As the coronavirus continues to spread throughout the United States, the federal government has implemented a number of restrictions and office closures in an effort to help slow the spread of the virus. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS):Local Field Offices and Application Support Centers Closed until at least April 07, 2020 (On March 25, 2020, USCIS extended closures from April 1, 2020  to April 7, 2020). Starting on March 18,...

Dear Kolko & Casey clients, friends and community: During these difficult and unpredictable times, we wanted to reach out and let you know that we are here. We remain dedicated to our Firm’s mission to contribute to the enhancement of the United States by providing creative and high-quality immigration legal services to families, businesses and individuals, with a commitment to superior customer service and communication in a collegial and supportive environment....

With the declaration of a State of Emergency in Colorado due to the global pandemic from COVID-19, many Colorado employers are facing difficult decisions about how to manage their workforce in an uncertain and quickly-changing environment. Employers who employ H-1B workers should understand what their additional obligations are, if any, when considering layoffs, terminations, and other employment changes in light of COVID-19. The information contained in this article is for general...

As the COVID-19 pandemic evolves in the United States, many employers are making the difficult decision to lay off workers. Workers, in turn, have the option to apply for unemployment benefits to support themselves through these uncertain and difficult times. Noncitizens may be concerned about applying for and receiving unemployment benefits and potentially subjecting themselves to the “public charge” ground of inadmissibility in light of the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS)...

To our clients, employees, friends, vendors, staff, families and community: Kolko and Casey, P.C. would like you to know that we are doing our very best to stay vigilant and pro-active in order to keep all of us as safe as possible during this unprecedented COVID-19 health emergency. The health and safety of our clients, employees and families is our most important priority. We will continue to follow recommended hygiene protocols,...

Please join Kolko & Casey, P.C. in congratulating Managing Partner David Kolko and Senior Associate Attorney Angela Cifor for their recognition as 2020 Super Lawyers! David Kolko has been selected as a 2020 Super Lawyer in the field of Immigration Law.  Angela Cifor is recognized as a 2020 Super Lawyer, Rising Star in immigration. We are honored to work alongside these talented, creative and dedicated attorneys in the field of immigration...

As of March 1, 2020, the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) online H-1B registration tool is open for employers and their representatives to submit electronic registrations to seek acceptance under the annual H-1B cap lottery on behalf of potential H-1B workers. The online H-1B registration system is a new process this year and few details regarding its implementation or functionality were announced in advance. Employers and representatives access the...

The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has formally announced that it will implement the new H-1B registration final rule for Fiscal Year 2021. The H-1B registration system will involve an initial electronic registration process, in which employers may register for potential H-1B workers to be entered into the annual H-1B cap lottery. Those whose registrations are selected will then be permitted to file H-1B petitions to be considered on...

On November 4, 2019, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced that it was extending Temporary Protected Status (TPS) Documentation for individuals with TPS for individuals from El Salvador, Haiti, Honduras, Nepal, Nicaragua and Sudan until January 4, 2021. TPS beneficiaries from El Salvador, Haiti, Honduras, Nepal, Nicaragua and Sudan who properly re-registered during the most recent Registration period DO NOT need to file a new application for re-registration. The extension automatically...

On January 31, 2019, the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) issued a final rule making significant changes to how it will conduct the annual cap-subject H-1B lottery process. The rule creates an online “pre-registration” and selection requirement for companies intending to use the H-1B visa program to sponsor foreign workers. The Acting Director of USCIS, Ken Cuccinelli, recently announced that he believes USCIS will be ready to implement the...

On Saturday, November 2, 2019, a judge in the U.S. District Court in the District of Oregon issued a temporary restraining order (TRO) halting the new presidential proclamation on health insurance for immigrant visa applicants from taking effect. The Presidential Proclamation on Health Care, if its policy had taken effect, would have required that all people applying at a U.S Embassy or Consulate abroad for an immigrant visa to the United...

Last Friday, on October 25, 2019, the U.S. Attorney General William Barr decided two cases that could have a significant impact on an individual’s eligibility for certain types of immigration relief. Both cases pertain to an individual’s criminal history and its impact on his or her ability to remain in the United States. In Matter of Castillo-Perez, the Attorney General held that an individual with two or more convictions for driving...

On October 4, 2019, President Trump issued a “Presidential Proclamation on Health Care,” declaring that all people applying for immigrant visas to the United States (processed at U.S. consulates abroad) must demonstrate that they either will be covered by approved health insurance within 30 days of entry or have the financial resources to pay for reasonably foreseeable medical costs. The failure to demonstrate this requirement will result in the denial of...

United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement ("ICE") has announced a new policy, scheduled to be in effect as of September 1, 2019, to expand the use of "expedited removal" to deport noncitizens from the United States. The Trump Administration had directed Department of Homeland Security ("DHS") in 2017 to expand the use of expedited removal. This new policy announcement is implementation of those directives, and means that the use of expedited...

On September 05, 2017, the Trump administration announced that it would terminate the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. Now, nearly two years later, the U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to review the legal challenges to the program. The Supreme Court will hear arguments from parties from both sides of the issue on November 12, 2019. Which means a decision on the case is expected no later than June 2020....

Yesterday, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS)’s U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced a final rule that will transform how USCIS interprets and implements the “public charge” ground of inadmissibility under Section 212(a)(4) Immigration and Nationality Act (INA). This new rule is a major change from prior policy and affects all people applying to receive lawful permanent residency through the adjustment of status process in the United States, including...

As outlined in our blog, “Trump Administration Issues New Third Country Asylum Rule,” the new third-country asylum rule bars anyone (other than a citizen of Mexico) who travels from another country to the United States by land from qualifying for asylum unless he or she first seeks asylum in a third country. However, on July 24, 2019, U.S. District Judge Jon Tigar of San Francisco, California issued a preliminary injunction which...

  UPDATE: On July 24, 2019, U.S. District Judge Jon Tigar of San Francisco, California issued a preliminary injunction which has temporarily stopped the Trump administration’s third-country asylum bar from going into effect. Earlier on the same day, a U.S. District Judge in Washington D.C. declined to issue a preliminary injunction in a similar suit. However, the decision of the U.S. District Judge in San Francisco a few hours later temporarily...

In the past, Applicants for immigration benefits, their representatives, and other stakeholders were able to go online to schedule an appointment with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) at their local field office. These appointments, called InfoPass appointments, are an important tool to help people navigate the immigration system and allowed peopled to ask questions about a pending case, check the status of a case, and/or receive important documents related to...

The U.S. Department of State is now asking applicants for immigrant and nonimmigrant visas to provide information about their social media accounts. The U.S. Department of State has added a social media question to Forms DS-160 and DS-260, the standard online applications for applicants seeking immigrant and nonimmigrant visas to the United States. The new question asks for social media usernames (or “handles”) used within the last five years for 20...