Maryland residents have likely heard about immigration actions that President Trump has been signing. In an effort to increase the number of deportations, Trump issued orders for more federal agents on the U.S.- Mexico border and the construction of new immigration...
Your Immigration
Legal Advocates
U.S. Immigration Law
New I-9 form now in effect
On Jan. 22, the I-9 form marked 03/08/13 became obsolete and was replaced by a new form marked 11/14/2016. Maryland employers that fail to use the new forms could be subject to increased penalties, and it is expected that ICE audits will increase as a result of the...
Immigration registry deemed obsolete, but will it remain so?
A mandatory registry that was put into place following the terrorist events of 9/11 has now been formally scrapped by the Obama administration. Some Maryland residents may be aware that the National Security Entry-Exit Registration System program has not been in use...
Government relaxes some requirements for EB-2 applicants
Employment-based visas allow companies in Maryland and around the country to fill high-skill positions with foreign nationals when qualified American workers cannot be found, but the challenges facing immigrants who wish to secure permanent residence in the United...
Employers should file early to get H-1B visas
Many employers in Maryland rely on qualified foreign workers to fill specialty occupations. To retain these workers, employers must apply for H-1B visas. Because demand for H-1B visas has been steadily increasing each year, employers must file their visa applications...
Improving processing time for spousal immigration
In Maryland and elsewhere across the country, U.S. citizens are experiencing seemingly endless delays in sponsoring their foreign spouses and may be questioning whether anything might be done in order to expedite the process. With a Trump presidency on the horizon, at...
Loophole may lead to abuse of H-1B visa program
Maryland residents may have read headlines about the worker replacement scandal at Walt Disney World. Disney was criticized for using an outsourcing firm to replace over 200 American IT workers with foreign H-1B visa recipients. Since then, several other companies...
Supreme Court takes up case about detaining immigrants
Maryland residents might be interested in learning about a case that is currently being considered by the Supreme Court of the United States. The case concerns the constitutionality of detaining immigrants without detention hearings for lengthy periods of time, in...
H-1B visa reform could impact American companies
Many Maryland residents are aware that immigration reform was part of Donald Trump's platform. One way to achieve his goals may be to reform the H-1B visas, which some claim are harmful to American workers. The visa allows American employers to hire skilled workers...
Military service and naturalization
Maryland military service members who are not U.S. citizens may have paths to becoming naturalized. There are thousands of people who are immigrants who serve in the U.S. Armed Forces, and the Department of Defense is working together with the U.S. Customs and...