Immigration Alert! January 30, 2017 Trump's Executive Order Raises Grave Concerns

Trump's Executive Order Raises Grave Concerns             Washington, D.C. President Trump has issued an executive order on immigration that indefinitely bars Syrian refugees from entering the United States, suspends all refugee admissions for 120 days and blocks citizens of seven Muslim-majority countries, refugees or otherwise, from entering the United States for 90 days: Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen. The order wreaked havoc on the immigration system  in airports in the United States and abroad and prompted massive protests and legal actions. Trump's executive order has impacted not only non-immigrant travelers, but also dual nationals, green card holders, and person's holding passports from other countries if they were born in any of the seven countries. Given the border incidents this weekend and the conflicting statements from the Administration, the media, and other information sources we take this opportunity to advise all our clients and friends as follows: Regardless of your immigration status in the United States, if you are from any of the seven countries listed above, do not travel internationally under any circumstance: If you have an H-1b visa (or any other visa) and you were born in Syria, but you have Canadian nationality, you are from Syria. If you are a legal permanent resident (green card) and you were born in Iraq, you arefrom Iraq. If you are a United States citizen and an Iranian citizen, you are from Iran. Regardless of your immigration status in the United States, if you can "upgrade" your status, now is the time to do it: If you are here as an employee with a work visa and your employer is willing to petition for your green card, ask him/her now to proceed. If you are an employer who employs workers with visas, think about applying for green cards for your workers now. If you are a green card holder, apply for your U.S. citizenship today. Immigration as we know it is changing and involves many uncertainties. Regardless of what country you are from, for more specific advise on any of the above, or if you have a family member or friend overseas who wants to come stateside, contact any of our offices directly.

As your immigration attorneys, we welcome your questions and referrals.  Please call us with any concerns or questions you may have.  We look forward to assisting you!    1-800-828-VISA 1-800-828-8472