Berardi Blog

JL recently worked with Berardi Immigration Law to obtain a waiver to enter the United States. In 1998, JL was deported from the United States and faced a 20-year to lifetime ban from entering the U.S. Upon returning to Canada and working for a logistics company for over 10 years, he shifted his focus to […]

The Department of State (DOS) recently updated the Foreign Affairs Manual (FAM). This update is intended to provide additional guidance to U.S. consular officers in terms of what role they should play regarding confirming the validity of a petition being used to apply for a visa. The update encourages officers to take a more active […]

A proposed rule could result in major changes in the H-1B visa category. This rule would change the H-1B visa lottery process and could also alter the educational composition of visa holders. Currently, USCIS offers 65,000 standard H-1B visas for skilled workers. Additionally, USCIS offers another 20,000 visas for workers with a U.S. master’s degree […]

Senior Associate Attorney Gabriella Agostinelli recently had an L-1A renewal application successfully approved by Customs and Border Protection at the Vancouver International Airport in Canada. This was our client’s second L-1A application. This case was unique because unlike traditional managers, our client managed a function of the company, rather than managing people. In the application […]

If you’ve been convicted of a DUI or DWI, chances are your life has been altered in many ways. However, you may not be aware that having an alcohol-related driving conviction on your record can significantly impact your ability to enter Canada. In fact, in most cases, this type of conviction will make you “criminally […]

On Friday, October 12, 2018, USCIS issued an alert that it will be updating policy guidance in the USCIS Policy Manual to clarify the married and living in marital union requirements under section 319(a) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA).  In general, all naturalization applicants filing on the basis of marriage to a U.S. […]

Last week, Associate Attorney Catherine Dines Kettner had two successful L-1A applications presented to Customs and Border Protection by our clients at the Peace Bridge in Buffalo, New York. Both clients worked for the same company.  These applications were a bit different in terms of their corporate taxes. Often times, as a form of viable […]

The recreational use of marijuana will be legalized in Canada beginning October 17, 2018. Naturally, this raises a number of public safety concerns, one in particular being the dangers associated with impaired driving. Greater access to the drug could result in more people driving under the influence. The Canadian government has responded to this concern […]

On October 11, 2018, Customs and Border Protection (CBP) issued a memo addressing Canada’s upcoming legalization of marijuana and how it will affect crossing the Canada/U.S. border. Marijuana will be legal in Canada beginning October 17, 2018. CBP has stated that U.S. laws will not change following Canada’s legalization of marijuana. Requirements for international travelers wishing to enter the U.S. are governed by…

USCIS announced that as a part of its ongoing modernization efforts, English reading and writing tests during naturalization interviews will now be administered on digital tablets. This change was unveiled on October 1st. While tablet usage is not completely new to USCIS processes, this step greatly expanded the use of this technology. Previously, digital tablets […]

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) recently announced that it has begun to implement the Updated Guidance for the Referral of Cases and Issuance of Notices to Appear (NTAs) in Cases Involving Inadmissible and Deportable Aliens Policy Memo. This memo was originally published on June 28, 2018 and the implementation process began on October 1, […]

Last week, Associate Attorney Catherine Dines had a successful L-1A application approved by Customs and Border Protection at the Peace Bridge, located in Buffalo, New York. The L-1A visa requires that the applicant hold a managerial or executive role. This application was a bit unique in that our client didn’t manage people but rather a […]

F-1 students who have an H-1B petition that remains pending after October 1, 2018, risk accruing unlawful presence if they continue to work on or after October 1, 2018 (unless otherwise authorized to continue employment), as their “cap-gap” work authorization is only valid through September 30, 2018. Due to increased demand for immigration benefits, resulting […]

On Sunday night, after more than a year of intense negotiations, the United States, Canada and Mexico reached an agreement to update the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), the 1994 pact that governs more than $1.2 trillion worth of trade among the three nations. The new deal won’t go into effect until 2020, as […]

In this video, Managing Partner Rosanna Berardi discusses all you need to know about the “new” NAFTA! If you have questions on how the new NAFTA agreement may impact your immigration status, call us toll-free today at 1-877-721-6100!

Senior Associate Attorney Gabriella Agostinelli recently had three cases that were all approved at the border. The first two were both L-1 applications from the same company. They were both high-level individuals who will need to periodically enter the United States in order to help set up a new division of the company. After Gabriella […]

On September 25, 2018, the Department of State (DOS) released a public notice with information on how to apply for the 2020 Diversity Immigrant Visa Program. DOS annually administers the statutorily mandated Diversity Immigrant Visa Program. Section 203(c) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) provides for a class of immigrants known as “diversity immigrants” […]

Berardi Immigration recently helped Reza Kamran obtain a Green Card in order to work for a company in the United States. Reza was thrilled to receive a job offer from a company in California but was unfamiliar with immigration firms and the process. Originally, Reza worked with the company’s internal corporate immigration lawyer. Unfortunately, this […]

Berardi Immigration Law recently had another L-1 applicant success story! This application had several possible sticking points that made it a bit of a difficult application. The L-1A category is for executives or mangers, which typically involves the management of people and direct reports. However, in this application, our client was a functional manager, meaning […]

Senior Associate Attorney Gabriella Agostinelli recently had a successful L-1A application at the border. This application was unique in that the applicant had spent almost the full time allotted in L-1A status in the United States. The L-1A visa allows applicants to remain in the United States for a full seven years. Our client presented […]