American Bar Association Proposes Major Overhaul of U.S. Immigration System

American Bar Association Major Overhaul of U.S. Immigration

Written by: Taher Kameli, Esq. Would it surprise you if someone said that there are issues with immigration in the United States?  Probably not, but when the US immigration system is criticized in strong words by one of our leading lawyer associations, you probably should take notice.  Thus, a March 2019 American Bar Association (ABA) report proposing a major overhaul of the US immigration system deserves our attention. The ABA report, entitled “REFORMING THE IMMIGRATION SYSTEM Proposals to Promote Independence, Fairness, Efficiency, and Professionalism in the Adjudication of Removal Cases”, is an update to a similar report issued by the ABA in

Supreme Court Approves Broadened Government Power to Detain Criminal Immigrants

Criminal Immigrants Detained by U.S. Government

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

U.S. Permanent Residency through Employment-Based Visa Categories: Far from Unfeasible

Permanent Residency through Employment-Based Visa

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

U.S. Government Shutdown: Touching the Lives of Hundreds of Thousands of Federal employees

U.S. Government Shutdown: Touching the Lives of employees

Written by: Taher Kameli, Esq. Three weeks have passed since the federal government shuttered, leaving almost 800,000 federal employees frustrated. Marked as the longest government shutdown in the U.S. history, it has been driven by the disagreement between Donald Trump and the Congressional democrats over the construction of a wall along the Mexico-U.S. border. With Donald Trump persistently refusing to sign a spending bill without the requested $5.7 billion for the border wall, it is hard to predict how long the government shutdown will last. The shutdown has resulted in the closure of some departments including

2 Federal Courts Issue Decisions to Block Use Of Pentagon Funds For President Trump’s Border Wall

Block Use Of Pentagon Funds For Trump’s border wall

Written by: Taher Kameli, Esq. While President Trump has announced many anti-immigration policies as President, probably his most well-known anti-immigration policy is to construct a wall at the United States southern border.  Yet, despite President Trump’s frequent calls for a border wall, various Federal courts have opposed certain actions by the Trump administration designed to help build the border wall. As further evidence of the statement in the preceding sentence, 2 Federal courts have recently issued decisions to block the use of Pentagon funds for President Trump’s border wall. On December 10, in the case

Can the EB-5 Investment Capital Be Acquired Through a Gift or Loan?

EB-5 Investment Capital Be Acquired Through a Gift or Loan?

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.

Why May a Green Card Application be Denied?

Many Reasons Why a Green Card Application is Denied?

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

5 Benefits of a US Citizenship

5 Benefits of a US Citizenship & rewarding opportunities.

Written by: Taher Kameli, Esq. The United States of America is a powerhouse of opportunities, both personal and professional, and is one of the most coveted countries for expats. People from all over the world move to the U.S. looking for rewarding professional growth opportunities. The stunning physical features, highly developed infrastructure, and welcoming people are reasons enough for people to seek green card and settle down there. If you are considering getting U.S. citizenship, be prepared to get a whole new set of privileges, rights, and benefits. But here are a few obvious ones you are likely to

Waiver from the US travel restrictions

Third Version U.S. travel restrictions go into effect

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

Request Consultation