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Special Green Cards Available For Iraqi And Afghan Translators

Recently the plight of Iraqi and Afghan interpreters who aided American troops during our wars in those countries has been highlighted in the American media. Last month NBC News ran a segment about an Afghan translator named Mohammad who has been hunted by the Taliban after he served the U.S. Marines fighting in Afghanistan. He has already paid a huge price for his assistance to the United States: the murder of his father and the abduction…

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Warnings About Potential Deportation Before Tendering Guilty Pleas

The issue of whether a criminal defendant has to be advised about the impact a criminal conviction may have on his status, as a non-citizen to be deported, has been a very salient one ever since the 1996 passage of the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996. That law expanded the number of criminal offenses which could trigger a deportation. In New Jersey, the State Supreme Court, almost five years ago, held that…

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Educating & Protecting Businesses That Employ Immigrant Workers

When highly technical skills are found in undocumented individuals, legal gymnastics of olympic proportions are needed to allow businesses to use those workers. The need for skilled workers in specialized fields is great. Many times, these positions are best filled by people from other countries. When this happens, it is not uncommon for the business that employed the worker to face investigation by the US Citizen and Immigration Services (USCIS). The role of the USCIS in…

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Change In Republican Reviews On Immigration Paving Way For Reform

Along with President Obama’s re-election in November 2013 came a renewed interest in immigration policies by many Republican leaders. Historically, the Democrats have been the congressional party members who have introduced, supported, and voted upon bills to effectuate positive immigration legislation.  In a time where party politics is more important than ever, in order to stay relevant, many Republicans are now reaching out to their Hispanic voting constituents.  With Republicans softening their previous stance of opposition…

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Canada’s Elimination Of Investor Visas Opens The Door For Eb-5 Visas For Chinese

On Tuesday, February 11, 2014, the Canadian parliament moved to eliminate investor visas which previously allowed foreign investors to apply for permanent residency in Canada if they had a minimum net worth of 1.6 million Canadian dollars and invested 800,000 Canadian dollars in an interest-free loan to the government.  With the abolition of this visa, an estimated 65,000 applications which have been pending, will now be considered defunct. The elimination of Canada's investor visa program paves…

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Uscis Extends Tps For Nicaragua & Honduras

USCIS extended the designation of Nicaragua and Honduras for Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for 18 months from 7/6/13 through 1/5/15. The re-registration period runs from 4/3/13 through 6/3/13. Employment authorization for Nicaraguan and Honduran TPS beneficiaries has been automatically extended through 1/5/14 to ensure continuity of employment authorization while USCIS processes new EADs for re-registrants.

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