End of the 2019 Public Charge Rule On Tuesday, March 9, 2021, the Biden administration asked the Supreme Court to dismiss the government’s appeals of court decisions against the “public charge” rule, which had expanded the ability of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) to deny green cards to lower-income immigrants. U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas stated that “the 2019 public charge rule was not READ MORE READ MORE

Pennsylvania’s Perry County Prison, in a county that has consistently extended its support to immigration officials, has ended a five-year policy meant to protect citizens from being unconstitutionally detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). In part, the reason county officials ended the policy was that they did not relate to the “sanctuary county” designation. County officials further said this is not going to change the READ MORE READ MORE

On February 22, 2021, the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced that it is reverting to the 2008 version of the naturalization civics test as of March 1, 2021. Applicants who file for naturalization after March 2, 2021, will take the 2008 version of the test. The USCIS further clarified that this announcement was consistent with the framework of the Executive Order on Restoring Faith READ MORE READ MORE

U.S. Consulates to Prioritize Immigrant Visa Backlog The Biden administration announced this week that it was directing U.S. embassies and consulates a priority on the processing of fiancé(e) visas and permanent residence visas (better known as “green cards”). The announcement reverses course from the previous administration, which had halted most green card applications filed abroad. The new directive seeks to reduce an enormous backlog of visa applications READ MORE READ MORE

Applicants for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) receive a work permit in the form of the Employment Authorization Document (EAD), which is subject to timely renewal. Owing to COVID-19, the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is facing substantial delay in processing EAD applications. DACA recipients were in limbo, as the delay in processing threw them out of work. To remedy this situation, the USCIS, READ MORE READ MORE