United States will be considered on a case-by-case basis for parole, which is a mechanism to allow someone who is otherwise inadmissible to come to the United States for urgent humanitarian reasons or significant public benefit. An individual considered for parole may be eligible for parole if DHS finds that the individual is at risk of harm, he/she clears all background vetting, there is no serious derogatory information, and someone has committed to financially support the individual while he/she is in the United States. Those children and any eligible parent considered for parole will be responsible for obtaining and paying for a medical clearance. An individual authorized parole will not be eligible for a travel loan but must book and pay for the flight to the United States. Parole is temporary and does not confer any permanent legal immigration status or path to permanent legal immigration status in the United States. Parolees are not eligible for medical and other benefits upon arrival in the United States, but are eligible to attend school and/or apply for employment authorization. Individuals authorized parole under this program generally will be authorized parole for an initial period of two years and may request renewal. It is anticipated that a relatively small number of children from Central America will be admitted to the United States as refugees in FY 2015, given the anticipated December launch and the length of time it takes to be processed for U.S. refugee admission. Any child or parent admitted as a refugee will be included in the Latin America/Caribbean regional allocation of the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program, which is 4,000 for FY 2015. If needed, there is some flexibility within the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program to accommodate a higher than anticipated number from Latin America in FY 2015. Designated Resettlement Agency in NH Ascentria Community Services, Inc. Address: 261 Sheep Davis Road, Suite A-1 Concord, NH 03301 Phone: 603-224-8111 Fax: 603-224-5473 |
NYTimes "The Deported" is a powerful essay (linked on immigrationblog.us)
http://www.immigrationblog.us/2015/12/the-deported-new-york-times.html There isn't really a single quote I can point to that encapsulates the situation people in much of Central America face. But if you read the whole story, you can begin to understand. |
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