The Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR) selected four new assistant chief immigration judges on August 23, 2019. Assistant chief immigration judges oversee the operations of the immigration courts to which they are assigned. In addition to these oversight responsibilities, assistant chief immigration judges also hear cases.
The U.S. Department of State published the Visa Bulletin for September 2019 on August 9, 2019. The Visa Bulletin for September 2019 is the final visa bulletin for fiscal year 2019. It includes the dates for filing and application final action dates for the family-sponsored and employment-based preferences. The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services determined on August 15 that almost all family-sponsored adjustment of status hopefuls must use the favorable dates for filing in September, while all employment-based adjustment of status hopefuls must use the final action dates.
The Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR) held an investiture ceremony on August 23, 2019, to swear in six new members of the Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA). All six new Board members were appointed by U.S. Attorney General William Barr. This post includes profiles of each of the new BIA members.
On August 16, 2019, the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) forwarded an email alert from the Newark Asylum Office to immigration attorneys across the country. The email states that the Newark Asylum Office and the Sub Office in Boston will divert a significant number staff to help adjudicate cases on the Southwest Border, effective August 19, 2019. The Newark Asylum Office explains that this diversion of staff will have an effect on its ability to process affirmative asylum cases under its jurisdiction.
On August 15, 2019, the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced that it had returned all unselected FY 2020 H1B cap-subject petitions.
On July 12, 2019, the U.S. Department of State announced that it had confirmed with the Government of Kazakhstan that intercountry adoptions between the United States and Kazakhstan remains suspended. The suspension is in effect due to outstanding post-adoption reports for Kazakh children previously adopted by U.S. parents.
Submitted by Eliza Grinberg on August 19, 2019 - 11:19am
On August 14, 2019, the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) had published a final rule in the Federal Register regarding the public charge ground of inadmissibility. The rule, which runs 217 pages, will become effective on October 15, 2019. In this post, we will examine the key points of the new public charge rule.
The Department of State (DOS) noted that the Government of Sierra Leone did not extend its suspension of processing new intercountry adoptions beyond June 3, 2019.
On August 9, 2019, the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced that it will only maintain international field offices at seven locations going forward.
On August 13, 2019, the Executive office for Immigration Review (EOIR) announced that it will open an immigration court in Sacramento, California, on September 3, 2019.
