Written by: Taher Kameli, Esq. There are many difficulties that asylum seekers to the United States face in trying to achieve effective legal representation. Language barriers and the financial burden of paying legal fees to a knowledgeable, experienced immigration attorney are just 2 of the problems that asylum seekers must confront. However, those asylum seekers to the United States subject to President Trump’s Migrant Protection Protocols program (known as the “Remain in Mexico” program) must address additional special difficulties in obtaining effective legal representation. Since late January, pursuant to the “Remain in Mexico” program, the
Written by: Taher Kameli, Esq. Selene Saavedra Roman has lived in the United States for 25 years (since she was 3), is a graduate of Texas A&M, is married to a US citizen, has no criminal record, is trying to obtain permanent resident status, and left the US for purposes of her job as a flight attendant. Does it seem reasonable to detain a person such as Ms. Roman from re-entering the US when she returns to the US in connection with her job? While the answer to this question should be no, unfortunately, because Ms. Roman’s US immigration rights are
Written by: Taher Kameli, Esq. If you oppose President Trump’s immigration policies, did you vote for Hillary Clinton in the 2016 presidential election? One effect of President Trump being elected is that he is able to appoint Supreme Court justices who share his harsh views on immigration. This point was evidenced in the March 19 Supreme Court decision in the case of Nielsen v. Preap (Case No. 16-1363), which held that the government has a broad right to detain immigrants with past criminal records under the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996 (IIRIRA
Written by: Taher Kameli, Esq. Trump’s stringent immigration policy running afoul of America’s long-standing tradition of embracing immigrants is widely known across the globe. Anti-immigration policies as the centerpiece of Trump’s agenda through which U.S. major issues could allegedly be resolved have stoked concerns among foreign nationals. In such an unwelcoming climate, individuals with outstanding academic and professional profile as well as investors (qualifying for the EB-1, EB-2 NIW and EB-5 categories) may view U.S. permanent residency unachievable
Written by: Taher Kameli, Esq. The EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program dating back to 1990 continues to be an attractive route to U.S. citizenship and the participation rate for the program has remained high among foreign investors. Importantly, almost 40,000 EB-5 petitions have been filed with the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) over the past three years. Since its inception, the EB-5 program has proven to be beneficial to the U.S. economy as well. It has truly emerged as a vital source for job creation and has helped stimulate the U.S. economy.
Written by: Taher Kameli, Esq. Immigration is one of the hot topics nowadays with Trump’s administration instituting a zero tolerance policy on immigration issues. The anti-immigration approach helped put him in the White House, some allege. Despite Donald Trump’s false belief that the current immigration system has undermined the national interests of the country and thus, merits comprehensive reform, extensive research and literature prove otherwise. U.S. visas such as the J-1 (as a non-immigrant visa), EB-1, EB-2 NIW, and EB-5 visas have all been beneficial to the United States. A number of benefits
Written by: Taher Kameli, Esq. Finding out that your green card application (either complete Form I-485 or adjustment of status in the United States or apply for an immigrant visa at a U.S. embassy abroad) has been denied can be devastating. But, the authorities responsible for this don’t deny applications for silly reasons. More often than not, the denial is based on valid and justifiable factors. Though the decision cannot be reversed easily, knowing what caused the denial might provide some form of closure. So, here are some of the top reasons why green card applications usually get denied. Your
Written by: Taher Kameli, Esq. The United States is one of the countries in the world that offers citizens of some politically and economically challenged nations temporary refuge in the country, as part of the Temporary Protected Status program of the Immigration Act of 1990. These countries include El Salvador, Guinea, Haiti, Honduras, Liberia, Nepal, Nicaragua, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Syria, and Yemen. Till now, holders of the TPS visa were eligible for permanent residency and citizenship, based on fulfillment of the eligibility criteria laid out by the USCIS for the
Written by: Taher Kameli, Esq. President Donald Trump made his priorities clear during election season, one of them being immigration enforcement. Over the past months, the fixation of conservatives has been on ending ‘chain migration’, a loose umbrella term describing immigration to the United States based on family ties. Building a chain so to speak is by itself challenging, as it can take years for an immigrant with a green card and citizenship to bring his siblings and parents to the country and then facilitate the entry of more immediate family members. Petitioning for and receiving a family-based visa takes time
Written by: Taher Kameli, Esq. As you are aware, on September 24, 2017, Donald Trump issued a Presidential Proclamation imposing restrictions on travelers from eight countries including Iran and barring them from receiving U.S. visas. Unfortunately, the presidential proclamation has been fully implemented since December 08, 2017 per the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision allowing the third version of the travel ban to go into effect. However, this does not completely close the door on receiving a U.S. visa and individuals can still obtain a U.S. visa under certain circumstances. In fact, those willing to enter the United States are able