Client Payment Portal

DV-2020 Winners Get Six-Month Reprieve

Feb 22, 2021 | Individual Services

A U.S. district judge extended DV-2020 immigrant visas for six months so they will not lapse while he renders a decision on plaintiffs’ challenge to Trump-era travel bans that are still in place.

“Even if the court were to declare the proclamations unlawful as plaintiffs request, a DV-2020 plaintiff who lacked a current, valid visa still could not enter the country. Accordingly, an order declaring the proclamations unlawful would provide no relief to a DV-2020 plaintiff without a current, valid visa,” the judge said in his opinion in Gomez v. Trump.

According to reports, shortly before the judge issued his order, the Department of State announced an exemption from the travel ban for diversity lottery green card winners whose visas will expire soon.

Source:

Related Posts:

Filing Period for Certain Liberians Applying for Adjustment Extended to Two Years

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced that the filing period for certain Liberian nationals and family members to apply for adjustment of status under the Liberian Refugee Immigration Fairness provision has been extended until December 20, 2021. The provision provides an opportunity for certain Liberian nationals and family members to obtain lawful permanent resident status in the United States. Details: USCIS notice, https://www.uscis.gov/green-card/green-card-eligibility/liberian-refugee-immigration-fairness

Read More

President Biden Grants Deferred Enforced Departure for Certain Hong Kong Residents

Breaking: President Biden has designated Hong Kong for Deferred Enforced Departure (DED). As of August 5, 2021, the President has directed the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to defer for at least 18 months in the removal of any Hong Kong residents present in the United States. The President stated that this step is necessary, citing the “significant erosion” of “human rights and fundamental freedoms of the residents of Hong Kong” by the People’s Republic of China (PRC). The DHS is also directed to take steps to provide employment authorization to eligible DED beneficiaries as well as to relax employment rules for F-1 students from Hong Kong. Persons granted DED may not travel abroad without obtaining an advance parole travel authorization that is discretionary. “This is a positive step for those nationals from Hong Kong who do not have valid visas or a path forward, but I am reluctant to recommend DED in any other than as a last resort because DED is not status and unless we later have remedial legislation providing a path towards a green card, this could be a dead-end for many,” said WR Immigration Managing Partner Bernard Wolfsdorf. To clarify, DED is not a specific […]

Read More