The current active court case backlog as of the end of August 2020 has grown to 1,246,164—up 11 percent from the beginning of March when the backlog was 1,122,824. Monthly case completions before the March shutdown were running over 40,000. In August just 6,113 cases were completed. Roughly half (52%) of these were ordered deported or given a voluntary departure order. In January 2020, this rate was 75 percent. There were only 1,424 asylum decisions rendered during August 2020. Of the total asylum decisions issued in August 2020, 507 were successful and the judge granted their asylum request while 11...
On October 2, 2020, USCIS will change the premium processing timeframe from 15 calendar days to 15 business days. USCIS may adjust the additional fee for this service for inflation according to the Consumer Price Index (CPI) by notice in the Federal Register.
USCIS announced on September 4, 2020 that submissions postmarked on or after October 2, 2020 must comply with the 10/02/20 edition of the following new or existing forms: • Form I-129H1 • Forms I-129H2A and I-129H2B • Form I-129L • Form I-129O • Form I-129E&TN • Form I-129MISC •Form I-600/I-600A, Supplement 3 •Form I-765 • Form I-912 For applications and petitions that are sent by commercial courier (for example, UPS, FedEx, or DHL), USCIS considers the date on the courier receipt as the postmark date for purposes of filing.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) announced Tuesday, September 1, 2020, that more than 2,000 individuals have been arrested during the period of July 13 to Aug. 20, 2020. About 85 percent of those arrested by ICE on immigration charges also had criminal convictions or pending criminal charges.
On August 25, 2020 Secretary Pompeo, in consultation with the Department of Homeland Security, has temporarily expanded the ability of consular officers to waive the in-person interview requirement for individuals applying for a nonimmigrant visa in the same classification. Previously, only those applicants whose nonimmigrant visa expired within 12 months were eligible for an interview waiver. The Secretary has temporarily extended the expiration period to 24 months. This policy is in effect until December 31, 2020. This change will allow consular officers to continue processing certain nonimmigrant visa applications while limiting the number of applicants who must appear at a...
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services today (08/25/2020) announced that the agency will avert an administrative furlough of more than 13,000 employees. USCIS expects to be able to maintain operations through the end of fiscal year 2020 based on “unprecedented spending cuts and a steady increase in daily incoming revenue and receipts”. USCIS claims that the aggressive spending reduction measures will impact all agency operations and will drastically increase wait times for pending case inquiries with the USCIS Contact Center, cause longer case processing times, and increase the adjudication time for aliens adjusting status or naturalizing. USCIS is asking Congress to...
USCIS/DHS extends the flexibility policy of Form I-9 requirements to September 17, 2020. The provision applies only to employees and workplaces that are operating remotely.
The Houston immigration court in Houston, Texas will continue to be closed until September 04, 2020.
USCIS plans to furlough 13,000 employees on August 30, 2020 unless it receives 1.2 billion bailout from Congress, It is estimated that USCIS will end the fiscal year on September 30, 2020 with a sizeable carryover balance.
Non-essential travel across the borders of Mexico and Canada will continue to be limited until September 21, 2020.
Individual Immigration
Attorneys at Vega & Associates deliver solutions customized to your individual needs. Whether you are seeking U. S. citizenship or an adjustment of status, our Houston immigration lawyers can help!
MORE INFORMATION
Business Immigration
Lawyers in Houston offer employer or investor visa services. Our Houston immigration law firm will help you navigate the complex cases for business or employment immigration.
MORE INFORMATION
Family Based Immigration
Houston immigration lawyer Adan Vega & Associates provides knowledgeable legal services in a compassionate atmosphere with the goal of uniting families.
MORE INFORMATION