Tag: border crossing

On May 30, 2019, CBP announced that a new online system, known as e-SAFE, will be launched in mid-2019 for electronic filing of Forms I-192 and I-212. This system allows eligible nonimmigrants, who do not require a visa to enter the United States, to apply for a waiver of inadmissibility via Forms I-192 and I-212. […]

Berardi Immigration Law has recently learned that certain ports of entry along the Canadian border are now refusing to process petitions for renewal L-1 applications that are presented by Canadians pursuant to the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). This new policy affects both individual and blanket L petitions.  Initial reports indicated that this was […]

On April 1, 2019, the Whirlpool Rapids Bridge, which spans the international border between Canada and the United States in Niagara Falls, will be temporarily closing. The closure is necessitated by the upcoming removal of the 1,700-foot Niagara Scenic Parkway viaduct above the bridge and customs plaza. The removal of the viaduct is part of […]

The government shutdown that began in December 2018 has become the longest U.S. government shutdown in history and is having some major impacts on immigration processing. Customs and Border Protection officers are considered essential staff due to the important role they play in national security at the U.S. border and ports of entry. This ultimately […]

Following the legalization of recreational marijuana in Canada, the Canadian government is cracking down on driving violations that occur while under the influence of drugs or alcohol. New legislation is scheduled to take effect on December 18, 2018 and will have a major impact on visitors to Canada.  Under current law, non-Canadians who have ever […]

the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) California Service Center (CSC) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Blaine, Washington, port of entry (POE) announced a new pilot program for Canadian citizens seeking L-1 nonimmigrant status under the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). The program was designed to evaluate how long USCIS needs to adjudicate these petitions and...

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...

The Trump administration recently sent a notice to Congress stating that it intends to use $20 million from foreign assistance funds to help Mexico pay for the deportation of as many as 17,000 undocumented immigrants. Under this program, Mexican authorities would detain undocumented immigrants present in Mexico, provide judicial process and potentially deport them, in […]

The Trump administration announced a newly proposed federal regulation on September 6, 2018 that would sidestep the Flores settlement. The 1997 Flores Settlement Agreement requires the government to release children from immigration detention without unnecessary delay to parents, adult relatives or licensed programs. It also requires that detained minors have a certain quality of life, […]