Introduction
Immigration laws and regulations can have a significant impact on your life. If you’re an immigrant, you may be wondering what these changes mean for your family. These changes have the potential to affect both immigrants and those who are citizens of the United States. We’ll explore some common questions that people have about immigration law, provide an overview of recent changes and update you on what’s new as it relates to your specific situation.
The latest changes and updates in immigration laws and regulations include the following:
- H-1B visa reform
- Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA)
- Consular Processing Elimination
- Family-based visas for same-sex spouses of U.S. citizens
H-1B visa reform
The H-1B visa program is a type of temporary work visa that allows U.S employers under immigration laws and regulations to hire foreign workers in specialty occupations when no qualified American workers are available. It’s also important to note that these visas can be granted on an “expedited basis”, meaning they’re issued within three months of filing paperwork, compared to one year otherwise.
The requirements for obtaining an H-1B visa include:
- The sponsoring employer must attest that it has tried unsuccessfully for at least six months prior to applying for this type of visa;
- The sponsoring employer must also attest that it will pay each worker at least $60/hour over their standard wage rate;
- The sponsoring employer must attest that there are no qualified U.S citizens available who could perform the job duties required by their business taking into consideration all factors including salary range offered by other companies offering similar positions within region where location falls (if applicable), experience level attained during prior employment history etcetera .
Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA)
Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) is a major policy under immigration laws and regulations that allows certain people who came to the US illegally as children to receive a renewable two-year period of deferred action from deportation and eligibility for a work permit. DACA does not grant lawful permanent resident status, nor does it allow you to travel outside of the U.S., but it does give you the ability to travel within the country and apply for jobs, including working in agriculture or food processing industries.
In addition, DACA recipients are eligible for driver’s license and state IDs in all 50 states; however, some states may require additional documentation such as high school diploma or GED certificate before issuing an ID card.
Consular Processing Elimination
The elimination of consular processing is expected to increase the number of foreign nationals admitted to the United States, as well. The current system of immigration laws and regulations involves submitting biometric data and fingerprints at a U.S. embassy or consulate abroad, where it is then forwarded to a Consulate General for approval before being sent back in order to apply for an immigrant visa (IV).
With no longer being required by law under section 245(i) requirement that all individuals must go through consular processing prior to making their case before October 1st 2019, this process has been simplified significantly making it easier for individuals who want to immigrate into America with their families or spouses without having them travel overseas first.
The change might cause some issues especially if you have already submitted your application but haven’t yet gotten approval from USCIS; however there are ways around this issue too! For example: If someone was waiting on their spouse/child/parent’s visa because they needed him/her here before applying themselves then now would be perfect time because now he won’t need one anymore so he can come over instead!
Family-based visas for same-sex spouses of U.S. citizens
The U.S. government has recognized same-sex marriages since June 26, 2015 when the Supreme Court of the United States struck down Section 3 of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA). This ruling allowed for same-sex spouses to be treated equally under federal law, even if the state in which they reside does not recognize their marriage. After this ruling, many states began recognizing gay marriages performed in other states and countries, but some still do not recognize them as valid under their own laws.
For example: If you are married to someone who lives in New York City, but you live in Indiana where same-sex marriage isn’t legal yet? You may still be able to apply for a visa based on your relationship with that person–but only if all three parties involved are part of one family unit and can prove that they have been together for two years (or 1095 days) during those two years.*
Temporary protected status (TPS)
Temporary protected status (TPS) is a temporary immigration benefit that allows eligible nationals from certain countries affected by hurricanes, earthquakes and other natural disasters to live and work in the United States.
TPS is an individual’s right to be in the United States as long as their country continues to be directly affected by these natural disasters. The program has been around since 1990, but new rules have now been implemented that will affect those who currently have TPS status.
Expedited removal
Expedited removal is a process under immigration laws and regulations through which certain non-citizens can be removed from the United States without being allowed to apply for asylum or other forms of protection. A person who has been ordered removed under expedited removal may challenge the order in court, but if they lose their appeal, they will be removed from the United States immediately. Recent updates include:
- Expedited removal applies to certain immigrants with violent criminal records and threats to public safety or national security; these changes were announced on March 1st 2019 by Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen.
- Expedited removals are now automatically initiated against non-citizens who have been ordered removed under expedited removal before October 5th 2018 (prior dates apply). This means that anyone who was already scheduled for an expedited removal hearing between those dates will be subject to automatic deportation proceedings once their case reaches court within 180 days after filing for asylum/refugee status or after serving time in prison (if applicable).
- It also applies retroactively so that people who were ordered deported before October 5th do not automatically get another chance at applying for legal status based on new regulations!
Changes in immigration laws and regulations can have large impacts on your life in the United States.
Changes in immigration laws and regulations can have large impacts on your life in the United States. While some changes will be positive, others can be negative. Changes in immigration laws and regulations that are beneficial for immigrants may include:
- Increased access to work visas and green cards for high-skilled workers who want to immigrate to the U.S., such as STEM professionals;
- An increase in visa applications from countries like India and China;
- A reduction in illegal immigration by family members traveling abroad for short periods of time (e.g., spouses), which allows them to return home more easily if they decide not to stay permanently;
- The repeal of “catch-and-release” policies, which allowed undocumented workers arrested while committing crimes but not convicted of those crimes
Conclusion
As you can see, there have been many changes in immigration laws and regulations since January. It is important to be aware of these changes so that you can prepare yourself for them. If you are an immigrant looking to come to the United States, then hopefully this post has given you insight into what to expect once your application process starts.
