Maria del Carmen Ramos – Page 10 – The Immigration Bulletin

Come on, Nightline?!

If it’s not bad news, it won’t get good ratings? When Nightline recently reported on the EB-5 program, “Whistleblowers: US gave visas to suspected Forgers, Fraudsters, Criminals,” alleging that it is prone to fraud, they were looking for good ratings. Why not report on what the EB-5 program does for the U.S. economy? Why not report about foreign nationals bringing large amounts of money to the U.S. to invest in businesses with the requirement that they create full time jobs for TEN U.S. WORKERS? Continue reading “Come on, Nightline?!”

Temporary Injunction Issued Against DAPA And Expanded DACA

Judge Andrew Hanen, a federal judge in South Texas, temporarily blocked President Obama’s executive actions on immigration this past Monday, February 16. The lawsuit was brought by 26 states and Judge Hanen ruled that the President lacked the authority to carry out the initiatives announced on November 20, 2014. Continue reading “Temporary Injunction Issued Against DAPA And Expanded DACA”

Bipartisan Legislation Seeks to Make the EB-5 Program Permanent

Bipartisan legislation? Does such a thing exist anymore? Well, on January 28, 2015, Congressmen Jared Polis (D-CO) and Mark Amodei (R-NV) introduced The American Entrepreneurship & Investment Act of 2015 in an effort to permanently authorize the EB-5 Immigrant Investor visa program, which is now set to expire on September 30, 2015. Continue reading “Bipartisan Legislation Seeks to Make the EB-5 Program Permanent”

What Happens When An Employee Admits I-9 Documents Were Fraudulent

On January 8, 2015, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) Office of Special Counsel for Immigration Related Unfair Employment Practices (OSC) issued a technical assistance letter (TAL) in response to an employer’s request for guidance. The TAL primarily serves to provide guidance on how to address the instance where an employee admitted after the fact that the documents presented during the Form I-9 process were not genuine and whether the employer would face any liability for discrimination if it chose to terminate the employee. Continue reading “What Happens When An Employee Admits I-9 Documents Were Fraudulent”

Court of Appeals Censures USCIS’ Narrow Interpretation of L-1B Visa Requirements

Over the last few years, U.S. Citizenship & Immigration Services (USCIS) has made a concerted effort to restrict the number of L-1B visas being issued. And, without much oversight, USCIS has managed (almost unfettered) to do so primarily through unpublished, non-binding decisions issued by the Administrative Appeals Office (AAO), selective reliance on precedent administrative decisions, and federal district court L-1B cases prior to 1990. Continue reading “Court of Appeals Censures USCIS’ Narrow Interpretation of L-1B Visa Requirements”

H-1B Season is Almost Upon Us

As a reminder to all U.S. employers, H-1B season is on the horizon! United States Citizenship & Immigration Services (“USCIS”) will start accepting new H-1B petitions for fiscal year 2016 on Wednesday, April 1, 2015. As such, employers should start immediately identifying current and future employees who will require sponsorship for new H-1B petitions. Continue reading “H-1B Season is Almost Upon Us”

USCIS Terminates 16 EB-5 Regional Centers

Last October, we advised our readers that U.S. Citizenship & Immigration Services (USCIS) had sent out several Notices of Intent to Terminate (NOITT) regional center designation to various regional centers around the nation. We also warned that this appeared to be an upcoming enforcement trend by USCIS to address complaints of fraud and abuse in the EB-5 Regional Center Program. Continue reading “USCIS Terminates 16 EB-5 Regional Centers”

Three Things to Know About DAPA

While many of the specific details of President Obama’s Immigration Accountability Executive Actions are still being worked on, one of its most significant components will be the Deferred Action for Parents of Americans and Lawful Permanent Residents (DAPA). Continue reading “Three Things to Know About DAPA”

USCIS Issues Fliers About the President’s Executive Actions

As part of an effort to educate the public, United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) released two fliers regarding President Obama’s executive actions on its website. USCIS is encouraging the use of these fliers when communicating with individuals about these actions. Continue reading “USCIS Issues Fliers About the President’s Executive Actions”

Living Well: Making a Difference in our Community

When I think of Florida (and the Tampa Bay area in particular), I think of beaches and palm trees. Beaches and palms trees, to me, are symbols of peace and serenity. They also remind me of my childhood in Puerto Rico, carefree times when I was unburdened by all the responsibilities of adulthood. The guest speakers at our November section lunch, however, painted a much different picture of Florida. Continue reading “Living Well: Making a Difference in our Community”