Berardi Blog
The Berardi Immigration Law blog – find all our posts here.
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Part 1 of 2: Spotlight on Donald Trump’s Potential Immigration Policies
During every presidential election, it seems one of the most controversial topics is immigration. This year’s race between Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton is no different. This week, we will be taking a look at each candidate’s stand on immigration. First, we will be analyzing Donald Trump’s reform plans for the U.S. immigration system. Be […]Read More -
Client Testimonial from Pierre Lauzon, Management Consultant
Mr. Pierre Lauzon received an opportunity to provide management consulting services to Gogo Inc., a provider of in-flight connectivity and wireless entertainment solutions for the global aviation industry. All he needed was an approved TN visa that would allow him to successfully enter and work in the United States. Unsure of how to complete the […]Read More -
Congress Passes Resolution to Extend Three Visa Programs
On Sept. 29, 2016, a Continuing Resolution was signed into law to extend several important immigration programs, including the Conrad 30 Program, the non-minister special immigrant religious work program (SR visa), and the EB-5 Regional Center Program. The House and the Senate passed the Continuing Resolution on Sept. 28, 2016 and the president signed the […]Read More -
Recent Naturalization Updates from USCIS
Since Naturalization applications are now being processed electronically, USCIS has announced two important filing updates. Firstly, you no longer need to submit two passport-style photographs with your application. Your photo will now be taken during your biometrics appointment at the Application Support Center (ASC). However, this does not apply to applicants residing overseas. If you […]Read More -
Impact of Prior Convictions on U.S. Entry
Some individuals with criminal convictions may be inadmissible to the U.S. no matter how long ago the offense took place or how minor the conviction was. Because the U.S. Department of Homeland Security has comprehensive access to criminal records, any individual with a criminal record runs the risk of being denied entry into the U.S. […]Read More -
It’s Election Season! Voting Regulation Reminders
Q: Who is eligible to vote in United States federal elections? A: Only U.S. citizens and naturalized citizens who are 18 years of age and older can vote in U.S. federal elections. Legal Permanent Residents (LPRs) and nonimmigrants are NOT legally allowed to vote in United States elections. Q: How do I know if I’m […]Read More -
Registration for the 2018 Diversity Program is Now Open
This year, Oct. 4th marked the opening of registration for the Diversity Visa (DV) 2018 Program, which annually makes available up to 55,000 U.S. immigrant visas to people from countries with historically low rates of immigration to the United States. For many, receiving an immigrant visa to the U.S. can be a dream come true. […]Read More -
September Peace Bridge Recap
Berardi Immigration Law presented eight TN and L-1 petitions to U.S. Customs & Border Protection (CBP) on behalf of our clients in September. We provide highlights of two of these cases below: • Applying for L-1A status in the U.S. necessitates documentation establishing that the foreign national meets all statutory requirements. In order to qualify for […]Read More -
DOS Issues No Eyeglasses Policy for All Visa and Passport Photographs
Beginning Nov. 1, 2016, the “No Eyeglasses Policy” will go into effect. Under this policy, Consular Affairs will no longer accept photographs of visa and passport applicants wearing eyeglasses, except in rare, medically-documented circumstances. Consular Affairs will implement this policy with a soft one-month enforcement period from Nov. 1 through Nov. 30, 2016, after which […]Read More -
DUIs and Visa Revocations by DOS
The DOS Visa Office has recently instructed consular officers to revoke the visas of visa-holders following a DUI (driving under the influence) arrest. The previous policy simply required a visa applicant with a prior DUI conviction to provide a report from a panel physician. This new policy allows consular posts to revoke nonimmigrant visas and […]Read More -
H-1B Visa When You Are Self-Employed or Have an Ownership Interest
An H-1B visa is a non-immigrant visa that permits a company to hire workers in specialty occupations. H-1B visas require that the foreign worker (the beneficiary) has a bachelor’s degree, and that the U.S. company (the Petitioner) can employ the worker for up to six years. Sometimes it can be unclear whether or not individuals […]Read More -
Pre-ordering a Paper I-94 and the Future Mobile App
Customs and Border Protection (CBP) will shortly be rolling out a mobile app and revising the I-94 website so that individuals at land border crossings (not air and sea) will be able to pre-order a paper I-94 and pay a $6 fee online. The I-94 will be ready for the individual upon arrival, provided he […]Read More -
Client Testimonial from Raza Kamran, Senior Manager of Product Marketing at RingCentral
Raza Kamran, the Senior Manager of Product Marketing at RingCentral, had an opportunity to transfer his position in Canada to a division of RingCentral located in the United States. All he needed for the move was an approved L-1A visa that would allow him to transfer from the Canadian division and successfully enter the United […]Read More -
USCIS Awards Nearly $10 Million in Grants to Expand Citizenship Preparation Services in 21 States
On Sept. 1, 2016, USCIS announced the award of nearly $10 million in grants under two competitive funding opportunities to 46 organizations to help permanent residents prepare and apply for U.S. citizenship. The organizations are located in 21 states and will receive funding through September 2018. Since it began in 2009, the USCIS Citizenship and […]Read More -
When Adjustment of Status Is Pending: FAQs
Foreign nationals who wish to “adjust” their non-immigrant status to immigrant status (permanent resident status) often have several questions about their current status while the adjustment is pending. Here are some frequently asked questions to help you better navigate the adjustment of status process. Q: Can I travel while my Adjustment of Status is pending?In order […]Read More -
Department of State Launches September Passport Awareness Month
The Department of State will celebrate passport awareness month in September with the launch of the #PicturePerfectPassport campaign to improve the quality of passport photos submitted by applicants. Poor quality photos are the number one reason that passport applications are delayed during the application process. In 2015, more than 200,000 applications were delayed for inadequate […]Read More -
August Peace Bridge Recap
Once again, Berardi Immigration Law had a busy month representing our clients at the Peace Bridge port-of-entry between Buffalo, N.Y. and Ft. Erie, Ontario. Summer is an extremely busy season for CBP, and our firm was able to facilitate the L-1 and TN adjudication process for 16 clients successfully in the month of August. Two of […]Read More -
USCIS Proposes New Regulation Granting Parole to Certain Foreign-Born Entrepreneurs
USCIS has proposed a new regulation allowing the agency to grant parole to certain foreign-born entrepreneurs who establish start-up businesses in the United States. This is not a new law, but rather a regulation which would implement one of President Obama’s proposals for encouraging innovation. USCIS expects 3,000 persons will qualify for parole annually under […]Read More -
Five Common Mistakes when Completing the I-864
Completing immigration forms can be a complicated process. Form I-864, Affidavit of Support, often generates questions and requests for assistance. Increased scrutiny by the National Visa Center often results in more Requests for Evidence, which can be time consuming and delay your overall visa process. Here are five common mistakes to avoid when completing Form […]Read More -
USCIS Celebrates the 100th Anniversary of the National Park Service with Naturalization Ceremonies
On Aug. 25, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) will celebrate the 100th anniversary of the National Park Service by welcoming 450 new U.S. citizens during 16 naturalization ceremonies at national parks across the country. These ceremonies represent the partnership between USCIS and the National Park Service (NPS) and the goal of holding at least […]Read More
Recent Blog Posts
- Part 1 of 2: Spotlight on Donald Trump’s Potential Immigration Policies
- Client Testimonial from Pierre Lauzon, Management Consultant
- Congress Passes Resolution to Extend Three Visa Programs
- Recent Naturalization Updates from USCIS
- Impact of Prior Convictions on U.S. Entry
- It’s Election Season! Voting Regulation Reminders
- Registration for the 2018 Diversity Program is Now Open
- September Peace Bridge Recap
- DOS Issues No Eyeglasses Policy for All Visa and Passport Photographs
- DUIs and Visa Revocations by DOS
- H-1B Visa When You Are Self-Employed or Have an Ownership Interest
- Pre-ordering a Paper I-94 and the Future Mobile App
- Client Testimonial from Raza Kamran, Senior Manager of Product Marketing at RingCentral
- USCIS Awards Nearly $10 Million in Grants to Expand Citizenship Preparation Services in 21 States
- When Adjustment of Status Is Pending: FAQs
- Department of State Launches September Passport Awareness Month
- August Peace Bridge Recap
- USCIS Proposes New Regulation Granting Parole to Certain Foreign-Born Entrepreneurs
- Five Common Mistakes when Completing the I-864
- USCIS Celebrates the 100th Anniversary of the National Park Service with Naturalization Ceremonies
