Author: Jeff MacArthur

USCIS has announced that it will begin premium processing for cap subject H-1B petitions requesting premium processing, including petitions seeking an exemption for individuals with a U.S. master’s degree or higher, on April 27, 2015. USCIS also announced that it would temporarily adjust its premium processing practice due to the historic number of premium processing […]

On April 7, 2015, USCIS announced that it had received enough H-1B petitions to satisfy the statutory cap of 65,000 visas and also the extra 20,000 visas allotted for individuals with advanced degrees (the “master’s cap”). At that time, USCIS gave no figure for the total number of H-1B petitions received, but expectations ran high; […]

Since the repeal of DOMA in June of 2013, U.S. citizens and green card holders can petition for their same-sex spouses to reside permanently in the U.S. However, many same-sex couples worry that their application will be handled differently because they are not an opposite sex couple. Fortunately, same-sex couples are treated no differently than […]

United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) began accepting applications for the Citizenship and Integration Grant Program for fiscal year 2015 on April 1, 2015. This program is a competitive grant funding opportunity for organizations that prepare permanent residents for naturalization and promote civic integration through increased knowledge of U.S. history, English and civics. The […]

With school out for the week, many college students and families alike will be looking to escape their winter blues with a trip to a hot, tropical location. If you’re looking to plan an overseas vacation but don’t have a U.S. passport, here is a list of five popular destinations where you won’t need a […]

“Advance parole” is permission granted to certain classes of aliens to reenter the U.S. after traveling abroad. Recently, several Congressional members have claimed that DHS has created a new method to citizenship through granting advance parole to recipients of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrival (DACA) and Deferred Action for Parents of Americans and Lawful Permanent […]

USCIS recently released a proposed policy memorandum on adjudication of the L-1B specialized knowledge nonimmigrant visa category. This is a much-anticipated memo, as practitioners and employers have been awaiting this guidance since USCIS promised to review consistency of L-1B adjudication in 2012. The policy memo aims to supersede and rescind previous L-1B guidance issued over […]

Berardi Immigration Law has had a busy first quarter at the U.S.-Canadian border. Since early January, we have appeared on behalf of at least 40 clients on 18 separate days at the Peace Bridge. Some of these appearances were entered on behalf of other attorneys, but most represent clients whose cases our office fully drafted […]

Since the Supreme Court’s ruling in 2013 that Section 3 of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) is unconstitutional, USCIS has fully accepted petitions and applications on behalf of bi-national LGBT couples who are legally married. Immigration visa petitions filed on behalf of same-sex couples are adjudicated in the exact same manner as those filed […]

In our previous blog, we analyzed the difference between a FEIN (Federal Employer Identification Number) and an ITIN (Individual Taxpayer Identification Number). To review, an ITIN is issued by the IRS to individuals who are required to have a U.S. taxpayer identification number but do not have or are not eligible to receive a Social […]