Category: Live In The US

On July 31, 2020, USCIS announced a final rule adjusting fees for many immigration and naturalization benefits. USCIS conducted a comprehensive biennial fee review and determined that current fees do not recover the cost of providing adjudication and naturalization services. This final rule will apply to all applications and petitions postmarked on or after October 2.  One […]

On July 28, 2020, Acting Secretary of Homeland Security, Chad Wolf, issued a policy memorandum (“Wolf Memorandum”) making changes to the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) policy. A full breakdown of the changes to the DACA under the Wolf Memorandum can be found here. USCIS released guidance on how it will implement the Wolf Memorandum’s changes on August 24, […]

On July 23, 2020, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced that it has reversed the ban on New York residents from applying for membership and renewal to Trusted Traveler Programs. The ban was first implemented over six months ago and impacted roughly 80,000 New Yorkers. Now, New Yorkers are no longer prohibited from applying […]

On July 31, 2020, USCIS announced a final rule adjusting fees for certain immigration and naturalization benefits. The increase in fees is in response to recover costs of services for USCIS as the agency is experiencing a lack of funding.  Why does USCIS have to increase fees? USCIS is fee funded, meaning the fees collected […]

On July 28, 2020, the Department of Homeland Security announced changes to the DACA policy while it fully reconsiders the policy. The changes and reconsideration of DACA follow the Supreme Court’s June 18, 2020 decision, which invalidated 2017 and 2018 memoranda that fully rescinded the DACA policy. Changes to the DACA Policy In the July […]

On July 21, 2020, Trump signed an executive order declaring undocumented immigrants not be counted in the 2020 Census. The basis of Trump’s order stems from how a “person” is defined in the U.S. Constitution, which requires “persons in each State” to be counted in the census. What is the impact of the Census? The U.S. Census […]

Last week, USCIS announced that military personnel and veterans can now file Form N-400, Application for Naturalization, online. Online filing will allow individuals to submit the forms, check the status of their case, and receive notices from USCIS all electronically.  Individuals currently serving or who have served in the armed forces may also be eligible […]

In light of the COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting national emergency, several states have closed or restricted services at DMV offices, precluding millions of people from applying for a REAL ID. As such, the Department of Homeland Security announced that the deadline for the enforcement of the REAL ID Act would be extended by one […]

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the U.S. State Department has significantly reduced operations at Regional Passport Agencies and Acceptance Facilities. Effective as of April 10, 2020, Regional Passport Agencies will only accept expedited passport applications from applicants who have a qualified life or death emergency requiring international travel within 72 hours. Applicants will be […]

COVID-19 is having a vast impact on immigration operations across all government agencies. To help navigate these challenges, Berardi Immigration Law is providing a summary with the most recent updates from US Citizenship and Immigration Services, Customs and Border Protection, the Department of State, and the Department of Labor.  Updates from USCIS  Premium processing suspended […]