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Author: Jeff MacArthur

  • DHS proposes changes to OPT period

    Foreign students and graduates, take note: you may be able to work in the U.S. for longer. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is aiming to improve the optional practical training program (OPT), which allows foreign students or graduates to temporarily work in the U.S. This program gives them the chance to further their education […]
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  • Tips for Doing Business in the U.S.

    The B-1 Business Visitor Category The B-1 nonimmigrant visa category allows certain visitors to enter the U.S. for limited and specific business activities.  B-1 visitors cannot engage in any activity or perform a service that would constitute local employment for hire within the U.S., and the category is not meant for extended, long-term activity. What […]
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  • Despite Recent Upgrades, Visa Processing Delays Continue

    The wait for the U.S. State Department to address visa processing delays continues until core problems causing disruptions are resolved. According to a recent report, the U.S. Government Accountability Office cites increased demand for nonimmigrant visas and issues with IT systems as the two “key challenges” hindering the agency’s efforts to quicken the pace of […]
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  • USCIS Changes Filing Addresses for Certain Form I-140s Requesting Premium Processing Service

    Starting on October 19, 2015, there will be new direct filing addresses for Form I-140 Immigrant Petitions requesting Premium Processing Service through Form I-907. This change will only be applicable to worksite locations in Maryland, New Jersey, New York, or Pennsylvania. Announced last week, Form I-140 and Form I-907 should be filed with the Nebraska […]
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  • DHS to Create Parole Program for Filipino WWII Veterans

    The Department of Homeland Security recently announced it will be creating a program to allow certain family members of Filipino and Filipino-American World War II veterans to receive parole to come to the United States. The Veteran Parole Program for Filipino WWII Veterans was first announced in November of 2014 by Secretary Johnson and President […]
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  • USCIS Guidance on Paying the N-400 Naturalization Application Fee With a Credit Card

    Applicants applying for Naturalization can now pay the N-400 naturalization application fee using a credit card with no additional fees added. Form N-400 is the only form that can be paid using a credit card. USCIS has valuable guidelines on the process of paying the application fee that must be followed in order to ensure […]
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  • How does not registering for the selective service affect a naturalization application?

      Males between the ages of 18 and 26 are required under United States Law to register for Selective Service. Registering for Selective Service does not mean you have to become a member of the armed forces. However, if a large scale war or a similar event were to happen, males are expected to be […]
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  • BIL Lawyers Speak at AILA Conference

    On September 25, 2015, Berardi Immigration Law’s very own Rosanna Berardi and Jennifer Behm spoke on expert panels at AILA’s Annual Northern Border Immigration Conference in Clayton, New York. BIL was the only firm at the conference with attorneys presenting on two separate panels. This year’s conference was entitled “Strictly Business” and focused solely on […]
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  • Partner Jennifer Behm Interviewed by WBFO 88.7 In Segment, “You & the Law: Staying Here For a Job”

    Partner Jennifer Behm was the featured interview during the All Things Considered Newscast with Mike Desmond last Friday, September 18th in a segment titled, “You and the Law: Staying Here For a Job.” The interview aired on radio station WBFO 88.7 at 5:45 p.m. To listen to the interview please click here. In the interview, […]
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  • USCIS Expands Efforts to Highlight Naturalization in Light of Citizenship Day

    History of Citizenship Day Citizenship Day is celebrated each year on September 17th, which is also the anniversary of the signing of the Constitution in 1787. United States citizenship was first recognized for its significance in 1940 on the third Sunday of May known as “I Am an American Day”. However, in 1952 the date […]
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